Posted by: Paul
August 8, 2006 01:08 PM

While I have never been to m-fuge I can talk about Centrifuge. While I was working with youth, I must say the best camp I ever took kids to was Centrifuge in California. (I think all Centrifuge camps run the same program) The youth loved it and, as a former youth pastor, I thought it was one of the best programs to date.

We got up had breakfast, when to morning celebration, followed by small group studies with the leaders of the camp, then Rec time (organized games that fostered teams working together) and then we had lunch. After lunch we had two different tracks (Tracks are like classes/actvities that the youth can pick: Dodgeball, ultimate frisbee, missions work, volleyball, bible classes) followed by free time (We had lots to choose from) and then off to dinner. After dinner was the evening message followed by each church having their own church devotional. After that was free time and then bed time. The Youth and I loved it.

As far a M-fuge goes, I understand it is a great place to take your more serious kids to learn about missions.

Posted by: kendallc
August 9, 2006 09:08 AM

well, i have yet to be in youth, so i can't tell you about either, but i do know that CentriFuge sounds a lot like Centri-kid, which i have gone to and thouroghly (excuse my spelling) enjoyed. My church's youth group goes to m-fuge, and it sounds like fun, but like paul said, i think it's more missions, while centrifuge sounds more like a study the word yourself.

Posted by: Anna
August 14, 2006 10:16 AM

I was surfing the net and came across your site. I wanted to post because I feel like I can help you out. First of all, let me say that I am 20 years old and I grew up going to Fuge. I went to M-Fuge 5 times and Centri-Fuge twice. I went to several different locations through the years. I also served this past summer as a Centri-Kid staffer, which is Centri-Fuge for kids. Since I served on staff, let me say that all three camps (plus Crosspoint, if you've heard of that) are run by Lifeway. All Centri-Fuge camps in a given year have the same theme, same Bible Studies, same t-shirts, same music, same rec games, etc. However, different locations offer slightly different specifics (such as some skits and some tracks may be offered in one location and not another) depending on the strengths and ideas of the staff working the camp. The same is true for M-Fuge, Centri-Kid, and Crosspoint. However, know that the program elements are the same and all staff are trained at the beginning of the summer to do the same program at the different locations where they will be stationed for the summer.

Saying that, I will get to the question at hand: Centri-Fuge or M-Fuge? Both programs start of the day the same. There's breakfast, quiet time for personal Bible Study, an opening time to jump start the day, and small group Bible Study by ages led by the staff. At this point, Centri-Fuge goes to rec time and plays games meant to emphasize teamwork and working together, then to lunch, and then to track times, which are classes that the students pick out themselves to do (sports like Basketball, Football, Baseball, Disc Games or Bible classes, or stuff like crafts, creative movement...there's something for everyone). M-Fuge goes out into the city that you're in for camp and does ministry. At the beginning of the week, each student picks an area of ministry they want to do that week. The areas are Children's (VBS, Backyard Bible Clubs), Games and Rec (playing rec games with kids and telling them about Christ), PCY (Painting, Construction, and Yardwork), Creative (puppets, mime, singing, etc. to nursing homes and kids), and Social (visiting nursing homes, working in soup kitchens, going to homeless shelters, etc.). Some locations offer others depending on where you go to camp, like Beach Ministry if you're on the coast, etc. The students go with a staffer, other students, and adults and spend 4-5 hours "on site" ministering to others. After this point, Centri-Fuge and M-Fuge have the same schedule again. There's free time, dinner, worship, devotions with the church group, and then activities called "Nitelife." Nitelife could be games, a variety show, a scavenger hunt, anything to just have a good time. Then it's to the rooms and bedtime.

After saying all that, both camps are excellent. They both have highly trained staff that love Christ and have a passion for seeing others come to know Him as well. Both emphasize the need for people to know Him and both challenge and grow the faith of thousands of teenagers and adults every year. Every year I came back from Fuge with a deeper relationship with Christ. Both camps emphasize both missions and your personal relationship with Christ. However, as it seems, M-Fuge has more of a missions emphasis. There's a lot more emphasis on "going" and telling, both overseas and at home. You're humbled as you minister to others as you realize that God has blessed you and that others really need to hear about God's love because He loves them, too. You're challenged to minister at home and to reach the hurting in your own town. Centri-Fuge emphasizes missions, but it challenges your personal growth more. As a teenager, especially as a high schooler, I enjoyed M-Fuge more because I yearned to minster to others who needed to hear God's love. However, some in my youth group enjoyed Centri-Fuge more because they didn't have the same passion that I did.

M-Fuge is challenging, and for students who are weak Christians or who aren't Christians at all, they need Centri-Fuge more. But for Christians who love to minister and who yearn to go on mission trips all the time, M-Fuge is the perfect combo of good camp fun and awesome ministry time. Of course, there are probably kids in your church who fit both groups. So Lifeway's come out with the "Combo-camp" deal. At certain locations Centri-Fuge and M-Fuge are both at the same location at the same time. In fact, the two programs are the same thing except for in the middle of the day for and rec/tracks or ministry time. But both camps are superb and at either one you will have a ton of fun and experience Christ in new ways.

I hope I've helped, and if you have any questions, I'll be glad to answer. Just e-mail me!

Posted by: Kay
September 7, 2006 12:25 PM

Pressed,

Just happened to run across your question...I feel like the Centri-kid staffer that responded did an excellent job of summing up the two programs. I work in the office of both Centrifuge and M-Fuge and would love to answer any further questions you may have. Both are excellent camps and many youth ministers attend both in the same summer, taking their younger kids to Centrifuge and their older students to M-Fuge for the ministry opportunity. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Posted by: Brian
November 9, 2006 01:16 PM

I am a current youth director in Alabama. Last year we took a group to M-Fuge in Clinton, MS. Make sure your group is a tough group if you're going to M-Fuge, because the work can be grueling, make sure they are serious about missions work. I would not recommend M-Fuge for younger youth. We are going to Centrifuge this year in FL.