2011 Week 3 Stories

Sorry for the lack of a creative title.  I've just got a couple of cool God-stories that I've sen happen recently.

1)  There was a good number of East Peoria Campers that stayed for the Oak Grove VBS each evening last week.  We found out that on Sunday one of the families attended the Sunday morning service. We're praying that they can get connected to the body of Christ at Oak Grove!

2)  Our East Peoria site director recently told me of a great conversation with one of our junior high volunteers.  God used that conversation to help this junior high kid understand he should be selective about choosing his friends.  He was realizing that some of his current friends are poor influences on him.  Please pray for this junior high student.

Pray-Car

One of our summer site directors started the summer without a car.  He made it to staff training each day via a patch-work of getting rides and borrowing vehicles.  You could tell it wasn't the ideal situation.  One of his borrowed vehicles had a broken gas gauge and he ran out of fuel on his way to the first day of staff training.

During the first week of camp I told him: "I'm going to pray you get a car to drive."  I encouraged a few other staff members to do the same.

The first day of the second week (less than seven days later) this site director says "Guess what?  I got a car!  Someone from my church called me up and asked if I need a car!"

News Flash: God Answers Prayer.

Week One: The Gospel trumps Dodgeball

Midway through the first week of camp a boy's grandfather was relating the story of his son coming home from camp on the first day.

The grandfather expected the boy to be super excited about all the activities at camp.  Mostly he was expecting to hear about dodgeball.

But instead, this young boy came home sharing about the Good News!  That was his highlight from the first day of camp!

Fasting for Staff

In mid-April I had five staff members join me in fasting and praying for the upcoming summer.  One of the prayer focuses we had for the day was a need for more male counselors.  At the time it looked like we could use another 4 (or more) guy staff members. 

During the day I had the "random" idea to contact a staff member from two summers ago.  (I say "random" because I'm sure God was leading my steps.)  I asked him to pray about being a counselor at camp this summer.


To my surprise, he said he would consider it.  To my even greater surprise... about a week later he agreed to work for COCUSA, even though it meant turning down a better paying job at a construction site for the summer.

Go figure. Prayer works! 

Maybe we should all do it a little more.

Kingdom Connections

Hiring staff is both a terrifying and thrilling time.

Terrifying because we have over 100 staff positions to fill (with the looming deadline of summer camp).

But thrilling because you get to hear about God working in a potential staff member's life: It's very humbling to see God at work when you have nothing to do with it.

• During one interview session I conducted the interviews for four girls who were all from the same youth group.  I left those interviews amazed at how great of a work God had done in those girls through their youth pastor.  Each one of them pointed to this youth pastor and his wife as having a huge positive influence on their spiritual life.  
• One of our returning summer staff members recently shared that he accepted Christ in high school while on a high school retreat at Camp Timber-lee in Wisconsin.  This staff member has had a visible impact on the lives of kids at Camp of Champions, but it wouldn't be possible without the staff from Timber-lee setting up a high school retreat.  Equally important are the volunteers from his local church investing in him.

We're deeply indebted to so many other people and ministries for the work of God that will go on at Camp of Champions this summer.  I'm excited and prayerful that the kingdom connections will continue to grow as the word of God works in hearts.

Intern Feedback

I asked my four 'Night Out Interns' to sum up their experience from this year.

Nathan said: "I don't have a ton to say about what I learned but I'm very glad I did [it] and that God was able to use us."

Heather said: "I really liked the whole experience of being a PNO intern. I believe that I have learned a lot from the experience and I think I will be more prepared in leading children in many situations. I learned to be more bolder when sharing the gospel or any lesson or direction really. I know that God will fully guide me in life and I want to trust him more and more. I also, have learned to communicate better with the staff and kids, in order to get more out of everything, not missing an opportunity God gives."

Shelby said: "The Internship has been a fun experience. I've learned a lot. enough to where I'm not so sure how to explain it in words."

Lukas said: "I loved my experience as an intern, it taught me to roll with the punches of the day, to plan things that I thought were out of this world fun for the kids, and to make idea's come to life. It was great deciding what to teach them about Christ as well, and to see kids from camp that I otherwise would not have been able to see too much of."

Two? I give up. Three? I'm still going.

Last September I started meeting with Friend #1 and Friend #2.  We've met weekly (missing a few weeks hear and there) through the end of 2010 and up to the present.

I was surprised by how much Friend #1, dis-impressed me as we attempted to follow Jesus together.  I just didn't see #1 showing much real fervor to know God.

About two months ago I was ready to jump-ship on Friend #1.  I had had enough of him not doing much, and was ready to find someone who had a desire to grow. Enter Friend #2.

Friend #2 had been there the whole time, but at the same moment I wanted to bail, he fully engaged Friend #1 and got us all to read 'Sexual Detox: A Guide for the Single Guy.'  Friend #2 realized that #1 needed to be challenged in the area of sexual purity.

So thanks to Friend #2, we're all continuing to follow Jesus... together.