The Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia were settled by strong and resilient families. In Nelson County many families were in these mountains long before a local government was established in 1807. These pioneers settled new communities, counties, and eventually a new country. Centuries later, many of their descendants still live in the same mountains — a testimony to the power of family, unity, and home.

Nestled in one of these Nelson County mountain communities, between the historic towns of Lexington and Staunton, Virginia, sits Camp Blue Ridge (CBR). Established in 1957 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, CBR was your typical American summer camp for kids. Each June and July parents pulled their cars into CBR’s expansive, green meadow by the lake to drop their kids off for a week away from the family. Then, in 2018 the sewer system failed, followed shortly by the worldwide pandemic — and Camp Blue Ridge was forced to shut down for more than two years. This tragic turn of events gave CBR Camp Director Ray Queen time to think about the camp’s future and the needs of the community.

“We decided to take a new approach to camp that serves the family. So now parents and guardians no longer drop their kids off to play at CBR. They stay to play and grow together,” said Queen.

Many forces stress families today, among them:

• Career
• Finances
• Affordable housing
• Childcare
• Community safety
• Educational opportunities

The American Psychological Association states that 40–50 percent of first marriages end in divorce, with approximately 60–67 percent ending in divorce for second marriages. According to research conducted in 2020 by the Pew Charitable Trust, 66 percent of American parents say it is harder to parent now than 20 years ago due largely to screen time (i.e., social media and smart phones). Based on data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and adjusting for inflation, it now costs upwards of $312,000 to raise a child to adulthood (LaPonsie, 2024).

All of these factors needed to be considered in CBR’s shift of mission and meant changes and additions to the CBR programming. 

“We developed a ministry philosophy that focused on retreat and togetherness, learning and mentoring, and spiritual exploration and growth,” said Julie Minnick, CBR associate camp director. “We developed activities that adults will enjoy learning and sharing with their children.” 

Woodworking is now a part of daily activities along with lapidary (rock cutting and polishing), Go karts, RC Crawlers (miniature car racing), various levels of hiking, and nature activities that include wild, edible plants. Of course, all the traditional activities — swimming, canoeing, paddleboarding, archery, and horseback riding — are still firmly in place. Anthony Southard, a full-time camp ranger at CBR, manages skilled activities such as woodworking. “During a camp week when the woodshop gets very busy, I see people teaching new friends what I’ve taught them,” said Southard. “It’s beautiful to watch campers help each other finish projects.”

A 2018 survey found that the average American family spends 37 minutes of quality time together each weekday. “Busyness gets in the way of really paying attention to one another,” said Kelly Rivinius, PsyD, a clinical psychologist from Redlands, California. “The loss of long, slow swaths of time to find oneself and one another are the casualties of this consumer age” (T. Caldwell, personal communication, July 2023).

This Family Camp model is very intentional about letting go of busyness and embracing togetherness. Wi-Fi is limited to a few common spaces. Campers are encouraged to leave devices at home and focus on experiences with those around them. Time is set aside each morning for families or small groups to meet and focus on spiritual messages developed by the camp chaplain. Select CBR staff are prepared to join this reflection time if asked to do so.

“Vacation is many times all about self-pleasure,” said Naofumi Nozawa, a father of two from Norfolk, Virginia. “We come here for the deeper, spiritual experience that is folded into every day of fun activities. We are together while having fun,” he said.

The daily schedule is easy but full. Most activities are open for several hours a day. Come and go as you please; no need to sign up. “Parents and kids learn and explore together,” said Daniel Xisto, a father of two from Laurel, Maryland. “The program gives us so much time to play and have adventures. We enjoy the quiet away from city life in the DC Metro area.”

Another support to the Family Camp model is a centrally located, multipurpose building. In CBR’s case, a new post and beam building sits high on the property with windowed walls that overlook the Blue Ridge Mountains. Guests can dine indoors or on the large deck with picnic tables, and lawn chairs surround a stone fire pit. Early risers who find their way to the cafeteria deck can watch the sun climb up the trees each morning. Half dining hall and half gymnasium, families can play pickleball or badminton while slower eaters enjoy their meals or a lingering conversation. On rainy days, it becomes a chapel as well.

Bookending each Family Camp day are the half-hour CBR Morning Show and the evening Campfire Worship Service, both held at the open-air amphitheater with its lake and mountains backdrop.

Sheldon Bryan, pastor of the Williamsburg, Newport News, and Yale, Virginia, Adventist Churches, was one of several camp pastors for the 2023 Family Camp season. “Different families have different challenges,” said Pastor Bryan. “If an individual or a family wants to discuss anything, I am happy to talk and pray with them as they seek their own answers.” 

Family Camp is a place of safety, rest, and recreation away from the daily stressors that challenge families’ strength. Families will go back to their routines that bump and jostle them along. But whatever the future holds, hopefully camp has fortified them for another year.

On a cool and breezy July evening, as Pastor Bryan prepares to speak, all is calm and quiet except for the sounds of singing, guitar, and drum that resonate off the lake and mountains. The music draws an eagle from its nest. It soars, strong and resilient, over the families in song.

Camp Blue Ridge (CBR) is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. CBR’s focus is exclusively on family camp. It hosts a diversity of groups and operates 12 months a year.

Reference

• LaPonsie, M. (2024, May 9). How much does it cost to raise a child? U.S. News & World Report. money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/how-much-does-it-cost-to-raise-a-child

T. Lynn Caldwell is a recently retired university professor who was a full-time volunteer at Camp Blue Ridge for the summer of 2023.

Photo courtesy of Camp Blue Ridge, Montebello, VA.