Eat. Think about snacks. Why snacks? What kind of snacks? Will crinkly candy wrappers and crunchy potato chips be a distraction in your cabin?
Pray. Paul instructs us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). So when it comes to cabin time when should pray? Right when you start? At the end of the meeting? Yes, but more than that… Pray on your way to club, during club, and as you head back to cabin time. What should you be praying for? Pray that the Holy Spirit will move in kids’ hearts, provide you with wisdom, and guide conversations.
Love. The depth you are looking for in cabin time is built on a foundation of trust. If the kids don’t trust you then you’ll get a bunch of surface level responses to your questions. [This also applies to how much the kids trust one another in the group.] If you’re taking leaders to camp who do not know kids well, do something together before getting on the bus. Give new leaders an opportunity to learn kids’ names, and give kids an opportunity to feel comfortable around leaders. Cabin time starts before you even get on the bus… Still, the bus is a great opportunity for developing a foundation for cabin time. Why do you think that’s so? What could you do on the trip to camp?
Look. Look over questions before club. Then, as you listen to the talk, think about which cabin time questions will be best for your group. You may not need to ask every question provided, but know that the speaker has suggested these questions knowing the details of the talk.
CWoznicki Think Out Loud 