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 .
What’s Up Blog
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,
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.
Fishing Changes Things
You have to know up front that I am NOT into fishing but every summer our team gets to be up and ready by 6:30 a.m. to give campers a fishing experience. Every year I hunt for worms before going to camp and every year I am the one that baits every hook that is dropped in the water. I have even lovingly been nicknamed “Bait Lady” and was known by that name before my real name. So what does this have to do with ministry? Stay with me and you’ll be absolutely amazed at the way God works.
This particular year we were helping Ability Tree launch a special needs camp for adults in Oklahoma and finding a suitable location along the lake was a challenge. Now, I may not look forward to the act of fishing but I do value the time with the campers and the relationships that are built in those early morning hours. This year it was HOT HOT HOT and honestly I was looking for any reason to cancel fishing; it was too far away, not the right bait, campers would get tangled in the debris along the shore, the rods had the wrong reel, it was too hot and the fish wouldn’t bite.
As hard as I tried, Eric, our newest team member, wouldn’t let me “off the hook”. His positive attitude was relentless until we were on the dock at 6:15 a.m. the following day, rods and bait in tow, getting ready for the campers.
Yes, I was still mumbling about the things that weren’t going to work as I prepared to bait each of the hooks . Here’s where God enters the picture. As I baited each hook I laid the rod on the deck so that the hook dangled over the edge. As I went to the second rod, the first one began to move. Not wanting it to fall in to the water I grabbed the rod and pulled it up and to my surprise there was a fish on the hook. What was up with that? I wasn’t fishing. I wasn’t even trying but that fish changed my entire attitude.
God had caused a fish to literally JUMP onto that hook so that I would realize that fishing wasn’t about whether or not I enjoyed the act of fishing, it wasn’t about how hard it was to get up at 5:30 a.m. to get ready or even about the disgusting smell on my hands. It was about building relationships and giving the campers an experience that they would remember. Every morning we had 8 out of 10 campers show up to fish and each morning we caught several fish. Over the week, every camper experienced the joy of catching at least one fish, many for the first time.
God was orchestrating much more than I realized and it took God causing that fish to JUMP onto that hook to change everything. We are fishing for men and we need to be as excited about catching one person for Jesus as those campers were about catching each of their fish.
Finally Arrived!!
I couldn’t believe the excitement that was building as campers waited for their friends arrival at Ability camp in Oklahoma. It was the first camp for special needs adults in the midwest and we were blessed to be part of what would happen that week.
Anticipation mounted as camper and counselors sat in the hot sun anxiously awaiting the moment they would see a familiar vehicle enter the parking lot. Campers knew it would be transporting someone they held dear in their hearts and they were having difficulty containing their excitement. And then it happened! That friend arrived, and stepped out of the vehicle. It was like watching someone walk down the celebrity red carpet at the Oscar Awards. There were cheers, pictures, high fives, waves, shouts and hugs. It was both funny and heart warming to watch.
I can’t help but think that this is how Jesus feels about us. He is anxiously awaiting for the day that we will come home. He is preparing to receive us with open arms and to welcome us with excitement and celebration.
Are we looking forward to the moment that we step onto that street of gold and see Jesus face to face for the first time? Will we walk triumphantly toward Him with our arms open wide ready to embrace our savior? Will we have an acceptance speech ready that recognizes and thanks Jesus for the influence and impact He had on our life? Will we be able to speak at all or will we fall to our knees and just worship Him?
As the week unfolded, I watched both the new and old relationships grow. I took notice of the love and acceptance that was evident in virtually every activity. I watched as campers and counselors encouraged and built one another up. There are so many stories that I could share about the week but I can sum it up this way,
A week at Ability Camp is the closest to heaven that we can get here on earth.
That may be an extreme statement but it’s not about the activities, it’s about the attitudes. Every time I spend a week at one of these camp, it puts life into perspective and reminds me of the acceptance and unconditional love that Jesus has for me. It is now up to me to share that love with others with the same excitement and enthusiasm.
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?