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Apr 13 2024

Superpower Unleashed

It’s a bird, it’s a plane. No, it’s superman! We’re all familiar with this superhero’s powers yet even he was vulnerable to kryptonite. The Kryptonite “pushes” out Superman’s stored energy and replaces it with poisonous radiation he cannot process! Even Superman has a weakness that renders him powerless.

Aren’t you glad that you have a power that nothing can render useless. Paul writes to the believers in Ephesus and encourages them as he shares the magnitude of God’s plan and the power He gives us through Holy Spirit.

“Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.”

Through Superpower Unleashed, the third in our Unleashed series, our team shared how God’s power works through ordinary people and how each person can receive the power that will help them understand, love and accomplish God’s plan for their lives.

Eric Valentine, founder and owner of Team Works, shared each week how God has empowered him through his business and how the skills and gifts that God has given him, enables him to do more than he would ever dare to ask or hope.

Each one of us have access to that power. The power that enables us to do far more than we could ever imagine through Holy Spirits power living within us as followers of Jesus Christ.

Aug 28 2023

Grub with Grayson

The weeks leading up to camp are both exciting and exhausting. The team and I are making last minute preparations and making sure that we have completed everything on the task list. All knowing that it will be a week where campers have tons fun, make new friends and be exposed to Jesus in a way so that their journey with Him will begin or deepen.

That is the ultimate goal but along the way some other pretty exciting things happened, like Grub with Grayson. We had been encouraging campers to consider what superpower they had received from God. What gifts had they been given that they could use to reach others with the Good News of Jesus’s love and forgiveness.

This year I had the joy of connecting with Grayson through English Muffin pizza discussions. Yes, English Muffin Pizza! Little did I know that Grayson had discovered his joy of cooking. Over the week Grayson shared with me the recipe, brought me a sample to taste and then wanted to share his gift of cooking with the camp. The best way to maximize his exposure was through media. So, Grayson brought the toaster oven, all the ingredients and we set out to create a video where Grayson’s talent could be highlighted . Thanks to Josh, our tech guru, the final video was shared with campers, their families and friends at Friday afternoon’s celebration service.

Grayson was my inspiration for the week and I trust this will inspire you to discover your gifts and superpower or help someone else discover theirs.

Aug 28 2023

Superpower Revealed

If you could have one superpower, what would it be? Telekinesis? Invisibility? Shape shifting? Flight? Strength? Mind reading?

1 Peter 4:10-11 says, “God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God’s generosity can flow through you. ¹¹Are you called to be a speaker? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then God will be given glory in everything through Jesus Christ. All glory and power belong to him forever and ever. Amen.”

Peter 4:10 elicits the onomatopoeia “BOOM”, or metaphoric ‘drop the mic. ‘ Yes, I learned a new word during camp. Onomatopoeia is a noun and means the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named. WOW! WHAM! BOOM! SHAZAM! BAZINGA!

Throughout the week our Bible lessons highlighted Elisha, the powerful prophet. WOW! At the end of each message you could just feel the power of Holy Spirit working in the minds and hearts of the kids. BAM!

Each message was then followed up and reinforced in the War Room (Prayer room) where Pastors John and Melissa dug a little deeper and provided opportunity for the campers to receive the power that comes from God’s word and the working of Holy Spirt in their lives. BOOM!

The week brought many life changes including a number of first time salvations, rededications to follow Jesus and eight water baptisms. BAZINGA! Each powerful act was a personal win as each person made a decision to deepen their relationship with Jesus. When God is expected to show up, WHAM! He shows up in some extraordinary ways.

We can never underestimate the power of Jesus and the impact that He has on the lives of children. The same Holy Spirit that resides in an adult resides in a child. It’s our responsibility to pour into and raise up children that know and love Jesus.

Nov 03 2022

Unleashed Road Trip

PLANKS AND SLEDS AND BEARS, OH MY!

No, we were not heading to the Emerald City where we might have met the Great Wizard of Oz, instead we were heading to Crucible Performance gym where we met the man behind the business, Ryan Morse.

Come on team! 15 more seconds. Last set, best set!

For five weeks Coach Ryan has been training and coaching a group of kids physically, socially and spiritually through the use of fitness and his love for Christ.

Just like Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow were transformed through their journey to Oz with Dorothy these kids are being transformed in mind and body as they journey through Underdogs Unleashed with Ryan. Through the use of his gifts and talents, Ryan is sharing his knowledge and personal relationship with Jesus to help these kids discover how God created them and how they can have that same relationship with Jesus.

Ryan’s path to their hearts and minds might not be by following a yellow brick road although we did see a lot of yellow when we arrived at Crucible Performance. Ryan took the kids through high knees, planks, sleds, bear crawls and endless ropes with the hopes that they would be worn out for the trip home. Sadly for me they weren’t worn out and instead were famished on the return trip. Good thing we had a picnic basket that would have rivaled Dorothy’s. And no, we did not have a dog inside but we did have some healthy snacks.

There are many journeys that lead to a personal relationship with Jesus and each person’s journey is going to be different. Each will have its own set of trials, challenges, successes and questions. The important thing about every journey is that you keep putting one foot in front of the other and know that the journey brings growth that will help you be ready for anything.

Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
James 1:2-4

May 04 2021

AWAKEN Kids Camp

This will be Camp Wannahockalugie’s 10th year of bringing the message of Jesus’s love and forgiveness to the more than 900 elementary age kids since it’s beginning in 2011. After a disheartening year of COVID restrictions, Camp Wannahockalugie is opening its doors to campers again this summer the week of June 21-25. It’s a year of new and fresh beginnings, a year that has AWAKENED us to God’s possibilities in our lives and we are excited to be bringing a message of hope and love to a fresh group of campers. This year’s theme is AWAKEN and is set in the heart of farm country so campers can expect a farmer, a talking chicken, farms animals and all types of farm equipment, that will contribute to the farm atmosphere. Through song, instruction, prayer time, recreation and crafts, campers will be taught about God’s plan and purpose for their lives as they step into God’s possibilities. If you live in or around the Clear Spring MD area and would like to join us for a week full of fun, excitement and biblical teaching you can register online by clicking the REGISTER button below. We would love to have you.