Alice Pinney considers ways Christian parents can help their children and young people back down safely from the high of summer camp
For many young people involved in church life, summer camps are one of the highlights of the year. Whether it’s the youth group trip to a Christian festival, a family holiday to a church conference or the annual boarding school style camp, these events can be a brilliant spiritual high. Young people (and adults!) often come away bolstered in their faith, recommitted to growing spiritually and spurred on in their relationship with Jesus.
And it’s not hard to see why. Camps are fun, immersive and full of energy. The overtly Christian environment makes it easy to live out faith. There are new voices bringing fresh perspectives, leaders who are inspiring role models and ridiculous games that would be impossible to pull off at youth group. Add in a big-budget worship band and a packed programme and camps can often feel like spiritual Disneyland.
Working alongside your church’s youth leader, you can help bridge the gap between the excitement of camp and the ordinariness of weekly discipleship
But as a youth worker who has taken groups to countless camps, I’ve also heard parents ask: “My teenager loved camp, but they don’t seem as keen on youth group or church. How can I help them?”
This is where parents have a crucial role to play. Summer camps can provide a spark, but it’s in the steady rhythms of the local church and home where faith really takes root. And the good news is that parents don’t have to do this alone. Working alongside your church’s youth leader, you can help bridge the gap between the excitement of camp and the ordinariness of weekly discipleship.
The Biblical rhythm of celebration and perseverance
Festivals and celebrations were central in the Bible. Israel was commanded to keep Passover (Exodus 12), the Feast of Booths (Leviticus 23:33–43), and other celebrations that gathered God’s people together to worship and remember his saving acts. But festivals weren’t the whole of the spiritual life. Alongside these high points was the daily rhythm of prayer, sacrifice, community, and obedience. Elsewhere believers are urged not to give up meeting together (Hebrews 10:24–25) and to persevere in faith.
In other words: God meets us both in the highs of camp and in the ordinariness of weekly life.
So how can we help young people thrive all year round, and not just live for that summer high?
1. Intentional reflection
One of the most helpful things you can do as a parent is sit with your child and reflect on their camp experience. Ask questions: What did you love most? What did you learn? What felt different about your faith there? This helps separate what was simply “hype” from the real, lasting work God has done.
remind them that church isn’t meant to compete with camp
It’s also a chance to bring things back to the Bible. If they were particularly struck by a talk or passage, revisit it together. Maybe even pray through the themes that stood out. If they made a fresh commitment, ask how you can support them in it.
This is also the moment to gently address comparison and doubt. It’s natural for church or youth group to feel “boring” compared to the buzz of camp. But remind them that church isn’t meant to compete with camp. And when doubts creep in or the feelings fade, that doesn’t mean God has disappeared.
2. Facilitate friendships
One of the great things about camp is the friendships formed through being in close proximity for an extended period of time. Parents can help sustain this by being willing to open their home, give lifts, or coordinate visits with camp friends. If friendships stretch across the country, perhaps host a weekend get-together or encourage online Bible studies.
In your local context, think about how those relationships can be built on in youth group. You could ask the church youth leader how you can help: maybe hosting a BBQ, helping at an event, or just encouraging your child to invite their friends along. Christian friendship really is an important way that young people are sharpened in their faith (Proverbs 27:17).
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3. Supporting new habits and commitments
Many young people come back from camp with fresh commitments: praying for friends, reading the Bible daily, or wanting to give more intentionally to church. Parents can help by buying another devotional, setting aside time in the morning, or reminding them to pray for the friends they committed to. Above all, cheer them on, praying with them and for them. And remind them that God’s grace is big enough even when commitments may falter.
4. Encourage the grind
The Christian life is not always easy. As they return to school many young people will feel the weight of being a Christian minority. Parents can help by reminding their children that perseverance is a part of discipleship. Perhaps you could talk about Biblical examples: Joseph, Daniel or Paul, living faithfully in difficult contexts. This is also a place to normalise struggle. Help them see that dips in enthusiasm don’t mean failure; God is teaching them to rely on him. Encourage resilience, prayer, and trust in God’s faithfulness through every season.
Small, consistent habits at home send a powerful message: following Jesus isn’t just for camp or church, it’s for every day
5. Nurture faith at home
The rhythm of camp is one of worship, prayer and community: what would it look like to bring some of that atmosphere into your family life? That might mean praying at mealtimes, reading the Bible together, listening to worship music in the car, or doing a family serving project. Small, consistent habits at home send a powerful message: following Jesus isn’t just for camp or church, it’s for every day.
celebrate the camp high, but help your child see that it is in the daily, ordinary rhythms of faith that deep roots will grow and flourish
6. Finding joy in your local church.
Finally, help your child see that the local church, with all its imperfections, is where long-term faith grows. Unlike camp, church won’t always feel exciting, but it is where God has placed us. Are there ways your child could serve in church, to truly feel like they belong?
Remind them also that God often works in the ordinary: quiet prayers, familiar songs, repetitive acts of service. Over time, ordinary moments build a deep and resilient faith.
Camps are a wonderful gift, but they are not the main ground where faith grows deep roots. So, celebrate the camp high, but help your child see that it is in the daily, ordinary rhythms of faith that deep roots will grow and flourish.
