Lantern and Compass Project

Clarity and Direction

Terry Williams

Superhero – Superpower

If Superman, Captain America and the Hulk were combined with Joe Butler what powers would that superhero have? How about Super Sue and Super Silk Pajamas? Wait a minute, I’ve never heard of Super Sue or Super Silk Pajamas. If you haven’t then you weren’t at the 2022 Activate Ability Camp because there were a huge variety of superheroes in attendance and each one came with a superpower whether they knew it or not.

How often do we go about our daily life and never truly discover or use the super power that God has given to each of us? This was a week of discovery. What are our God given gifts and abilities and then how can we use them throughout the year to serve others?

Throughout the week we saw people that were gifted in exhortation. Those that had a gift of prayer or service. Different people demonstrating their gift of drama and music. There were those that were talented in the arts and still others that were clearly moving in their prophetic gift.

There is so much that could be shared about this week but it can be summed up by saying that the camp reflected the love of Jesus and gave us yet another glimpse of the goodness that God gives to each of us and the mercy that He shows to us all. If you ever want to be part of the mighty work that God is doing through our special needs adult campers lives, volunteer next year and be fully blessed and completely changed by the experience.

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

1 PEter 4:10-11

Island Wannahockalugie

Hilltop Christian Fellowship celebrated their 10th kids camp by bringing back the first theme, Island Wannackockalugie – A Whale of an Adventure. We saw kids realize the significance of worship, the need for community and the necessity of prayer in their daily lives. All of these things leading to a desire to express their love for Jesus through evangelism.

Filled with all of the things that make camp so wonderful, the most impactful aspect of this camp was that several of the original campers from that first year were now staff members and were sharing their faith with the new campers. What a measure of hope when we see the long lasting impact that we had on young kids’ life and see them walking in their faith.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth

3 John 4
Watch a recap of the week

Road bump

Following our last camp in August of 2021, we were taken down a path that threw our lives off course for a season. Rusty was diagnosed with both prostate and kidney cancer and our lives suddenly revolved around doctor visits, traveling back and forth to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer hospitals in NJ and NYC, medication therapy, hospital stays, radiation treatments and lifestyle changes.

Rusty is still making adjustments and following a regimented treatment plan and we are believing for a complete healing. God has been giving us both courage and comfort as we face this unknown. What we do know is that God is faithful and will never leave us to navigate through this on our own. We have had a huge support team and community of believers that have been praying for Rusty and it has made all the difference in the world. We still covet those continued prayers and would ask that as we look forward that you join our support team as we trust and believe for the following for Rusty.

  1. That God would divinely heal him of cancer.
  2. That Rusty’s strength would be restored.
  3. That the medications side effects would be minimized.
  4. That when we return for a followup in December that the kidney cancer will have disappeared.
  5. That God will be glorified through all of this.

Mountaintop Experience

What an evening at Mountaintop Church sharing the joy that comes from bring part of what God is doing through His people. We were not only building with blocks during the kids service but we were helping to build God’s kingdom as the kids discovered how they could be part of the Great Commission. Don’t ever hesitate to involve kids in the process of praying, giving and going in the area of missions. They make a profound difference and their prayers are powerful .

Everyone rejoiced at how willingly the people gave to the Lord’s temple.

1 Chronicles 29:9

Awaken Every Morning

After a disheartening year of COVID restrictions, Camp Wannahockalugie opened their doors and their hearts to campers for the 10th year. It was a year of new and fresh beginnings, a year that AWAKENED everyone to God’s possibilities. The camp staff was bubbling over with excitement as they made preparations, knowing they were going to bring a message of hope and love to a fresh group of campers.

From the staging to the live animals, everything was in place and as campers arrived the building was filled with fun, laughter and a longing to be in God’s presence. There is so much that I could share about what happened over the week but watching the Camp Wannahockalugie recap video will tell you more than I ever could.

I will follow up by saying that every camper received Bible instruction, given time to listen for God’s voice, and encouraged to share and soak up God’s word through everything that happened at camp.

“The War Room” (Prayer Room) is by far my favorite part of camp. Pastor John and Melissa, new to Hilltop Christian Fellowship, truly helped to usher in the presence of God as every camper had 30 minutes each day to focus on hearing God’s voice and pressing into knowing Him personally.

Over 12 campers asked Jesus to come into their life for the first time and there were 13 campers that took the next step and were baptized in water to show the world that they love and desire to follow Jesus.

Each year it seems as if camp gets better and I know it is because Holy Spirit is touching lives in deeper and deeper ways. Camp is one week out of the year. We must know and walk in the truth of the theme verse this year,

Morning by morning He awakens me and opens my understanding to His will.

Isaiah50:4

Many thanks to Hilltop Christian Fellowship and their incredible camp staff for sharing the gospel with the 900 plus students over the past 10 years and making Jesus a priority in their church and community.