On Saturdays at Rockmont, anything can happen.
As campers gathered in the Dining Hall for lunch, familiar faces had disappeared. In their place stood pirates, adventurers, and legendary characters from the high seas. Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann, Blackbeard, Davy Jones, and their crews burst into a skit full of sword fights, laughter, and plenty of pirate mischief.
By the time the final duel had ended, the campers were on the edge of their seats, ready to jump into the adventure themselves.
Then the game began.
Crews scattered across camp, solving riddles, conquering relay races, and completing challenges to earn golden coins.
Those coins could be exchanged for treasure maps that revealed the locations of hidden map pieces. Along the way, campers searched for missing characters, and worked as a team to save Rockmont from the pirates who had taken over camp.
But while the pirate adventure was exciting, it wasn’t my favorite part of the day.
After supper, campers gathered at the Rave of the Black Pearl, where DJ Ravy Jones (Poplar Tribal Director, Cole Summers) and Captain Groovebeard (Sycamore Tribal Director, Riley Johnson) kept the music going while the waterfront buzzed with excitement. The Blob launched campers into the lake, the high and low dives stayed busy, and campers fueled up on Pirate Booty popcorn, trail mix, cookies, root beer, and Ocean Punch.
As I looked around the waterfront, I realized the greatest treasure wasn’t hidden in a chest or marked on a map.
It was the community.
Everywhere you looked, campers were laughing together, cheering one another on, inviting someone new into a game, and simply enjoying being together.
Whether a boy had been at Rockmont for years, or had only arrived a few days ago, he belonged.
It reminded me of Jesus’ words in John 13:34–35: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
At Rockmont, we hope campers leave with incredible memories of pirate adventures, treasure hunts, and unforgettable Saturday nights. But even more than that, we hope they leave knowing what it feels like to be welcomed, encouraged, and loved by a community that reflects Christ’s love.
Because long after the pirate ships have sailed away, that is the treasure worth holding onto.
– Zach Kawa
Head of Bear Camp