Summertime and road trips go hand in hand.  Remember all those miles logged and hours passed playing games or dozing off?  Summer seems somehow fuller when you hit the highway by jumping into a car, SUV or, in this case, two chartered buses.

For the past 14 years, Youth for Christ Campus Life (Campus Life) in Douglas County has been packing up bags and loading up young students, ages 11 to 19, to cruise the roads from Colorado to California for a week.  This year, the group went in June.

The students think it is all about late nights at Disneyland and a day at Huntington Beach, but for the director of Campus Life ministries, Donny McCleery, he knows it is much bigger than that.

“A very important aspect of Campus Life is for each student to know they are loved, seen and known.  They are cared for and never alone,” said McCleery.  “This trip serves many purposes, but a couple of our favorites is that many kids have never left home without their parents and this gives them the skills in a safe environment to manage their spending, their sleep and themselves.  Overall, it is a great growing opportunity.”

The trip is a long one.  McCleery said with 46 kids on board, they plan pit stops every couple of hours.  That gives the students and adults a lot of quality time together.

“We have all kinds of kids who come on our trips, and we are very intentional on taking a bus for the shared environment and the time together,” said McCleery.  “Lots of the kids may not even talk to each other at school or be in a certain friend group, and by the time we get to California the kids know each other and are hanging out.  It is a great chance for kids to understand that we are all different, unique.”

McCleery, who lives in the Daniels Gate neighborhood, has been working in this role for five years.  He says it is no secret that middle school and high school are challenging for young people.  So, a week away, and in such a magical place, makes a memory these young people hold onto for years to come.

Elle Peros, a Forest Park resident and eighth grader at Rocky Heights Middle School, was excited to go with friends.  It was her first extended trip with Campus Life.  “I have traveled without my parents before, so that part was not weird for me,” Elle said.  “The best part was getting to spend every day with my friends and ride all the rides with them; that was so much fun!”   

“Trips like this allow students to get away from many things in their personal lives that they may struggle with or have built walls around that could be holding them back from reaching their potential.  This is a chance to leave it all behind,” said McCleery.

Every night the group ended with a group discussion about Jesus Christ.

“Our goal is to share the hope and love of Jesus with every student and give them a chance to respond to the gospel.  Campus Life knows the journey of adolescents is different for everyone,” added McCleery.  “We are committed to coming alongside students, meeting them where they are, to help them navigate these years by focusing on relationships, not programs.”

McCleery said, “Many students come back after they graduate and say this was the greatest week they had growing up.  That makes the crazy busy, sleepless week worth it every year!”

The 80108 ZIP code is not the only one that offers Campus Life.  The Denver Area Youth for Christ offers programs at Rock Canyon High School, Rocky Heights Middle School, Ponderosa High School, Sagewood Middle School, Legend High School, Chaparral High School, Brighton High School and Vikan Middle School.

For more information about Campus Life visit www.campuslife.com.

 

By Karen Leigh; photos courtesy of Campus Life