The Case for Cedarbrook 2021

by Amy “Ellie” Culhane

Pediatrician: The pandemic is taking an alarming toll on children
Covid upended the lives of children everywhere
Why kids are hitting the pandemic wall

These are just a few of the headlines I read as I scroll through my phone trying to fall asleep. I’m looking for answers and clarity in this most trying year.

Cedarbrook’s 4 Arrows take on new meaning after a year of monotony, isolation, screens, and fear. It is my prayer that as many girls as possible will be able to join us this summer to grow at camp. But are you still not convinced that camp is the answer this summer?

I present the case for Camp Cedarbrook in 2021:

Challenge yourself outside of your comfort zone and monotony to try something new! We’ve spent most of the year sticking to what we know and staying safe. While we emphasize safety at camp, we also encourage healthy risk-taking, like climbing a rock wall or capsizing a sailboat. Overcoming challenges improves your self-confidence and increases your resilience. College essays and job interviews are filled with overcoming obstacles - that’s what life is about!

Grow in community and friendships after so much isolation. One of the best parts of camp is the friends we make! Watching friendships grow in the 24/7 environment of camp is magical. I often emphasize to staff in training that even if a youth group met for 2 hours a week during the school year (40 weeks x 2 hours = 80 hours), it doesn’t compare to a week at camp (6 days x 24 hours = 144 hours), or better yet, our Two-Week Experience (13 days x 24 hours = 312 hours)! No wonder by Tuesday night, girls are laughing and sharing inside jokes with people they just met days ago! The pandemic has put a strain on communities and relationships. Come to camp for healing, connection, and laughter!

Engage with nature and get away from screens. Camp has no cell service or wifi for campers! We are one of the last places on earth where you can totally disengage from electronics for at least a week. Seriously, even on airplanes and in church, you are just seconds away from notifications and messages that will take you out of the moment and back to comparing yourself to others or doom scrolling (guilty!). We can all agree that technology is amazing and has made so many things possible this past year, but we need a break. Rewire your brain to connect with people face to face and be present. Sleep with no white noise. Look at the stars. Cook over a fire. And remember, camp dirt is clean dirt!

Connect with God and release your fears and uncertainties to Him. The overwhelming emotion I have felt this past year is fear. Am I staying safe? Am I giving my kids too much screen time? Will we ever return to normal? At Cedarbrook, we reorient our focus and turn our fears over to our loving God. Campers receive daily quiet time, Bible study, campfire messages, and devotions. The God of all comfort is waiting to connect with us. We create space and time to grow this relationship with intentionality and love.

When I think about the Camp Cedarbrook’s impact on girls each year, I’m humbled by the task we have this summer to meet a generation and share with them Christ’s love. 

I hope you’ll consider sending your daughter to Cedarbrook for a transformative experience. If you’re still not convinced, we’ll be unpacking our 4 Arrows through more in-depth posts leading up to camp. Join us!