" A THIN PLACE "
The staff’ s personal motivations come from their faith, but their teaching is accessible to students of all backgrounds. St. Christopher is often described as a“ thin place”— a place where the earthly world and spiritual realm feels exceptionally close.“ Even the secular schools feel something here,” Sullivan says.“ They may not have the language for it, but they experience the land in a way that’ s new for them.” St. Christopher operates on a landscape where people feel more grounded, more aware and connected.
Rev. Rezac sees that impact across generations. Former campers return as adult chaperones. Students remember animals they saw, trails they hiked, the feel of a sea breeze on their skin and mud underneath their feet. The land becomes part of their personal story.“ This place stays with people,” she says.“ It gives them a sense of themselves and the world.”
Recreation, reflection, and education overlap here in a way that feels natural rather than overly structured. Kids learn because they are immersed in a landscape that invites curiosity— not because someone tells them to care about it.
Barrier islands are dynamic and vulnerable. Rising seas, development pressure, invasive plants, and habitat loss all threaten the ecosystems students experience at Camp St. Christopher. Yet by giving young people deeper familiarity with the marsh and forest, the camp builds a foundation for future stewardship. The approach is simple: If students understand a place, they’ re more likely to value it. If they value it, they’ re more likely to protect it.
Camp St. Christopher’ s educators see their work as strengthening that connection— not through lectures, but through direct experience that stays with students long after they leave.“ Everyone experiences this place differently,” Sullivan says.“ It shapes people— and once someone cares about a place, that care tends to last.”
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