Last Day Of Camp

CAMP • 6.27.08

Goodbye for now…

Celebration started out with Matt the parrot saying his final goodbyes to the students. The audience swayed and lifted their hands as they all sang a little of Michael W. Smiths “Friends are Friends Forever.”

Students watched as a boy in a bubble tried to do normal things like eating a hot dog, and playing frisbee. None of these things could he do of course because he was in a bubble! Then he saw a girl in a bubble and they ran towards each other to hug but ending up falling over. All this to say, don’t live your life in a bubble.

The students all got decked out in their colors to cheer on their teams for one final time. All of the mission teams were really creative but the Purple Craze took the Spirit Sledge. Matt Mogle called forth the sound engineer Taylor Heinman to hand out the Spirit Stick. Taylor had a tough decision but the Blue Crew beat out the rest and was named squad of the week.

As “The Wire” started Tasha and Sasha were sniffing and tearing up. They expressed their sadness that the students would be leaving after celebration and then went on to read the news for the day.

In “Choose the Way” the students decided that Brody would let the father give him CPR. Right as the father leaning forward he realized that Brody was faking it and kicked him out of the house.  For PSA with the PA Jake announced that Texas is just the same as any other state. In fact the only good thing they have ever given anyone is Walker Texas Ranger.

Shelly Weaver was named youth minister of the day, and given a beautiful hat that her students had made for her. Since it was the last day of camp he did not get to wear the beautiful sash, but he did get a picture with AT2AP.

Praises echoed as Kristian and his band led the students in singing “Faithful” and “Happy Day”. Students declared their freedom in Christ singing “We Shine”. To finish out they sang “High and Holy”, a love song just declaring the Lord’s majesty.

The Student Life staff would like to thank you for entrusting us with your students this week. We have had a great time teaching and serving them. Our prayer is that they would continue to grow and that what God did in their hearts this week would not end here. That God will continue to mold them and they would follow after Him with all that they have. Thank-you again and we will see you back next year!

Camp Thursday Night

CAMP • 6.26.08

Can God Confide In You?

The night started off with students from the choir free time option singing “In Christ Alone”. As the lights dimmed again AT2AP came up and did a drama about the hardships going on all around the world. Ashley played a girl who was concerned with the world around her and everything that was going amiss. Matt played a skeptic that believed the world is full of horrible things and there is nothing anyone can do to it. In contrast Shara described the hope in power of Christ, and how ultimately God will have the final word.

Then a short promo video from Servant Life, the mission part of Student Life was played. Servant Life offers mission opportunities in seven different Countries.  For more information students were directed to go to servantlife.com. The video talked about how we can study the Word day in and day out but if it does not propel us to take the Gospel to the Nations then we’ve missed the point.

Kristian and his band began worship singing “Majesty” and “Lord of All”. Praises echoed as they closed out with “Mighty To Save”. Kristian invited them to do with their hands what they have been talking about with their lips the whole week.

The band continued playing “Mighty to Save” as the Student Life staff took their places around the room with buckets. Students all around the room came forward to worship through giving. Every single cent of the money given tonight will go towards Compassion International, Reach Orphans with Hope, and Servant Life’s mission trips.

Then there was a short video based off of Philippians 2:5-7 that showed students the importance of having the attitude of Christ. A boy was fixing his friends car for absolutely nothing, but simply to serve.

The sermon tonight was based off of Isaiah 54. Neil read the students a recent article from the newspaper entitled “Believers Okay With Many Paths”.  The article talked about how religion is a salad bar where people heap on beliefs that they like. There is a stunning difference between people’s standards and their faith. The Bible talks about how people honor God with their lips but their hearts are far from Him.

To keep from our hearts being far from Him we need a God sized view of God. So often we use the word awesome to describe our car, food, friends, and at the same time God. He isn’t even on the same playing field as those other things, but we place Him there. We don’t realize that we are talking about the lofty and exalted God. For Jesus to come to earth he gave up some glory. If He came to this earth full of Glory He would have killed everyone. We’ve lost our mind if we think we can take hold of God. We don’t need to get our theology from the lyrics to a song. Think about God as He is and not as you need Him to be.

We also need a Biblical view of sin. Grace teaches us to say no to un-godliness and to live upright. The greatest thing about God is that He transforms us into the kind of people whom sin looses its appeal. Sin is an insult to the sufficiency of God

The reason sin doesn’t bother some of us is that we haven’t seen the King. Sin isn’t a big deal to us until we see the King. Neil told the students that he hopes that there will be a day when they have to tell their friends why they no longer do what they used to do.

God will reveal to you as much as He knows He can trust you with. He is roaming the earth for someone that He can show His heart. Camp is not a feeling we should try to maintain, but something that propels us in forward motion. He left the students challenging them to ask themselves what God can trust them with.

As students reflected on the sermon Kristian and the band sang “ Lord of All” and “Holy Is the Lord God Almighty”. Praises echoed everyone sang ” How Great Thou Art” and “Our God Reigns”. Kristian closed out praying that the Lord would loosen their grip on the things of this world. He told the students that he would continue to pray that the taste they have gotten this week would stay on their lips.

Camp Thursday Pt3

CAMP • 6.26.08

You’re Gonna Get Soaked!

The Yellow Swarm and Green Machine were very excited to get to cool off going to “Soaked”. They competed in several games including assault, the amazing water relay, battleship, pipeline, capture the ring, sling shot retrieve, water mafia and family group leader shootout.

The students loved family group leader shootout. In this game the students got the opportunity to get their family group leaders soaking wet by squirting them with long water soakers.

Another game that the students loved was water mafia. This game was based off of the popular game mafia. Students had cups full of water and when they splashed it on someone on the other team they were out and had to sit down. One student on each team was the doctor and could save their teammates by tagging them. The object was to get the other teams doctor splashed with water.

Red Rumble and Blue Crew has a blast at “Between the Lines”.  In volleyball tourney family groups compete against each other in a game of volleyball till three. One of the student’s favorite games was frisbee disk relay. In this game the fisbee goal was set up 50 yards away. The family groups throw the frisbee aiming for the goal. If the frisbee hits the ground the next student runs and tries. The team with the most frisebees in at the end of the game wins.

Matt Mogle the Rec. Director describes between the lines as a fantastic way for the student to build unity in their group through a healthy dose of competition.

Camp Thurs. pt 2

CAMP • 6.26.08

Holy Spirit?

In the last family group lesson, the students learned that the Holy Spirit empowers them to live a life full of love. In this lesson this truth was examined further, seeing the particular role of the Holy Spirit.

In John 14-16 Jesus tells His disciples that He is leaving, but they will not be alone because He is sending the Holy Spirit to live inside of them! This is so powerful to believers because He teaches, helps, and convicts. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate guide to life, and will provide an abundance of strength for the narrow road set before believers on this journey.

Students were challenged to truly value the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and encouraged that He will always be with them.

Camp Thurs. Morning

CAMP • 6.26.08

Yoga?

For the “Early Bird Special” this morning Matt the parrot led them in a few short yoga exercises. After the students had experienced yoga parrot style the Missions Site Coordinators ran down the aisles waving their flags and getting their teams excited. Each team had a whole lot of spirit this morning but the Purple Craze was just a little louder.

The recreation teams were not to be out-done as they screamed for their teams. The students were all crazy excited but the mighty green machine led by Clay Austin took the Spirit Stick.

For “Choose the Way” Brody faked passing out when his date’s father came home. The students choose that Brody would fake an illness to avoid CPR.

For “ PSA with the PA” Jake informed the students that just because someone puts on a wig does not make him or her a different person, and it is actually not even a good disguise. He knows that Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus are the same person and believes that it is very obvious. The students laughed as pictures of George Bush, Oprah, and the Rock with blonde wigs on appeared on the screen.

For the “Virtual Virus” 7 featured emailsanta.com. He read of several e-mails sent to Santa and one that he had actually sent Santa. Then it was time for youth minister of the day! Tim was “sashed” and given his cup trophy that the students made for him. After that a short video was shown to illustrate how to be prepared for the testing of your faith.

Callie Priest the event coordinator came up and shared how Compassion releases students from poverty in Jesus name. The children that are sponsored by Compassion are discipled, feed, given medical attention and much more. She shared about her trip with Student Life to the Philippines and how it had impacted her. She shared about how those Compassion students were lights in dark places.

Then Raf, part of the Student Life team this summer went up and shared her story and how compassion has affected her in more detail. She grew up in a slum, with a father that was a drunkard. At the moment that her family needed it the most her mother found out about Compassion, and she became a Compassion student. Through that program she got to go to a Christian school and learn about the love of Jesus for her and her family. For the first time in her life she knew hope. Through the Lord’s grace she was able to also go to college and graduate at the top of her class. The Lord transformed her family, and her father is now saved, and her family is active in local ministry. She was once a compassion packet lying in a booth then someone responded to God’s challenge and now she is a living testimony of how that changed a life. Life to the fullest is not based on her economic or social status, but that she knows Christ.

Camp Wed….Late Night

CAMP • 6.25.08

Late Night Luau

Aloha! Tonight was Luau night at light night. It was an intense battle between the jr. high and senior high students here.

There were many different games the students competed on stage, and several games going on throughout the room. There was a contest to see who could keep a hula-hoop up the longest, who could crack the coconut, limbo and volatile volleyball. The students loved these games and they were neck in neck until the end when the senior high pulled of the win.

Can rush stay on it had another segment, where the students watched intently trying to see if he could stay on the mechanical bull. Rush could not stay on the mechanical bull forwards or backwards.

To finish off the night the camp director Bo, dismissed the students to get some rest!

Wed. Night Camp Service

CAMP • 6.25.08

Words Fail…

As the lights faded Matt and Ashley began their sketch about “the Way”. As they continued in their dramatic interpretation Shara interrupted from the audience and told them that she was really confused about this whole metaphor thing. She asked a couple of youth ministers to explain practically what the way meant to them. Then she told them how following the way causes a disturbance in her life, and isn’t always easy. Matt was left speechless because Shara had described the way perfectly. Then Ashley left the students asking them what kind of disturbance are they causing.

The next video was about students knowing the Word. Ashley and Shara were shopping for dresses for an upcoming murder mystery party. Shara asked Ashley for forgiveness about what she wrote on her blog about her. James 5: 16 then flashed on the screen talking about how Believers should confess their sins to one another.

Kristian Stanfield and his band came on stage and led the students in singing “Everlasting” and “Beautiful Jesus”.  Next they all sang “The Highest and the Greatest”, a song declaring God’s supremacy and power.

The Holy Spirit really moved as Neil opened the night with an invitation. Students all across the auditorium answered the call right then as they accepted Jesus. Then there was a time for confession, He told them that getting more information was not going to help them but doing something with what they know will help them. Neil then read Psalm 86 over them all. He prayed that they would take the training wheels off as the students stood in the Lord’s presence.  The students were given a time to reflect and respond as Kristian sang several songs.

Neil told the students that sometimes we can just grow so busy. When David played his harp demons fled from Saul. He invited all those that are worn out to come just lay down before the Lord. For the next few minutes Kristian played as students and adults just spent time with the Lord.  Then everyone sang “How Great is Our God” to close out the amazing night. There is no other way to describe the night and words fail in comparison of the Spirit of God changing lives tonight.

Camp Wed. pt3

CAMP • 6.25.08

Marked by Love

What does a life in the way look like? Practically how can students make that daily decision to follow Christ? Life along the narrow way is about so much more than the things Christians aren’t suppose to do. This life is a life filled with love, and wisdom.

Living in love, means imitating the example of Jesus. Ephesians 5: 1-18 is the passage that students dived into for family group this morning. This passage encourages believers to live in a way that the world sees the love of Christ displayed. Jesus made a way so that we can have direct communion with Him. This means that the love is not up to Christians, because if that were true, no one’s love would be good enough. It is Christ’s love flowing through us.

Students are challenged to live like a child of the Living God. This is shown by making good decisions, in how you live and interact with others, being self-controlled, and being obedient to the Holy Spirit. Practically this is done by examining your actions and motives, encouraging each other, and being thankful.

The students were then asked is this the way that you are living your life now? This life is impossible to live by relying on ourselves. The Holy Spirit living in us empowers us.

Camp Wed. Afternoon

CAMP • 6.25.08

Between The Lines

Yellow Swarm and Green Machine participated in Between the Lines “This is a day filled with sport based relay games with a point system. The games are all nice competitive team building games all about friendly competition and having fun.”  – Clay Austin, Recreation Leader of the Green Machine

Blue Crew and Red Rumble went to Adrenaline Rush. They competed different events like the timed puzzle relay, blongo ball, rip tag flag, bounce course, power ball and many more.

For rip tag flag everyone started out with a flag on their arm. The students ran around trying to pull the flag off of the other teams arms. Once your flag was ripped from your arm you had to sit down and you were “frozen”. If a student lost their flag someone on their team could come un-freeze them by giving them an extra flag. The team with the most flags at the end of the game wins.

Camp Wednesday Morning…I got Youth Minister of the Day

CAMP • 6.25.08

The Time Has Come

Celebration started with the early bird special and Matt dressed as a parrot leading the students in a high-five frenzy. Kristian and the band then led the students in “The Time Has Come” and “Happy Day”. Then they sang “All Because of Jesus” a powerful song that declares our freedom in Christ.

Then the Missions Site Coordinators came up on stage and lead their teams in performing their cheers for the first time in front of everyone. The students were very enthusiastic about their cheers and the gold rush received the Spirit Sledge.

After that the Rec. Leaders ran up to the stage waving their team flags proudly. The Rec. teams got to perform their cheers with their leaders too. Then the Blue Crew received the Spirit Stick with honor.

“The Wire” segment was next, where Tasha and Sasha announced the funny stories that the students had turned into their mailbox earlier. The students then got to see what Brody did with the antique vase from yesterday. By the most applause they decided that he would try to duck tape the vase back together. His date’s father soon discovered his horrible duck-taping job. The students have to wait till tomorrow to see what Brody will do next!

Then it was time for “PSA with the PA” where Jake Brantley announced that just because students play guitar hero on expert does not actually mean that they are musically gifted.

Next 7 came out for the “Virtual Virus” and shared many of the different ways that duck tape can be used. There is even a scholarship contest for students who make duck tape prom outfits. For more information and pictures you can go to Stuckatprom.com. James Lee from Northview Baptist was named the youth minister of the day.

Neil led the students to the passage about Mary and Martha in Luke 10. He talked about how knowledge is about what you know but wisdom is about what you do with what you know. God confides in those who know him. He has a lot to say to you and asks who he can extend trust to. He challenged the students asking them who is willing to live in light of what God tells them instead of what everyone else around them does.

Then the camp director Bo Behenna came up and announced that ultimate frisbee, hanging with the techies, a call to worship, and creative arts will be available for free time options today.