Highlights

Aug 25 2021

Anticipated Prayer

As a children’s pastor and missionary to children, I know the value and the importance of bringing children into a better understanding of prayer and the impact that it can have on their lives. For years, God has been stirring my heart to provide opportunities for kids to experience prayer in different and meaningful ways. It started nearly 10 years ago at district camp. God was leading our team to emphasis prayer options following the evening chapel. That was the beginning of something absolutely beautiful. Over the years prayer during day camps, overnight camps, midweek services and Sunday morning classrooms have become the time that kids look forward to with great anticipation.

July 2021, “The War Room” was introduced at The Good Shepherd Ministries day camp. (The War Room is the name given to our prayer room) Pastor Kenny and I had talked in great length about the idea, the implementation and the expected outcome but I couldn’t articulate exactly what that would look like in a real setting. We might not have known the particulars but Holy Spirit knew exactly what needed to be done to draw these kids into a spiritual realm where they wanted to be and expected to meet with God himself.

The week began with 30 minutes in The War Room. We entered into the presence of God with reference and respect and left after having a meaningful encounter with God. By the end of the week each group was spending upwards of 60 minutes and wanting more time in the War Room with Jesus. They had experienced just a touch of God and were craving more.

Our kids can be drawn into the spiritual realm and have an intimate relationship with Jesus. Are we providing them with the opportunities that they need to draw into that relationship? Are we allowing them time to practice their skills in hearing God’s voice? Are we giving them a variety of ways to enhance their time with Jesus?

Our children aren’t lost because they don’t know who Jesus is, but they don’t know him personally

Oct 10 2016

Light and Direction – Part 2

It was such a full summer, it became necessary to break this post in to two parts. Here you can find Light and Direction – Part 1 if you missed that earlier.

The following week the team moved a little north to Refreshing Mountain in Stevens, Pennsylvania to work at Ability Tree. We took on the organized recreational activities of the camp. The theme was Olympic Victory, and it was gold for sure. The greatest moment of the week was at the end. A camper with Cerebral Palsy asked me what was my take away from the week. With her genuine question I started to tear up a bit. I responded by saying that the diversity of campers and staff was a testimony to the greatness of God we serve. The unity in such diversity at so many levels I truly feel brings the most glory to the Lord of Host.

She shared that in her personal life “No,” is not an answer she will accept at any level. Along with her genuine heart and amazing talent of writing songs and music; other campers’ giftings stood out as well. They had this ability to push us as staff to go outside of our own comforts. Helping us understand that we need to engage with the world around us even when we are different. We should find the simple ordinary things in life to be excited about. Most of all the campers at Ability Tree taught us to smile and laugh. That without those two things you cannot truly enjoy life.

Coming to the end of the summer I am super happy to have been part of it all. A bit of a side note; if you are reading this and have even the slightest thought of being a student team member you should shoot Terry an email. It is a great opportunity to see the hand of God at work in people’s lives. It is truly missionary work and the work of a missionary is never done until they go home to meet their Master. So please continue to pray for Lantern and Compass and thanks for letting me share my experience with you.

May the blessings and the peace of Christ be with you all!

Aug 16 2016

Golden Guns

Big muscles. That is what Jacob Ernst thought he had until this summer. When Jake decided to join Lantern and Compass Project for 11 weeks he had no clue how much work, and fun it would be. Growing up on a farm, Jake knew what it was like to work hard but having 3 other brothers he also knew what it was like to play hard. Both attributes were needed for a summer of ministry.

Q: Jake, what did you hope to experience this summer as a team member?

A: I wanted to have a better understanding of what it looked like to be in ministry and to serve as a missionary and I never realized how much planning and preparing it took to pull off so many different areas of ministry. It was a lot more work than I had imagined.

Q: So Jake, what is one thing that you will remember about your summer as student team member?

A: The amount of fun with had with the kids. An experience that stood out to me this summer was “Golden Guns” at District Kids Camp. We spray painted water guns gold and turned them into trophies that the campers could win by doing various activities. When Terry was explaining the golden gun trophies to the whole camp, Tanner and I ran up front and said that these were the true golden guns (we flexed our biceps, traps, triceps, etc.). From that point on, campers would randomly chant “Golden Guns” throughout the camp and we would yell out “Golden Guns” and flex. As a result of our goofiness, “Golden Guns” turned into something spontaneous but extremely fun. “Golden Guns” will definitely be one thing I remember from this summer.

Q: How would you describe your experience as a student team member with Lantern and Compass Project?

A: Good. Fun. Cool. Okay. Honestly, I don’t know that I could fully describe what God did in the 11 weeks I served with Lantern and Compass Project.

Jake, you have been a blessing to the ministry, myself and the many kids you impacted this summer. You came with few expectations but left with an abundance of life experiences, friendships and the knowledge of how God uses people in many different ways to build His kingdom.

Aug 02 2016

Light and Direction – Part 1

I came to join the Lantern and Compass team on the week of the July the 11th. From then to present date it has been a great journey. Terry asked each summer student to take sometime out of our schedule to let the world know what we have experienced. In truth, there is too much to list in a single blog post. However, I’ll do my best to highlight a couple things that have been super impactful for me personally thus far.

My second week here at Lantern and Compass, we served at the District Camp. For those that do not know it is affiliated with the Assembly of God denomination. Yet, it was very welcoming to a little Mennonite like myself. The camp staff was awesome group of people to work alongside in every sense of the phrase. They welcomed the Lantern and Compass team right in and had such a passion of sharing the Lord with the campers. It was a week full of worship, teaching, and play. Its was clear to see in the camper’s day to day activities regardless if that was walking into the Chapel for service and out to the fields to play.

Witnessing the kids press inasmuch as they did to seek the Lord’s face for their personal lives was incredible. The camp had different ways for the campers to engage with the Lord; at the Response Stations or at the Altar Calls to just name a couple. The camp as a whole had this understanding that the Lord was going to be there to speak with these campers. And OOooh did He. Many of kids felt prompted of the Holy Spirit to share what He was speaking into their hearts. The verse in Matthew that talks of youngsters uttering praise was clear to see happening before my very eyes. Something I think we should all witness and experience in our walk of faith. Read more

Apr 18 2016

Let your light shine

When Beetrice the honey bee visits Frederick, this was a day destined to ‘bee’ life changing. What begins as a conversation between Beetrice, the honey bee, and Dr. Stinger, ends with the salvation of seven children. Who is Dr. Stinger and was he actually talking to a honey bee? Dr. Stinger is a ‘bee’ therapist and Beetrice is a honey bee that thinks she needs to be a lightning bug so that her father would ‘bee’ proud of her. One day as she was collecting pollen she heard some kids saying, Matthew 5:16 “In the same way let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Being a honey bee she interpreted that to say, that when she used her light to SHINE on how GOOD SHE WORKED then they would give HONEY to her FATHER who lived at the HIVE INN. She says she heard Matthew say that at exactly 5:16. Or, she thought that’s what time it was.

You can see why Beetrice felt like she needed to ‘bee’ a lightning bug, she had no light to shine but thanks to the kids she soon realized that her light wasn’t a physical light but rather her light shines when she does something that helps someone else know Jesus.

This might be a silly approach to the idea of sharing our faith walk with others, but it was an approach that led seven children to making a decision to invite Jesus into their lives and there is no silliness too great when that is the result.