Okay, so the title might be slightly misleading, but instead of pick up lines, we are looking at things we can pick up from summer camps. Let’s go.

Line 1: Pick Up Kids

We had a camp this past week, and I realized there are so many lines of things that we pick up! On the first day, I had to drive over to someone’s house to pick them up. Although they ended up being a counselor, we still had other campers to pick up. I cannot stress enough how important it is to make yourself available to make your camp accessible.

Line 2: Pick Up Plans

If you are reading this, you might already know that your plans may never work out as originally proposed. Sometimes you have to pick them up and start things over. You must be willing to change, improvise, or wait on them. Are you willing to adjust to make the experience increasingly better?

Line 3: Pick Up Yourself

Get up early. It may be easy to a few of you, but it can be quite difficult for the majority of us. Especially when you are busy, or your week is filled with active camp activities, picking yourself up in the morning can be really tough. The important thing is that you have a routine that is both beneficial to your walk with God and your obligations during the week.

Line 4: Pick Up Expectations

People will either expect too much of you or an undermining amount of you; there is no in-between. The important thing is that you pick up these expectations. Reach up to them. Raise them. Make the bar higher. Jesus did not do anything halfway. He tried and accomplished. We need to get our plans done, and we need to do it well. If that means extra work and fewer hours of sleep, so be it.

Line 5: Pick Up Ideas

In the field area of summer camps, you will always run into people with more expertise than you. Use this! There is nothing wrong with going to other camps and taking lessons from the people you meet. It might be a new way to organize teams, a new game, a new name, or even an idea for your own personal life. Pick these up and take advantage of this information!

Line 6: Pick Up Spirits

You are here to make a difference. You may not be able to change the entire world, but you can focus on individual people and change one person’s world. Kids will get sad, and counselors will be cranky. What are you doing to raise their spirits? Prayer and conversation are some of your biggest tools. Do what you can to make this the best week for everyone.

Line 7: Pick Up trash

As our last pick up line, I have to express the need to pick up trash. Camps and anything ministry related are messy, both realistically and figuratively. Pick up trash as you go! Abolish frustrations with your coworkers and clean gradually through your camp. It makes the end of the week so much easier!

What else are you picking up at camp?