The WEC Camps Legacy

Our thanks go to Julia King, WEC Camps leader, for writing this article for Global Connections.

WEC Camps

Each summer, on a field somewhere in the UK, a campsite is constructed. Bell tents (some almost as old as the camps themselves), marquees, ridge tents and more are raised by a faithful team of volunteers. These tents will house young people aged 9 to 17 for two glorious weeks of the summer holidays.

Since 1948, Worldwide Evangelisation for Christ (WEC) has been running its youth ministry, WEC Camps - a Christian camp for young people and adult volunteers from a wide variety of churches and Christian backgrounds. Two camps are run simultaneously in fields just a stone’s throw from each other. Warrior Camp caters for campers aged 9-13, while Teen Camp is for those aged 13-17. Once campers become too old to attend either, many - like myself - become leaders on one or both of the camps.

I personally started attending WEC Camps when I was 15 years old. Twenty-six years later, I’m still there as a Teen leader and member of the staff team. That's one of the greatest legacies of WEC Camps: many, many young people continue to attend camp as leaders and volunteers because of the impact it had on their own faith when they were younger. There is a collective desire from all leaders to see children and young people grow closer to God, know Him more and learn from His Word. We also long for them to recognise that there is a world beyond their own that needs Jesus.

Each year, I come away from camp astonished and amazed at what I have seen God do. I have witnessed countless young people commit their lives to Christ, many rejoice at answered prayers, others thanking God that He has given them direction and guidance for what He wants for their lives, and a large number of young people declare that God has called them to the mission field. I have seen the impact that WEC Camps has on young lives through my own personal story of faith and through the lives of the many young people I have had the honour to lead.

Camp Operations

So how does it work? Well, each camp hosts up to 100 children or young people each week it runs. This is much smaller than most summer camps and programmes, but the size is one of the things that makes WEC Camps special. By the end of the week, we all know each other’s names and have probably eaten a meal with almost everyone on the field. Each camp splits its boys and girls into ‘villages’. These are small groups of about 8-12 campers, who are grouped by age, with a few leaders to look after them for the week. Many campers return each summer, and as a leader it is a privilege to watch them grow and mature in their faith. Because so many return, villages often develop into little families whose friendships continue over several summers.

During the day, the whole camp will enjoy free time, games, meals and activities like any youth camp. But, as a Christian camp, there is more to the day than this. After breakfast, there is a morning meeting where the camp worships together and hears from that week’s Bible teacher on a specific theme. There is further opportunity for each village to discuss the morning’s teachings, ask their questions and pray together before the rest of the day begins. In the evenings, the camp attends another meeting. This time, the theme is always ‘mission’: there is further prayer and praise, followed by a missionary slot. This could be delivered by a leader who has mission experience to share, or a visiting missionary who teaches about a specific country they’ve worked in, or it could even be about home mission, or equipping the young people for missions themselves.

There is a group of young people from my church that attend the Camps each year, and I have seen the way that it has fortified their faith and made it their own. Some have even gone on to do discipleship programmes as a result, and one has a desire for mission when they are older: she is attending Bible College from September! I have seen God do amazing things in young people’s hearts in just a week: in a few cases, even going from stubborn refusal to hear about Jesus to giving their lives to Christ. All you need to do to realise how special these Camps are is to live on that field for a week, alongside the young people and the leaders. God’s presence is tangible, He speaks in very real ways to both the campers and leaders, and so many come away with an incredible testimony of answered prayer and changed hearts. In fact, we hold a testimony meeting on the final night of camp so that we can rejoice together about what God has done!

WEC leaders

As a leader, I go back again and again because WEC Camps bring me joy. Yes, it is rather exhausting spending two weeks in a field alongside a large group of children and young people. But is it worth it? Yes. Every single time. I have never, in all 26 years, come away from camp feeling empty or disappointed. I drive home tired but full of awe, speechless and overflowing with gratitude, because God allowed me to witness - and even be a part of - His life-changing work in the hearts and lives of those children and young people.

Expanding WEC camps beyond the UK

At the moment, WEC is considering how these camps might be expanded beyond the UK, as we already have campers and leaders who attend from various countries in Europe and even some as far afield as South Korea. To be able to even talk about creating more camps under the WEC banner is such a testament to God’s faithfulness to these ministries through the years. They continue to bless, encourage and challenge so many each year, come rain or shine. I can’t tell you the secret formula for why WEC Camps work, as I am not sure there is one. The camps are fuelled by a passion to see young people’s lives changed, to share missions with a younger generation of Christians and by much prayer.

This year, WEC Camps run from 25th July to 8th August in Cromer, Norfolk. To find out more about camps, or even book on for this summer, check out the website: https://www.weccamps.org/

Prayer points

Please pray:

• That God would provide the right leaders for this year’s camps and for those who organise the villages to place the right campers and leaders together.
• For the Bible teachers and Mission speakers as they prepare their talks and materials for both camps. May God inspire them and give them the words that God would have them share.
• As you can imagine, camp takes a lot of preparation, so please pray especially for the camp operations leadership group, as well as other leaders and organisers; that all the final details would come together well and relatively quickly.
• For those arriving early to do ‘prep week’ (setting up the field) and staying later to do ‘pack up’ (taking everything down), pray for energy, safety and God’s blessing as they serve.
• Finally, for safety (physical and spiritual) as camps run. That God’s protection would be over both fields.