Just as the swallows annually return to Capistrano to mark the arrival of spring in southern California, the grocery barge arrives in mid-April at Catalina Island to signal the beginning of the camping season at InterVarsity’s Campus by the Sea (CBS).

The barge arrives early one morning at high tide. It pulls up to a specially prepared dirt apron on the beach and drops its ramp. Trucks containing supplies drive off. Camp staff and volunteers then unload the trucks as quickly as possible.

The barge contains the staples that head cook Randy Wong needs for thousands of meals that will be served in the camp’s dining hall through the rest of this year.

During the spring Campus by the Sea (CBS) hosts students from campuses across the western U.S. who come for leadership training and Bible study. These week-long camps are crucial times for InterVarsity chapters to maintain the continuity of student-led ministry on each campus. Students who are moving into chapter leadership have time to develop as a team by studying the Bible and praying together, and receiving training in how to be better leaders.

During the summer CBS hosts a series camps for families. CBS is designed to be a quiet restful place for those who desire to listen for God’s voice, get their bearings, and be renewed. “Our life in the world is just like the sea, restless, unpredictable, and always in motion,” says Steve Stuckey, who is involved in campus ministry at CBS. “We need seasons where we can retreat and be refreshed. CBS is one of those places where heaven and earth are close.”

An Alumni Family Camp will be held for the first time at CBS August 5-10, offering a special opportunity for former students to reconnect with friends from their college days. The week will include morning Bible study and teaching sessions, afternoon recreation, and family oriented evening worship and activities. Alumni from all InterVarsity chapters are invited. More information on Alumni Family Camp is at http://www.intervarsityalumni.org./cbs2007/index.htm.

After an alumni conference held at CBS on Labor Day last year, an alumna of the University of California at Los Angeles reflected on the significance of the island retreat for her.

“Campus by the Sea is the place where God called me to a missionary career in the fall of 2000, kneeling on the wooden floor of the building called the Main Deck. It’s where I got to see my best friend and my roommate both baptized in the Pacific Ocean on the same day. It’s where God has spoken deeply into my life time and time again through His word.

“Over the weekend we spent ten hours studying the life of Joseph in Genesis. As a group of UCLA alumni, we were struck by parallels between our lives and Joseph, who starts out as a cocky kid with a big dream, but who finds God’s blessings can co-occur with personal suffering. I also felt a renewed connection to the dream God gave me six years ago on Catalina Island to serve him in missions.“

Campus by the Sea is one of four camps and training centers owned by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Toah Nipi in New Hampshire, Cedar Campus in Michigan, and Bear Trap Ranch in Colorado all have 2007 schedules filled with activities for students, families, alumni, faculty, and local community groups.