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!!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
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!
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!
Friday, November 4, 2011
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!
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!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
more disciple-making
I'm so excited to be jumping back in and talking a journey of disciple-making with two former summer staff. They're both way past where they were the last time we were together (one's married and the other has a full-time teaching job).
My prayer and desire is that 1) Our time together would help us all follow Jesus. 2) That, after a time, they could be turned loose to disciple others in their spheres of influence.
My prayer and desire is that 1) Our time together would help us all follow Jesus. 2) That, after a time, they could be turned loose to disciple others in their spheres of influence.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Disciple-making continuing
I got a couple cool emails this week from past staff members who are still rocking the world for Jesus. Here's some excerpts:
I met for the first time last week with 3 guys from my church. We are meeting Sunday morning at 8:30 at one of the guy's apartment a few blocks from the church (service starts at 10:00). Our first meeting we ate waffles, discussed our recent Bible reading, went over how God's been working in our lives, and prayed for each other. It was pretty informal, not sure yet how much more structure we will add in but I was pleased with our first meeting.
I learned that God really answers prayer even if it takes a while. I've been praying for young guys to rise up and take their faith seriously for some time now and I really hadn't been seeing much fruit....until [recently]. At retreat, 3 basketball players, 1 cross country runner, and 1 frat guy really came spiritually alive and are super eager to be "discipled." these guys have invited friends and we've started meeting on Monday nights to study the books of Timothy. As of last Monday, the group is me and 10 sophomores. Our sessions are very lively and filled with guys asking questions (3 of them have never read these books before!).
Monday, October 3, 2011
Camp Logo
A summer staff story shared a great story with me recently:
He had built a decent friendship with a fellow classmate who didn't know much of anything concerning the Bible, Jesus or the Good News. But through this friendship the classmate knew that our staff member was a Christian.
At the end of one class his friend noticed the camp logo, both on his bag and another staff member's shirt. (Two camp staff in the same class! Hooray!) His friend asked: "Do you guys go to the same church?"
Using that question, this staff member was able to explain what camp was all about. Most importantly, he was able to explain the basics of the Gospel message clearly to his friend. The conversation ended with an open door and invitation for future discussions.
He had built a decent friendship with a fellow classmate who didn't know much of anything concerning the Bible, Jesus or the Good News. But through this friendship the classmate knew that our staff member was a Christian.
At the end of one class his friend noticed the camp logo, both on his bag and another staff member's shirt. (Two camp staff in the same class! Hooray!) His friend asked: "Do you guys go to the same church?"
Using that question, this staff member was able to explain what camp was all about. Most importantly, he was able to explain the basics of the Gospel message clearly to his friend. The conversation ended with an open door and invitation for future discussions.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Camper Applications
The last week of the summer one of our staff members led a skill group in which campers could practice being staff members. One part of this skill group was filling out staff applications. (They literally filled out our summer staff applications.) Some of their answers we're actually pretty cool:
In answer to how they became a Christian:
It happened at camp when I was 6. It was with Ashley, one of my favorite counselors. I was baptized in March of 2011. I could tell that I was closer to Christ after that. And that also made my Grandparents closer to him.
When I was a little girl I went to camp of champions. I always wanted to be a staff member. I didn't know about Jesus so I learned about it and I accepted him in my heart.
In answer to how they have been growing spiritually:
He has drawn me closer to Christ by meeting other Christians and having my mom help me through hard times.
He is teaching me how to not steal and lie. I lie a lot but he stopped me and I don't do it often. I became closer to God by learning about him in church!
In answer to how they became a Christian:
It happened at camp when I was 6. It was with Ashley, one of my favorite counselors. I was baptized in March of 2011. I could tell that I was closer to Christ after that. And that also made my Grandparents closer to him.
When I was a little girl I went to camp of champions. I always wanted to be a staff member. I didn't know about Jesus so I learned about it and I accepted him in my heart.
In answer to how they have been growing spiritually:
He has drawn me closer to Christ by meeting other Christians and having my mom help me through hard times.
He is teaching me how to not steal and lie. I lie a lot but he stopped me and I don't do it often. I became closer to God by learning about him in church!
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