Summer Youth Activities @Rockford
Two months ago I gave you a report on our recent
Youth Camp, recording some of the beauty of the concluding service at the
Overlook at Camp Toknowhim in Pisgah, Alabama. (www.camptoknowhim.com) It was truly an awesome experience as we
watched the lightening play across the sky, the wind whip through the
amphitheater and the lights down the mountain and across the Tennessee River of
the City of Scottsboro!
Camp is an experience that some do not
understand. It is a time to get away
from the distractions and debilitating daily lives and find refreshment in the
presence of an awe-inspiring God who desires a close, intimate relationship with
His followers. For those who may have
not found the life changing experience of what the Savior can do in the life of
one that is scared from sin, it is a time to be “still and know God,” entering
into the life changing new life that He freely offers.
Some attendees have described it as “church on
steroids.” Others have come away from
their first time at camp unable to say anything but “WOW!” Still others have spoken in terms of personal
revival, an enriching experience, or deep waters.
It seems that there are still some who do not get
it; they just do not understand camp and what it means to the life of a youth
ministry or a church. Maybe they just do
not want to understand. For those few, I
feel sorry for them, because they are blinded by their own selfish,
self-centered desires. I know of no
other way to get them to understand than to ask the Father of Lights to
illuminate their minds and their hearts.
This year was our fourth youth camp experience. While there are many fine, outstanding camps
to attend for a church youth group, the prices can be somewhat intimidating and
the schedule such that there is little or no time for personal, one-on-one with
the students. Additionally, even with
the big name speakers, the big name recording artist, and the abundance of
activities afforded those who attend these camps in areas such as Panama City,
Destin, Gatlinburg, and other popular vacation spots. We have opted to conduct our own camps,
utilizing a schedule that is both full and flexible, with allows for some much
needed one-on-one time with the students.
In order to accomplish this type of camp for a
church the size of Rockford, it takes a great deal of work, planning, and
raising the necessary funds to support the number of students and sponsors who
will attend. Beginning in August, my wife
who serves as our youth minister, begins the process of planning and promoting
fund raisers in which the students work, serve, and clean up to earn their own
money for camp. Last year, the 2012-2013
year, we raised approximately $8,500!
The average cost for one kid to attend our camp is
$255.00 each. This gives each camper
four nights lodging, food and snacks, a camp T-shirt, and transportation. Before you think that we do not feed them,
you are wrong. I believe that the kids
who attend our camp eat better than others.
Snacks are plentiful, as well.
Each year the T-shirt, designed by Tina Fuller, is
presented on the last day of camp and is always met with rave reviews. It is something they desire to wear to
church, family outings, and even school functions. The design is always a rendering of the theme
for camp and is different each year.
As for camp, the schedule is packed from sun up to
sun down, and even beyond. The day is
filled with swimming, outdoor activities, games and a great deal of fun. Intermingled among that simple fun, is a
Quiet Time, Bible Study, Worship, a movie, and time to reflect on the walk of
Christ.
I have the joy of assembling the materials for camp
each year. This is no small undertaking,
because it takes times to write the Quiet Time material, the Bible Studies and
prepare messages for the worship services each evening. It takes around four months to prepare
everything, then to publish into a notebook form for each student and sponsor
who attends.
In the end it is all worth the effort and time. When you are sitting in the shadows listening
to a student talk to God during a small group time or stand before them and see
the “light come on” as they realize some new truth from God’s Word, the time
and energy is worth it. The icing on the
cake is when you have the opportunity to see a young man or woman bow their
head in prayer and ask for forgiveness and salvation, it is shouting time, for
sure.
Some have asked why we do not do some form of
mission trip for our kids. I have a
ready answer for that: These kids do missions all year long and camp is a time
for them to get away and learn how to be a more effective disciple of
Christ. Missions is conducted by our
youth on a regular basis and we, Tina and myself, teach them that it is
imperative that they keep these acts of kindness to themselves, in order for
God to bless them in His own way.
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of
people, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you will have no reward from your Father
in heaven. So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by
people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know
what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your
Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:1-4
(HCSB)
While I am one that does not like to brag on me and
what I have done, and teach others to do the same, for the sake of information,
I want to brag on the kids of Rockford Baptist Church. The following is a list provided to me, which
details the acts of service to the church, the community and others areas where
our students have performed missions.
These include the four years of our youth ministry at Rockford.
§ Holiday fruit baskets to elderly/apartments (an average of 58
baskets X 4 years = 232 baskets) and holiday meal delivery over a two year
period.
§ Prepared and served meals through a soup kitchen in Sylacauga,
Alabama.
§ Assisted with the Town of Rockford Holiday Market and 4th
of July Celebration.
§ Assisted with Relay for Life in Coosa County.
§ Assisted and gathered items for Tuscaloosa Disaster Relief at
RBC.
§ Set up temporary kitchen/prepared and delivered hot meals to
tornado damaged areas in Dadeville/Camp Hill, Alabama. (X2)
§ Assisted with tornado damaged Equality area by serving meals and
helping to remove debris.
§ Volunteered/raised money for Relay for Life.
§ Volunteered/raised money for tsunami victims in Haiti.
§ Volunteered/raised money for the Town of Rockford to conduct a 4th
of July Fireworks celebration.
§ Volunteered/raised money for Oklahoma Tornado victims.
§ Built a live nativity for the Rockford Christmas parade.
§ Set up/take down tables, chairs, stage for most functions held
in the Family Life Center of Rockford Church.
§ Volunteered for “Cruising for our Schools” fundraiser.
§ Cleaned church so custodian could take a vacation. (X2)
§ Assist with 5th Sunday Dinner and Homecoming.
§ Serve on various committees of the church.
§ Delivered food to jail/elderly/others after fundraisers held at
church.
§ Operate sound system on Sundays and for other functions of the
church.
§ Assist with Trunk or Treat at Rockford.
While it appears from this list, our students do not
have a great deal of time for study or discipleship, you have to see something
underneath. These students are active in
the weekday ministries of the church, through Sunday School, Sunday Evening
Discipleship, and Wednesday Evening Bible Study. These activities are geared for them, so that
they might invite their friends. And
they do! We will have 12 to 15 youth on
Sunday morning, with another 15-20 on Sunday evening; but on Wednesday evening
we may see as many as 20-25 students.
On Sunday morning, they stay for the morning worship
service. While we still hold to the old
songs of faith, with a mix of newer contemporary songs, along with the old
country gospel, these students seem to be glad to attend worship and celebrate
along with the older generation.
In conclusion, let me say I am proud of the students
at Rockford. These seventh of twelfth
graders are awesome, amazing kids. They
love God and they love those who take spiritual leadership over them. They desire to walk in the light and spread
the message of Jesus. I pray for them
every day and encourage them to become more like Christ in all that they do.
“For we know that if our earthly house, a tent, is destroyed, we
have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
And, in fact, we groan in this one, longing to put on our house from heaven,
since, when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. Indeed, we who are in
this tent groan, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but
clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life. And the One who
prepared us for this very thing is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down
payment. Therefore, though we are always confident and know that while we are
at home in the body we are away from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not
by sight—yet we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home
with the Lord. Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to
be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or
bad. Knowing, then, the fear of the Lord, we persuade people. We are completely
open before God, and I hope we are completely open to your consciences as well.
We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to
be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in the
outward appearance rather than in the heart. For if we are out of our mind, it
is for God; if we have a sound mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels
us, since we have reached this conclusion: if One died for all, then all died.
And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves,
but for the One who died for them and was raised. From now on, then, we do not
know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we have known Christ in a purely
human way, yet now we no longer know Him like that. Therefore if anyone is in
Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new
things have come. Now everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself
through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that is, in Christ,
God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against
them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we
are ambassadors for Christ; certain that God is appealing through us, we plead
on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” He made the One who did not know
sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2
Corinthians 5:1-21 (HCSB)
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