Known By Name
One of the greatest privileges of working at Echo Ranch is welcoming campers back year after year. Each week, we see a handful of wide-eyed campers—especially in our younger age groups—arrive for their very first week at camp. But many of our campers are coming for their second, fifth, or even tenth summer with us. For those of us who serve on staff for multiple seasons, seeing familiar faces among our campers is truly one of the highlights of being here.
Even though campers are only here for a week or two, it’s often the best part of their entire summer. Growing up, my parents would sometimes give me a choice of summer camps, and I always chose Echo Ranch. Sure, the horseback riding, laser tag, and exciting activities are fun, but it’s the people who serve at camp that truly make it unforgettable. One thing we often remind our summer staff is that campers may not remember their names (though sometimes they do!), but they will remember how their counselors made them feel and how well they were loved throughout the week.
I started attending camp at seven years old, and Echo Ranch quickly became the place where I felt most seen. I vividly remember walking back to my cabin after Crud War—a giant food fight on the beach we do with our Maverick campers—when I was 12. A staff member called out my name, and I remember saying, “I didn’t even know you knew my name!” It seems like such a simple moment, but in the big picture, being known by name can make a person feel deeply valued.
That moment reflects something much deeper—a core longing we all share: to be seen, known, and loved. And the beautiful truth of the Gospel is that God knows each of us completely. Psalm 139 paints this picture so vividly: “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me... You are familiar with all my ways” (Psalm 139:1,3). Before we say a word, He knows it. Before we take a step, He’s already there.
Another memory I have from camp is when my Colt Camp counselor used M&Ms to get to know us; each color represented a different question. What stuck with me wasn’t the candy, but the fact that she genuinely wanted to know me. Campers remember what it feels like to be known and loved by their counselors. That echoes the way God sees and pursues us in love, even when we don’t expect it. Jesus tells us in John 10:3 that “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”
After graduating high school and serving as a junior counselor for a few summers, I felt the Lord calling me back to Echo Ranch—this time as a camp counselor. He was pressing on my heart to invest in campers the same way I had been invested in. We get to tell campers that the same God who created the mountains, the ocean, and every star in the sky also created them—and He sees them, knows them, and loves them. As Jesus says in Luke 12:7, “Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” This promise of Jesus is much more than a comforting platitude; we can know for certain that he values us this highly, because he gave his own life on the cross to save us from our sins, even while we were still sinning against him (Romans 5:8). Everyone who trusts in him for salvation can know that the God of the universe knows them and loves them deeply, perfectly, securely forever. What an incredible truth!
At Echo Ranch, we get to reflect that truth and share it with campers in every game, every conversation, every moment of cabin time. It’s not just a week of camp—it’s a glimpse into the heart of a God who knows our names and invites us into a relationship with Him.