The New Wine Press vol 25 no 2 October 2016 | Page 5

Choir Camp
by Katie Staniszewski, Sonoma-Marin California Companion
It’s a Sunday evening. There are 121 people gathered in
the dining hall at a camp in northern Michigan. Dishes
clatter. Children laugh. Hugs are passed out like candy
on Halloween. And then the dean says a single word:
announcements. Those returning to camp know the
drill. We all break out into a chorus of a silly song that
includes lines like “the rat stands alone” and “rah rah,
Dean!” The new faces look confused and worried about
what they have just gotten themselves into. This is how I
know I have arrived at Choir Camp.
As a child, my parents sent me to a number of summer camps. I tried Girl Scout camp, marine biology
camp and oboe camp. But then one summer, my mom
announced that we would be trying this new camp
called Choir Camp—a church camp where I would
get to sing. I convinced a good friend to join me and I
was ready. This was the start of a lifetime journey to a
sacred and special place. I returned to this camp every
year through high school. I considered it a place where I
could be myself, explore my relationship with God and
build lasting relationships. This is a priceless opportunity to a teenager trying to determine how she fits into the
world. My experience as a camper taught me that music
is healing; that God is present in both the stillness of the
lake and in the energy of silly songs; and that relationships built for one week per year can be meaningful and
life changing.
Two years after graduating from high school, I
jumped at the opportunity to extend my time at
Choir Camp by volunteering as a counselor. Looking
back, I think I was just craving more time with my
camp family. I wanted camp songs, fire bowl sermons
and conversations about spirituality. It took me many
more years to fully understand the power of this
ministry. Choir Camp had become my version of a
Beloved Community.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. created the concept of a Beloved
Community. Put simply, a Beloved Community is a
society based on equal opportunity, social justice and
love of all human beings. Discrimination and prejudice are replaced with mutual trust and admiration.
For most people, this concept sounds amazing on
paper but feels unrealistic in today’s polarized society.
But for me, I know that this Beloved Community is

Choir Camp at dusk

not only possible, but it exists one week every summer
in the woods of northern Michigan.
The children who attend Choir Camp come from
many backgrounds. Many come from the middle class
Midwest with loving families. They are members of
the high school marching band or soccer team. Others
come from inner city Detroit where basic needs can be
a struggle. Some students are outgoing and active in
their schools. Others feel awkward and struggle to fit
in with the popular kids. Many campers struggle with
mental health issues such as depression while others
must work through physical challenges such as scoliosis. But when we all gather together, those differences
stop dividing and start uniting us. I remember a time
when one of the high school boys signed up to perform at a nightly activity called Free Expression. This
is a time when any camper can go on stage and “freely
express” themselves. Most of the time this means singing a song learned at church or playing an instrument.
But it has also meant burping the ABCs and getting a
haircut—true acts of “free expression!” When this particular camper signed up, the staff was both pleasantly
continued on page 9
October 2016 • The New Wine Press • 3