Be Creative
____CORE
Grades: Entering 6th-Graduation
Dean: Hunter Ellis
Check-in: July 14 @ 5:00pm
Parent Pick-up: July 19 @ 3:00pm
Be Creative Camp is an experience that was created for creatives of all kinds, from the band geeks, theater kids, and artists to the inventors, writers, and gamers. Each week of BeCre is much more involved than your typical summer camp – a week of Be Creative includes a healthy dose of improv, games, challenges, and storytelling. It’s like a week-long murder mystery or an escape room: there’s a setup, an unfolding story with conflicts, resolutions, and of course, unexpected twists along the way. In between the points of the ongoing story, we have photography challenges, movie sound effects challenges, tons of opportunities to utilize the camp's elements like the zipline, pool, climbing wall and more, as well as an intense study of the Bible. For more information about Be Creative, you can visit our website, becreativecamp.com.
Our theme for 2024 is ____CORE. Have you ever thought about what makes a painting beautiful, or what brings together your taste in clothing and music? It may come down to aesthetics, which is at the center of ____CORE. We will be studying aesthetics and style, and learning about how form and function collide. Campers will solve problems and puzzles using textures, sounds, styles and colors
It’s impossible to tell you exactly what to expect from a week of BeCre. But if you want to know what it’s like to participate in trash can drum circle worship, eat lunch in 4/4 time, plan a wedding for sock puppets, or just witness imagination and scripture coming together in huge ways — give Be Creative a chance!
About the Dean
Where are you involved at church?
I attend Pricetown Church of Christ with my family, and I’m involved in media production there. I also am currently serving as the Director of Be Creative for Saltvine Ministries, so I have the honor of coordinating our many weeks of Be Creative Camp at local church camps.
What is your favorite Bible verse?
In a way this might be cheating, because it’s not ONE verse, but I always say that my favorite verses are Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. They’re a poetic reminder that as Christians we aren’t promised that our time here on Earth will be perfect, far from it. There’s a time for weeping, casting away, and ultimately dying. But we will also have good times — the times to be silly and dance around, to embrace one another and to love. Solomon writes that therefore there is nothing better to do than to be joyful and do good through our toils. That message has always resonated with me.
What does camp ministry mean to you?
Camp ministry was a large part of my experience growing up in the church. Even though I didn’t always have the opportunity to be involved with a youth group growing up, I did get to attend at least one week of summer camp every year. Church camp is an opportunity to escape whatever is going on in our everyday lives, to meet new people and to grow closer to God. I can say from experience it’s incredible how He works when you take a week to just focus on Him and His message. I definitely wouldn’t be the person I am today without the things I’ve learned and how I’ve grown in my faith because of church camp ministry and because of the amazing people and close friends I’ve met along the way.
What is your favorite camp memory?
I have way too many amazing memories from my years at camp to pick just one! Most of my years as a camper were at Be Creative Camp, so some great memories that stand out include ones where us campers were building our own imaginary universe… for example, we once fought a war against an invisible tribe plotting to take over the camp, which was resolved when we staged a whole wedding ceremony and reception. Another fond memory of mine is trying to win a tree-hugging competition, which ended in a quasi-stalemate after an hour and a half clinging to the trees. I always remember worship times being super special too — one time we attempted to sing every single Chris Tomlin song we could think of, and worship that night didn’t end until well after midnight. Though it took “Forever”, praising “Our God” that night was an “Indescribable” experience.
What is your favorite dessert?
I’d say it depends on the season for me! If it's summertime, nothing beats a pint of Graeter’s Double Chocolate Chip ice cream. But during the holiday season, the first dessert I’m grabbing from the table is a big slice of Pumpkin Pie with extra cool whip.