- bible reading times together
- Preparing together as a couple(s)
- Plan for flexibility and freedom
The family should return home from leisure time refreshed in body, soul and spirit.
- It is a great advantage to have an (experienced) married couple who can prepare for the devotions in particular and who are available for pastoral care and who can approach people well.
- Prepare the leisure time very closely with your wife, as she is much more involved in the practical matters concerning small children, etc.
- When planning, you have to bear in mind that a lot of things take a lot more time. Even just until a family is fully dressed (teeth brushed, rucksack packed, ...)
- Family camps are not church camps. What goals do you want to pursue? Who do you want to reach and invite?
- Allow for a lot of flexibility and freedom; we have generally handled it in such a way that participation in the program is always voluntary and not a must. Then we designed some program points as interest groups, where they registered in advance.
- Certain program points were differentiated, i.e. for families with younger children or for those with older children. Of course, the children of one family could also go with another family. It would certainly be possible to run a tighter program, but our families really appreciated this sensitive approach. Parents in particular are sometimes sensitive to "authoritarian" leadership or get stressed if they have to fit into a concept that is too rigid.
- Leadership in a family camp requires a great deal of empathy and open eyes and hearts. This open leadership requires a different information system; it becomes more difficult as usually only everyone is really present for dinner. That's why you have to provide information well in advance - in some cases, you have to draw attention to things in writing before the free time. And then a lot has to be done in writing via a notice board or directly verbally to the individual families. It may also be necessary to ask a parent to come for a short "meeting".
- An important OBJECTIVE: The family should return home refreshed - in body, soul and spirit - from their leisure time. Family vacations are very rare and really precious.
- we placed a lot of emphasis on "family devotions" when it came to the spiritual. Our aim was to help the families to organize Bible reading times themselves (or perhaps with another family) using the SZ booklet; this applies, of course, especially to "believing" families. But it could also be sold in the sense of a "family round", so that it concerns everyone.
- The devotions should also contain family-specific applications and not be general. SU in Austria has had very good experiences with sitting together as a family during the devotions. In this way, certain things can be worked out, discussed and implemented in the families.
- Singing is very important
- Spiritual input in the sense of the unity program can be briefly and vividly incorporated into the daily routine.
- In some cases, a marriage evening was very well received, where marriage and parenting were openly discussed and exchanged at a "round table".
- Involve the kids, also in the accomplishment of individual daily tasks.
- Possibly organize a marriage evening (i.e. a special children's adventure program);
- otherwise, we always did everything together and didn't separate the parents from the children. Only after the devotions did we give the kids free space to play under the supervision of perhaps one member of staff. This gave the parents the opportunity to deepen the devotion or have more time for prayer.
- Catering: We usually organized breakfast as a buffet, i.e. the families could help themselves within a certain period of time (e.g. from 7:30 to 9:15). Depending on the program, there was lunch, which the families also put together themselves from a buffet.
- The menus should be very child-friendly and designed in the same way.
- The different parenting styles are particularly evident at mealtimes. A lot of wisdom should be used here. Parents should not feel exposed. Fruit, tea ... should be available in abundance for in-between meals.
- Kitchen: should be partly accessible for the participants (e.g. to prepare baby food ...)
- Families would also like to go shopping. It was also very much appreciated that parents could make their own coffee in between (coffee machine provided). The daily ice cream was a hit. (We bought gallons of ice cream and the ice cream cones and made ice cream almost every day to match the program). Families can unsubscribe from certain meals - but this must be done in writing at the latest the day before (list). There is also an absence list so that you are informed when a family leaves.
- The parents should be pampered; the children can certainly help with this.
- There should be plenty of opportunities for the children to play so that they can enjoy themselves and the parents have time to talk to each other or simply relax.
- It takes a lot of wisdom and sensitivity not to overload the free time with activities.
- Prepare hikes for the families well, then it will be a super experience and relaxed.
- Possibly offer a father-child adventure.
- Offer real opportunities for parents to get to know each other at the start of the activity
- The activity leader must be there for the participants, respond to them, ask how things are going, ...
- At a camp, I would definitely hire good young "gangos" to take on some of the work for the families or to take care of the kids here and there and integrate themselves into the families... is also an opportunity and in the spirit of the "extended" family idea. Families really do expect recreation and relaxation during their free time!
- Pay attention to the composition of the individual families.
- Make sure that there are no rivalries or exclusionary groupings among the children; if the kids feel comfortable, the parents will feel comfortable too!
- A certain level of comfort and privacy must be guaranteed ... e.g. don't put the tents too close together and possibly a separate cabin for the parents in the tent.
- Older children could sleep in their own tents. Here too, "gangos" could step in and act as tent leaders!
- hygiene must be exemplary, e.g. with regard to toilet and washing facilities.
- Also think about bad weather, both in terms of the program and the facilities!
- How do we deal with alcohol, smoking, ...!
- How do we deal with disciplinary difficulties?
- Who is responsible for the kids and when? Such things should be made clear at the beginning of the leisure time. As a general rule, parents are responsible for the children. For special activities, this can be taken over by the organizer or delegated to other parents.
- Dealing with teenagers or young people: on the one hand, they are independent, but must not simply be left to their own devices. Pay attention to pairing up, so that unnecessary love scenes do not burden the free time. Special offers for them pay off. On the other hand, they should integrate and participate in their family.
- How do we help single mothers?
- Punch and Judy shows, bedtime stories etc. are popular
- Possibly early morning sports, jogging ...
- Writing cards; at the camp, everyone received a card they had designed themselves, which they then sent to the person after the camp.
- Secret Santa: before the camp, each participant is assigned a different person to whom they give a gift or several small gifts or acts of kindness during the camp, as unnoticed as possible; at the end of the camp, they are told who was the "Secret Santa" for whom.
- Arrival and departure times will vary slightly from family to family, so please understand this and plan accordingly.
- We have staggered the costs so that it is cheaper with several children.
- Clarify insurance issues!
- Safety precautions, especially in a tent camp it will be more difficult to keep the money safe etc.! Otherwise, take the same precautions as in a normal SOLA, also with regard to medical services.
