Spring and summer are important seasons in Latvia. After the cold months of winter, longer warmer days are very welcome.
One very important feature of a Latvian summer is enjoying sunshine and fresh air in the countryside. Dotted around Latvia there are a number of Christian campsites that have been a key factor in reaching children and young people with the gospel message. Each year hundreds of camps are organised by churches and Christian organisations. Due to Covid restrictions in 2020 many of these camps were not able to take place. In 2021 they are back, albeit on a smaller scale.
Toms Grenevics is a student at the Baltic Pastoral Institute and an intern at Communitas International Church in Riga. He is involved in the BPI Drafts Camp in Latvia for 14–19-year-olds. Toms says Gospel conversation on a summer camp that each camp lasts between five to seven days but takes months of preparation. This involves recruiting and training teams, planning themes and activities, and doing the administration work of booking in the campers.
Toms said: ‘I would say camps work here because it’s a good way of building relationships for long term. One week doing a lot of things together helps bond people. In addition, with good material put in place about the gospel, it can make way for true, honest conversations about life, God and the universe.
‘The challenge is to maintain the relationships during the whole year. For BPI Drafts we do a mentoring programme. We do one-to-one mentoring via Zoom and group mentoring for ten guys once a month. This builds on what has been taught at the camp and continues the work of discipleship. Over the years more and more leaders have emerged who put their time to work with younger generations and we are seeing fruit. God has done an amazing work.’
Please pray that these camps will bear fruit in young people coming to faith in Jesus, growing in discipleship, and emerging as leaders for the future.
