We are days away from Youth Camp and there are squeals of excitement and all the planning is almost done, Yiew let’s goooo! But amongst the high expectations of fun and activities lies some of the best reasons why camps are important (and it has nothing to do with waterslides!), but I’m going to let the youth tell you themselves, here’s 3 quotes straight from them!
‘Camps are a good chance to think more about God than on other weekends where we only have 2 hours together at youth on Friday nights. At camp we have the whole weekend to talk and think and reflect on who Jesus is and what He’s done for me.’
‘Good bonding time with Christians our own age, we get to meet or get to know each other better! We even get to find out new skills about each other, like Jesse C can play piano really well, and the Atkinson boys are like walking Wikipedia.’
‘People choose to follow Jesus for the first time at camp, with the time to think about Jesus deeper. And that’s just amazing! Now I’m older at youth I am so excited to see younger youth choose to follow Jesus and become Christians, its so encouraging!’
Camps are times of growth, deep reflection on who God is, and becoming more like Jesus through good Bible teaching, challenging small groups and a whole weekend of good discipleship chats. They help teenagers know they belong to the people of God, the church, at an age and stage where they are desperate to belong. Camps are just so important.
Yet camps do come at a cost. To do them all annually it’s roughly $1000 per year per young person. It’s also a huge commitment of time, with many youth working weekend jobs, rising up the ranks of sporting teams, big exams to study for. To give things up for discipleship is costly, but worth it to see souls won for Jesus and to build a heavenly treasure that cannot rust or fade.
Please pray for our Youth and their leaders going on Camp this week; and for our Kids and Youth leaders going on Square One Camp in 2 weeks time. Your prayer support and personal encouragement of them is of great value!
Kat Harris