Tell Me the Old, Old Story: An Educational Curriculum for Junior Week at Christian Youth Encampment

Author

Justin Lance SimmonsFollow

Date of Award

5-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Primary Advisor

Jeff Childers

Secondary Advisor

Ron Bruner

Committee Reader

Kelli Gibson

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to create a curriculum framework for the Junior Week of camp at Christian Youth Encampment (CYE) in DeRidder, LA. The initial step in this project was to develop information on the ministerial context of CYE by investigating its history and interviewing those who have experienced camp both as campers and staff. Next, an examination of theological and theoretical foundations was made, considering the history of narrative in the instruction of children both for Israel and the church. Also, the concept and practices of narrative and its usefulness as a pedagogical tool were explored. Using the results of this research, together with a team of CYE stakeholders, a curriculum framework was developed that spanned four years of camp, which coincides with the amount of time a camper would attend Junior Week. Field notes, interviews with the curriculum team, and the input of an outside expert aided in the compilation of findings and results. The curriculum framework that resulted from this project represents progress in establishing a more systematic attempt at telling the story of God to campers at Junior Week of CYE, though there will certainly be opportunities in the future for the revision of the framework to better suit its purpose as well as for the creation of other frameworks for other weeks of camp.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Simmons, Justin Lance, "Tell Me the Old, Old Story: An Educational Curriculum for Junior Week at Christian Youth Encampment" (2023). Doctor of Ministry Theses. 59.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/dmin_theses/59