The Camp Experience

Written by Kyle Power

Camp changes lives.  I have said it before and I will continue to say it.  There is something special about getting away from routine, away from home, and being in a place filled with the Holy Spirit, whether a mountain top or a college campus.  God does big things...  God did big things.  Students who were really far from God took steps toward him, students who had never decided to put their trust in Jesus, chose to put their trust in Jesus.  Students who had never been baptized took that step and were baptized, Students for the first time felt that God was specifically calling them into a life of ministry.  Students went to camp hoping to have fun and learn some new stuff about God and experienced the Holy Spirit and were different because of it.

The "camp experience" is hard to explain as it involves every part of camp.  Choosing to play a student's favorite song in the van for them breaks down a wall and allows for open conversation about God while at camp.  Our really big God who does really big things often operates in the little things as well.  No part of the experience is wasted.  Leaders are always looking for moments to have fun with kids that will build trust and lead to real conversations about God later.  Our volunteer leaders are really the all - stars of camp.  Without them this would not have been the same.

Before camp I talked a lot about how this is a church wide event, now that camp is over we get to celebrate what happened together.  We were also able to give full scholarships to over 10 kids and partnered with over 20 families to give them partial scholarships.  The John Slone scholarship fund was well used this summer as those scholarships allowed those students to have these powerful life changing moments.  It was also obvious at different moments that the enemy wanted to distract some students and some leaders from what God had for them at camp, and your prayers, both before the week and while we were there, I know covered us and made a difference as love won, the enemy tried but failed, the cross was victorious!  Thank you for partnering with the youth so they could have this camp experience.

So get ready, because we will do camp again, and we will ask you to be a part of it, and we will want more new kids to come, and we will expect God to show up in new ways for new and old students to experience Him.  Our goals will be raised higher and higher every single year, as we try to keep up with our big God and His big goals for the students in San Jose.

If you want to see photos or videos from either the MS or HS camp check out our Instagram
@ ccc.sj.youth - and make sure to be at church no July 30th as the Youth are taking over and you will get to hear from them about how powerful camp was.