What are you working on now?

Even though summer camp is still four months away, COCUSA is already working hard on every aspect of our summer program.

One part of the summer that I take the lead on is planning Staff Training.  The image above is representative of one day's schedule during training.  We'll have our summer staff members attending as many as 20 workshops over the four days of training.

Ultimately our goal and prayer is that these counselors, junior counselors and site directors will be fully prepared for a summer of ministry.  We want to give them the practical tools and instructions so they can care for children and do so with excellence.  But we also want to encourage and equip them to share the gospel, make disciples, and serve the Lord in every area of their life (both now and into the future.)

Training our staff is a daunting task considering we only have four half-days with JCs, four full-days with counselors and six full-days with site directors.  If you think of it, can you pray that 2012 Staff Training will be effective and glorifying to God?

Encouraging Staff

Yesterday I met with a staff member.

This dude is awesome for several reasons.  But the one that always jumps out is that even though he hasn't worked a full summer at COCUSA in several years, he is still all about the ministry that we do.  He encourages, supports, and otherwise cheers us on.  It's pretty great.

When we met I was able to encourage him in his efforts to disciple a small group of guys (he co-leads a freshmen Bible study).  God's using him in really cool ways, both to encourage some of our current summer staff members and to point guys at the University of Illinois to Christ as well.

Great Audio Clips

This is just a reminder that I recorded some fantastic audio clips at the Staff Christmas party.  God definitely got the glory as they explained what camp meant to them.

Rockin' Ministry

It has been really awesome to watch our new part-time intern dive into growing staff and campers.

Through the weekly Bible Study Talissa has helped staff become more faithful in their Bible intake and really connected campers (and campers' friends!) to Scripture for the first time.

Here's part of the story in her own words: I just had to tell you this story about how God is at work!!
The past couple of weeks I have gone to pick up Abby from her house. Only this time when I arrived she asked if she could speak with me outside. She told me that her friend Wendy was an atheist and didn’t feel comfortable coming. I told Abby that day I was just planning on making some sugar cookies and having a short sharing time with staff to tell their favorite verse. After I explained that to Abby she talked with Wendy and they decided to come. I noticed that Wendy seemed really quiet at first. But I talked to them the whole drive to Pekin.
After we made the cookies and went in to the staff room I just prayed that God would touch her heart. I had each of the staff share a verse that they like. We finished up with a game of apples to apples and then parents started coming. After everyone left and we finished cleaning up she asked me for the study book. She said that she really liked it and she learned a lot. I can’t even tell you how overjoyed I was! So I gave her the book and then she asked me about the scripture Anna read from Matthew. Wendy said that it really spoke to her and I showed her where it was and she wrote it down. You could just see her excitement to read the book and learn more. Then on the way home in the car we had a really good discussion about being a consistent witness for Christ. We can’t be one person at church and another person with our friends. Oh it was so good and I just left send all kinds of praises and hallelujahs to God. HE IS AMAZING! Please pray for Wendy and all the girls. I just had to share how I see our wonderful God at work!!!

Great note from a staff member

Some highlights from a note from a summer staff member:

I just wanted to thank all of your for the awesome opportunity to serve at camp this summer.... Working at camp gave me a wonderful opportunity to grow in so many ways.  I was able to make tons of Christian friends I wouldn't have had otherwise, which is something I needed and learning to witness to kids taught me how to witness to other loved ones in my life.  Seeing the lives of children being transformed was such an encouragement to me and I am so thankful that I was able to be a part of that. Thank you for your help every step of the way! Keep doing what you're doing!!

December Newsletter Story: Part-time Internship

We're excited to announce that this fall camp added a new staff position: a part-time paid internship position from September to May.  We wanted to expand the ministry of camp while also providing an opportunity for young adults to work in a ministry and grow in their personal and professional skills.

This position has three major parts: First, the intern will be taking various tasks from the other staff: Cleaning up after the summer, programming for year-round events, helping with hiring and recruiting and planning the summer program are just a few examples of this.
Second, the intern will have a "Big Project" that fits his or her skill set and will help camp better minister to campers, families or staff.
Third, camp is asking the intern to raise part of the funds needed for the position.  While this fundraising focus does help camp, it also gives the intern a chance to learn to do personal fundraising, a skill that we know will benefit them wherever God calls them next.

Our first-ever part-time paid intern is Talissa Shaull.  She served as the female site director at our Pekin camp this past summer.  Her "Big Project" is setting up a mentoring program where female staff can come alongside older girl campers.  She will also be taking the curriculum she is using and adapting it to fit with our summer Tyro program.  The female junior high students who are a part of this program will be encountering Biblical truth through the study "Lies Young Women Believe" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Dannah Gresh.

Finally, in keeping with the theme of this newsletter: This fall Talissa found out about a camper family whose kitchen stove was no longer working.  Talissa contacted members of her home church for help and within weeks she was helping to deliver a working stove to the family's house. Way to go Talissa!

Meeting Physical Needs

One of our summer staff connected her church with a camper family.

This family needed a new stove and the staff member brought up the need to her congregation.  Within a few weeks the church was delivering a new stove to the families house.

What a blessing!