Youth Camp: Relationships and Reflections on Genesis 2
This year, our youths will be learning about relationships at their camp. Joshua shares with us why they picked this theme, as well as how the church can participate and help in this camp.
What comes to your mind when you think of the word Relationships?
I asked a youth boy what he thought and we talked about four different types of relationships that related to him:
Family (parents and siblings)
Opposite Gender
Authorities such as teachers and the government
God and God’s people
We continued to discuss what made a good and healthy relationship and what made a bad and toxic one, and there were three things that stood out as what made a good relationship:
Physical presence: The people spend time with one another and do things together
Delighting in one another: Respecting one another and appreciating the unique qualities of the other person
Being known: Communicating in healthy ways and sharing each other's struggles
Reflections on Genesis 2
As I was thinking about this topic of relationships, I was reflecting on Genesis 2:18-25. I realised that there were many similarities with what I had discussed with my youth.
In the beginning God created everything, and out of the entirety of creation, there was one thing which was not good: that was that the man was alone. So God created Woman. So with the Man, Woman and God, all the different relationships which I had discussed with my youth were present.
The man and the woman together in marriage made the first family unit
The man and woman were of the opposite gender
The man and the woman were both under the authority of God and His word
The man and the women were God’s people in a perfect relationship with God and with each other.
On top of this, the three things we discussed that made relationships good were similarly present when God created the woman:
Physical presence: After God created the Woman, she was brought to the Man (Gen 2:22). They were physically together. God created someone who was like the man to be present with him in the garden.
Delighting in one another: As soon as the man sees the woman, he breaks out into song (Gen 2:23). He was thrilled with the woman and appreciates that there is someone like him.
Being known: The man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed (Gen 2:24). They were fully known by each other, loved and accepted for who they were.
From this account in Genesis, we can see that God created human beings to be in good and healthy relationships with each other. We are created to be relational beings, it is part of God's design for mankind.
Youth Camp 2024
The topic for youth camp this year will be relationships. This is because our youth, like all mankind, are designed by God to be in relationships with others. The youth will be at camp studying what God says in his word about how we should relate to each other in our everyday relationships.
The leader and I picked this topic because we see the importance of relationships and we desire to see our youth be in healthy relationships. We hope that the youth will be growing these relationships according to what the Bible says. Our desire is that God will work in the lives of our youth to seek to have edifying friendships, relate to their parents well, respond well to authority over them and most importantly, be in a right relationship with God.
How you can help at Youth Camp
This camp will be opened to all youths (from 12 to 18+ years old)! Interested to join the camp? Sign up here!
God created us to be in relationships with each other. As you read this, you might be wondering how you too, can be growing your relationship with the youth of our church?
Well, if you are free any time from 18-21 December, please come over to the venue and spend time with the youth at camp. This is a great way you can be building relationships with our youth and you can give them opportunities to apply what we will be teaching from the Bible about relationships.
Additionally, the youth and leaders do need food over the duration of the camp, so one way you can be loving the youth in our church is to consider sponsoring a meal.
Lastly (but by no means the least) please keep the youth camp in your prayers:
Pray that the youth will have soft hearts that will listen to scripture and want to relate well with God and with others.
Pray for the health and safety of all the campers and leaders
Pray for the speakers of youth camp as they prepare messages from God’s word
Pray for the youth leaders as we make the last minute preparations.