Safe. Fun. God’s Love. And the power of lifting others up.
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By: Regan Davis
Rediscovering Joy in Leadership
This past summer, I began my Master’s at Baylor University with a ten-day intensive in the M.A. in School Leadership program. On my first day back home in Langley, British Columbia, I jumped straight into staff training—just two days before launching our fourth summer of CAMP LCS.
During my time at Baylor, I learned something simple yet profound: joy multiplies when shared. CAMP LCS began as a small dream—a colleague and I wanting to bring our love of camp to Langley Christian School with a handful of high school students offering a few weeks of summer fun. Four years later, it has grown into a living example of collective leadership and adaptive change in action.
The Power of the High Five
This summer marked Year 4 of CAMP LCS—and what a summer it was! From the first wave of excitement on opening day to the final chapel, our Elementary Campus was filled with laughter, songs, and joy. With 375 campers, 46 Leaders in Training (LITs), and 56 staff and volunteers, we experienced our biggest impact yet in creating a space where kids feel seen, known, and loved.
At CAMP LCS, something as simple as a high five carries deep meaning. From the moment campers arrive, they’re greeted with enthusiasm, encouragement, and open arms. Every high five says: You belong here. You are important. You are part of something bigger than yourself.
That small but powerful gesture breaks down walls, builds connection, and creates a culture of joy and belonging. It’s not just a fun tradition, it’s a reflection of how we want every child to experience God’s love in a tangible way.
One parent shared, “Being newer to faith as parents, and this also being new to our kids, this week melted my heart. The welcome, the high fives, the energy, the love! Our kids are already asking to return next year and be leaders when they grow up.”
Moments like that remind me that leadership doesn’t always look like grand vision statements or strategy, it often looks like a simple, intentional high five.
From Initiative to Identity
CAMP LCS was never meant to be just a program, it became part of our school identity. When students talk about CAMP LCS, they don’t just remember activities; they remember moments where they belonged, where older leaders mentored younger campers, where staff shared testimonies, and where joy was the unspoken language of community.
This transformation didn’t happen by accident. It came from a shared belief that leadership is not positional, it’s relational. Our model is built around shared ownership, where high school and middle school leaders contribute ideas, take risks, and adapt as the program grows.
In many ways, CAMP LCS reflects the vision of continuous school improvement—not as a checklist of initiatives, but as a culture of listening, learning, and leading together.
Adaptive Change in Action
Each summer brings new challenges. Shifting regulations, expanding enrollment, and the unpredictable logistics of running a camp at a growing K–12 school push us to ask the hard questions:
- What do we keep?
- What do we change?
- What do we hold sacred?
As Heifetz (1994) notes, adaptive challenges cannot be solved by technical fixes—they require transformation of people’s hearts and habits. For us, that transformation means trusting emerging leaders—often students themselves—to lead. Our senior staff consistently go above and beyond, guiding cabins with humility and grace. Watching them share the gospel with campers reminds me that adaptive leadership is not about maintaining structure, it’s about releasing potential.
Being a Turtle: Safe, Steady, and Servant-Hearted
One of our themes this year was modeled and share with me during my time at Baylor University this summer. The call to “Be a Turtle,” is to lift others up, and ask for help when you need it.
Being a turtle was what every leader aspired to be at CAMP LCS this summer. We exist to create an environment where our campers and leaders are safe, have fun, and can experience God’s love. We carry each other’s burdens, celebrate small victories, and remind one another that asking for help isn’t weakness, it’s strength.
To lead like a turtle is to create safe spaces, invite others in, and move at a pace where belonging can flourish. It’s steady, servant-hearted leadership, grounded in humility and joy.
Data with a Soul
As a student in Baylor’s M.A. in School Leadership program, I’ve learned that data-driven decision making is vital for continuous improvement. However, at CAMP LCS, data looks different, it’s data with a soul.
Our metrics live in the stories: parents who tell us their child experienced God’s love for the first time, students who found purpose in serving, and staff who rediscovered their calling.
The alignment between our school’s mission—to educate, inspire, and equip students in Christ-like discernment and purpose—and what happens at CAMP LCS reminds me that the most meaningful data in education often can’t be plotted on a graph. It’s found in the culture we create and the hearts we shape.
Leading with Joy
As we look toward Year 5 of CAMP LCS, I am reminded of how joy-filled this ministry is. Camp doesn’t end in July; it continues into the school year as students carry what they’ve learned into their classrooms and friendships.
Leadership rooted in joy is contagious—it builds trust, resilience, and renewal. In a world where educational leadership can feel heavy with demands and data, CAMP LCS reminds me that leading with joy is not naïve, it’s necessary.
Adaptive change will always bring uncertainty. But collective leadership, anchored in faith, transforms uncertainty into opportunity. And when joy becomes the center of that transformation, our schools become not just better places to learn—but better places to belong.
References
Heifetz, R. A. (1994). Leadership without easy answers. Harvard University Press.
Scripture quotations from the Holy Bible, New International Version (1 Corinthians 12).
About the Author
Regan Davis is a proud husband and father who loves life in the Langley Christian School community. His wife, Kara, teaches in the high school, serves as a House Director, and coaches the Senior Girls Volleyball Team—and he’s her biggest fan. Their kids, Rooney (7), Sully (5), and Pippin (3), keep them laughing and busy with sports, LEGO builds, and puzzles. Regan loves coaching his kids’ teams, cheering for his fantasy football lineup, and never says no to a burrito.