Campers, Campfires, Counselors
It is April, that means that summer camp is just around the corner and that means that inside I can’t help but be excited. I am excited because during the summer three of my favorite things happen at camp. Campers come, campfires almost every night, and Counselors(staff) are here!
Summer camp is all about campers
and if as a camp director I didn’t say I looked forward to seeing them I would be in the wrong business. The laugh of campers as they play on the playground and the yelling that comes from sliding down the slide into the pool, or the excitement in their voices as they play a rec game is music to me. It means there are campers in camp having a good time and it also means there is an opportunity to share the Gospel!
One of those places where I often hear the Gospel being shared is around a campfire. Anyone who has ever set around a campfire understands there is something special about the atmosphere of a campfire. It is a great way at the end of a fun day to relax and have a serious moment or two. It’s in those serious moments that I have seen many campers respond to the tug of the Holy Spirit on their lives. When a director or staff member gives that invitation to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior or to Re-dedicate their lives to serving Him it is indeed a highlight of my camping career to be a part of the experience and watch campers respond.
It takes dedicated counselors and staff to make these types of experiences possible. That is why I enjoy working with the summer staff. They are young men and women who have chosen to work at Twin Pines for the summer in order to share the Gospel with the campers who attend. They are willing to build a relationship with campers that allows them to sit down together and share the wonderful story of Jesus. This is a great responsibility, a responsibility that we have all been called to through the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 – Therefore go and make disciples…
This great responsibility that has been placed on the summer staff is a great responsibility for me as well. It means that I must be building a relationships with them in order to support their work with the campers. I am continually thankful for the opportunity to work with summer staff and watch them grow, mature and be used for God’s will here at Twin Pines and many, many other places in this world!
As we head toward summer join me in praying for the Campers, Campfires and Counselors at Twin Pines this summer!
