Northwoods Camp connects kids, parents with God
Scientific studies prove that spending time in nature reduces stress and boosts happiness.
That important research can be confirmed by the hundreds of children who attend Salvation Army Northwoods Camp every summer. The kids never stop smiling from the moment they arrive at camp until the day they leave.
Northwoods Camp boasts outdoors activities galore: fishing, hiking, swimming, ropes courses, ATV riding, a petting zoo, archery, and more. The 280-acre camp is located 90 minutes north of the Twin Cities in Finlayson, Minn. A variety of camps are held for different age groups, plus family camp, sports camp, and music camp. View photos.
“Northwoods camp is a place where kids can grow in their faith in a beautiful and peaceful setting,” said Marisa McClure, Youth Secretary for The Salvation Army Northern Division.
A beautiful setting indeed: The camp is nestled on a private lake, with nature trails winding throughout the property and an abundance of wildlife at every turn.
Many campers live in the Twin Cities and have never seen such a place.
“Some of them have never even been in the woods before,” McCluer said.
Other campers hail from cities across North Dakota and Greater Minnesota, where they rarely can participate in the fun activities Northwoods Camp beholds.
“My favorite part of camp is fishing – I don’t get to do that at home,” said a 10-year-old camper named Jaziell from southern Minnesota. “It’s fun to see what kind of fish I can catch.”
Connections
Northwoods Camp is a powerful tool for connecting kids with God because it allows them to witness the wonder of His creation.
It is also powerful because of the connections that kids make with staff members and other children.
“Camp is a place where many kids meet Jesus for the first time,” McCluer said. “Sometimes the way they see God is through the words and actions of other people, so it is important for us to show these kids all the love we can.”
Receiving love is a necessity for many of the children, some of whom come from turbulent inner-city neighborhoods, or broken families, or both. Others come from good families stuck in the throes of poverty.
“Camp might be the only opportunity they get to be a kid – to not have to take care of younger siblings and not always have to think about adult things,” McCluer said.
Northwoods Camp helped a 15-year-old girl named Jaden strengthen her faith in God. She started coming to camp when she was 9.
“This place is where I found myself spiritually,” said Jaden, who lives in St. Paul. “At first I was unsure of Christianity. But the more I came to camp, the more I started to believe. Today, I have never been closer to God in my entire life.”
Family camp
Northwoods Camp isn’t just for kids. It’s for parents, too.
A family camp is held in July, when parents can bring their kids to enjoy four days of fun, relaxation, and worship.
A first-time camper named Amanda (pictured) brought her three kids to the 2019 family camp and loved it.
“The amount of genuine love that the staff poured onto my kids was incredible,” Amanda said.
Throughout the day, fun activities are planned for both parents and their children to do by themselves. Amanda enjoyed the adult activities, including getting a manicure and learning how to cook and prepare healthy foods. Meanwhile, her kids got to do fun things like dress up as superheroes, and perform lip syncs.
“My daughter’s squad won the lip sync battle – she was super excited,” Amanda said. “Our camp experience was awesome. It was exactly what our family needed.”
Amanda heard about camp from her former sister-in-law, Saleemah (pictured), who’s been coming to family camp with her four kids for the past four years. Saleemah likes camp because it allows her to support other single mothers who are experiencing tough times.
“When I first came to camp I was coming out of some serious trauma, and this place gave me a sense of peace,” Saleemah said. “Now I look forward to coming to camp so that I can serve other ladies who are going through the same things I did.”
She also appreciates camp because it gives her time away from the financial and emotional difficulty of raising four kids by herself.
“If just for a moment, I can actually think for myself,” Saleemah said. “At camp I don’t have to cook, the kids are secure and safe, and I don’t have to worry about how much money everything is going to cost. The Salvation Army is a blessing.”
About Northwoods Camp
Northwoods Camp has been touching the lives of children and families for 13 years. The camp opened in 2006 thanks to an unexpected donation of $4.3 million from a man whose only connection to The Salvation Army was several phone calls over the course of 10 years.
The Salvation Army thanks our donors and volunteers who continue to support Northwoods Camp and its life-changing work.
“At The Salvation Army our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet needs – that’s exactly what we do at Northwoods Camp, but in a different and incredible setting,” McCluer said.