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Renewing the minds, bodies, spirits, and identities of todays struggling adolescents.

who we are
We are a Christian, resident summer camp in Estes Park, Colorado devoted to serving, helping, and leading adolescents struggling with depression and/or anxiety though art and the outdoors to promote the renewal of minds, bodies, spirits, and identities.

what we want
We wish to equip struggling adolescents with tools to manage and fight against their depression and/or anxiety by providing quality experiences through art and the outdoors; a safe, Christian environment; and teaching alternative stress and depression management skills.

why we want it
Our heart is for adolescents between the ages of 12-18 who struggle with anxiety and/or depression. Know a child who has difficulty with school, peers, or family? Poor self-esteem? Frequent worrying? Fear of separation from a parent? Substance use or other dangerous behaviors? Chances are, you probably do. Many kids and teens experience feelings of worry, panic, and fear. Problems such as divorcing parents, school pressures, or even playing too many video games can create stress for young people. -fyiliving.com Anxiety disorders are mental health conditions that involve excessive amounts of anxiety, fear, nervousness, worry, or dread. Anxiety that is too constant or too intense can cause a person to feel preoccupied, distracted, tense, and always on alert. -kidshealth.org The early treatment of anxiety disorders in kids can reduce the tendency to develop accompanying depression. We want to lower these tendencies.

Depression often co-occurs with anxiety disorders.

Among teenagers it is estimated that 20% will suffer from depression at some point by the time they reach adulthood. There are also as many as 8.3% of teens suffering from depression for at least a year at a time, compared to 5.3% of the general population. -To Write Love on Her Arms

Depression is more than occasionally feeling blue, sad, or down in the dumps. Depression is a strong mood involving sadness, discouragement, despair, or hopelessness that lasts for weeks, months, or even longer. Depression affects more than a person's mood. It drains the energy, motivation, and concentration a person needs for normal activities. It interferes with the ability to notice or enjoy the good things in life. -kidshealth.org

A teen suffering from depression is also at higher risk for other problems: 30% of teens with depression also develop a substance abuse problem. Teenagers with depression are likely to have a smaller social circle and take advantage of fewer opportunities for education or careers. Depressed teens are more likely to have trouble at school and in jobs, and to struggle with relationships. Teens with untreated depression are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors. Teens with depression seem to catch physical illnesses more often than other teens. Untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide, the third leading cause of death among teenagers. 90% of suicide victims suffer from a mental illness, and suffering from depression can make a teenager as much as 12 times more likely to attempt suicide.

Less than 33% of teens with depression get help, yet 80% of teens with depression can be successfully treated if they seek help from a doctor or therapist, and many local health clinics offer free or discounted treatment for teens with depression. -teendepression.org We want to help these teens.

how we get it
Through the renewal of minds, bodies, spirits, and identities.

The renewal of spirits and minds

Christian, resident summer camp
Camp is a four-week-long resident program. Each day is Christ-centered. Campers spiritual, mental, and emotional well-beings are monitored and maintained by Profession Christian Counselors. Christian Summer Staffers lead Campers in all activities and adventures, promoting healthy, Christ-centered living.

Estes Park, Colorado

The Gateway to the Rockies Our location allows our campers to adventure in and wonder about Gods beauty. This alone serves as a way for campers to experience something larger than themselves and to look to God, the Ultimate Creator, for healing and understanding. This location also allows for some world-class outdoor adventures. The location is a cabin. Our cabin operates and feels like a house does. This promotes the reestablishment of the safely of a home. Not only does it house enough beds and space for campers, but it creates a place for campers to call home for a montha place where responsibilities can be delegated and maintained in a way that empowers our campers, as well as a place where campers can feel secure. With separate sleeping and bathing areas for males and females, brotherly and sisterly bonds are easily created and developed through the course of the summer. By the end, we all feel like we have become a family.

Devotionals and Small Groups

AM Devotionals get the day rolling as a group. PM Small Groups, which are genderbased, with 5 campers per group, meet each evening to worship and to talk about life together. Each AM Devotional and PM Small Group is focused in direction and theme, all pointing towards renewal in Christ.

Themes vary from week to week.

Each week dives into scriptures that go along with the theme and we discuss how they fit into our lives. Themes will be implemented and wound into the weeks various serving, art, adventure, and evening activities. AM Devotions will look at one verse as a group to begin the day thinking about what God has to say to us, while PM Small Groups will talk about how God is working in our lives and how we can use scripture to combat stress and depression. They will be led by counselors and trained summer staff. Week 1 Theme: Renewal of our Minds Week 2 Theme: Renewal of our Bodies Week 3 Theme: Renewal of our Spirits Week 4 Theme: Renewal of our Identities Campers will also meet twice a week with the counselor of their gender to chat about life in and outside of the camp.

The renewal of minds and bodies

Quality experiences through art and the outdoors
Kinesthetic activities serve as a way to cope with worry and sadness, as the focus becomes what is being worked on, as well as helps campers to learn about themselves. Talent is not even required to provoke benefits of kinesthetic activities. Mimicking a leader in an exercise or an activity creates feelings of accomplishment and success when a task is completed. Found creativity or strength in skills creates hope and positivity and increases self-esteem and confidence.

Through art
Each afternoon is devoted to Art Time. This is time for our campers to explore themselves through various kinds of art, all at their choice of medium. Art can encourage and promote stress relief through the kinesthetic movement of our bodies and the manipulation of a medium, such as clay, paint, sound, or language. Art empowers campers to know that they can create something beautiful and worthwhile and that their creativity is unique and valuable.

Art therapy helps to foster integration, wholeness and coherence by encouraging the artist-client to communicate both verbally and visually, as well as to engage in a process that is physical, emotional and intellectual. When making art in a supportive environment, individuals are helped to engage in an experience which can be absorbing and enjoyable. Creative activity can help to lower stress and intrusive negative thinking, as well as increase confidence, concentration and positive feelings. This in situ learning transfers readily to other areas of life. -aatq.org

All of our staff have experience in the arts. They will lead, help, assist, and instruct during all art times to help campers learn, develop, or empower skills. All materials are supplied. All projects will be thought of as ways of worshiping God and bringing Honor to Him through our creations, as we are created and creative beings. Some of the art campers can choose from are: Music Ceramics (Guitar, Hand Pottery Creative Writing Percussion, (Fiction, Poetry, Comics) Mallets, Piano, Vocal, Paint Brass, Drawing Woodwinds) Oil Watercolor Photography

Collage

Through the outdoors

Campers will participate in four weekends of Adventures in Estes Park. These Adventures are meant to promote inspiration (as well as health) and to achieve hope and excitement of a new hobby or skill. Adventures allow campers to have an up-close encounter and experience with Gods creation (as well as some time out of the Cabin).

The Adventures:
Weekend 1: White Water Rafting during day for 2 days, overnights at YMCA of the Rockies. Weekend 2: 4-day Backpack through Rocky Mountain National Park. Weekend 3: Horseback riding for the Ladies; Fly-fishing for the Lads; camping for nights. Weekend 4: Summit a 13er.

There are also be weekly adventures, which include: Rock Climbing Lessons Shopping/Visiting Downtown Estes Park Jeeping Riding the Tramway Go Karting as well as evening activities each night, such as: Movies Smores Music Performances Ice Cream Runs Games

The renewal of bodies and minds cont

Teaching alternative stress and depression management skills
At camp, campers will be going back to basics to start over at what their very cores need. This will be done by evaluating and reinventing what we put into our bodies and what our bodies do. Keeping hydrated. Hydration can significantly lower stress and feelings of depression. If your body is hydrated, then so is your brain, and water can promote it to work properly. Drinking water will be constantly encouraged. Eating right. Like hydration, if your body is properly fed, it works better. All food at camp will be freshly prepared for each meal, by and for campers, and will be all fresh, whole foods to help maintain healthy bodies. Breathing. Air is a basic need, and often times we do not focus on it. Each morning will begin with some time to simply breathe in good air.

Getting enough sleep. Eight hours, every night. This helps our bodies to function properly and restore the energy our bodies need. Working out. Exercise has more health benefits than any one thing you could do for your body. It drastically cuts back on stress and anxiety, helps to curb depression, and makes us look and feel better. This will be incorporated each morning at camp. We will begin after breakfast with a group stretch, a group breathing exercise, and then either a group work outsuch as a hike, a jog, or a swimor by providing manual labor for someone in the community. This could be picking up trash for RMNP or helping a community member repaint his/her house. This gets our campers outside of their comfort zones and provides them with ways to serve the Lord in tangibly. This promotes wellbeing and senses of deep accomplishment.

The renewal of identity

With all of these elements combined, we hope to embody a new person. A person who can manage their stress and anxiety to reasonable, healthy, standards. A person who can leave our camp knowing they have learned a new skill or two. A person who loves and accepts who they are. A person who knows that they have the ability to create meaningful and artistic work. A person who has made lasting, dependable relationships. A person who knows their worth in Jesus Christ, the Lord Almightily, and the Holy Spirit. We may not cure a campers depression, but we wish to give them hope and future, and the knowledge that they are not identified by and known for their disability. They are artists, adventurers, and Followers of the Faith. We wish for a person who is truly reNewed.

how you can help

Pray. We need it as this is a tough ministry. The kids we help have real problems and we want to minister to them in the best ways possible. We also pray for God to speak to our campers, to heal them, and to guide them. Donate. We run greatly off of donations--our cabin was built using KickStartbut we are always looking to grow. We also try to charge the cheapest rate possible and to award scholarships, and donations have allowed us to do so thus far. Also, the donation of camping supplies is always welcomed.

Tell kids about camp!

We travel to various churches, Christian counseling centers, Christian schools, and Christian conferences delivering info packets (which, by all means, please display), but talking to a student who is struggling about camp is the best resource we could hope for. If you have a camper interested, sign up online at www.renewlife.com.

Scholarships are available. Our cost for 1 month of camp is $2,000. Space is limited. We are currently only able to house 20 campers per session. First come first serve. We only offer 2 sessions per summer. 2012 Dates: June 19- July 17 July 24- August 21

Personal Backpacks required.

We do offer transportation from and to DIA.

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

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