The Vanderkamp Method
So you’ve come to find out why exactly Vanderkamp is a different summer camp experience than other places. If you want the most recent articles on the Vanderkamp method, read below. If you want to see the full collection of our articles and the order that we recommend you read them, head over to the what makes us special page and have a look. Enjoy, comment, debate! We believe the Bible calls us to radically re-envision the way children are treated – do you?
Tired of Pulling our Hair Out – So we’re Changing the Rules
In light of the current “Occupy Wall Street” movement, a lot of people are concerned about what it means to “have fewer rules.” After all – aren’t we in this current economic mess precisely because the government didn’t pay close enough attention to these folks on Wall Street? Don’t we need to pay closer attention to these bankers, lest they misbehave and somehow take our money? The problem seems to be less about not having enough rules and more about having rules that favor certain people. As adults, we should be...
read moreThe Power of Choice
What was the best part of your day today? Got your answer? Was it during a time when you were doing something that was planned for you by your boss, a teacher, your parents, your spouse? It was most likely something you did of your own free will, because you are quite likely the person who knows you best. A quick internet search on the question, “What was the best part of your day today?” will turn up many different answers, but all of them involve a person describing a voluntary action he or she engaged in or a moment in...
read moreBeing in the Moment
So it seems you agree: If we are to honor children in the most loving and Christian way possible, we need to radically rethink how we treat them. In order to figure out how to show them love and give them a great time, we’ll begin by remembering what exactly it was that we loved to do. When people think back on the wonderful times in their lives, they often describe how time felt like it passed very quickly. They’ll recall a wonderful conversation where one of the participants happened to look at a clock, and say, “Wow!...
read moreChildren and the Body of Christ – Whole Centered Philosophy.
We are all a part of whole – the Body of Christ. When we act for our own good, at the expense of others, we are not focusing on the whole. We are acting as if there is a separation between us and others that makes us more important. At Vanderkamp we strive to help each child see that she/he is part of the whole body of Christ, and while a distinct person, not separate from it. We cherish each child and also want each child to understand that she/ he is vital member of the community. Philosophically speaking, when a person finds...
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