CAMP2013 // Recap Post #8

CAMP2013 Recap Post #8
By: Jessica Stone

CAMP 2013: My Experience

3 Things the Lord taught me at CAMP

So many moments from CAMP 2013 will be embedded on my heart for years to come.  There are three particular lessons and/or reminders that the Lord clearly impressed upon my heart though. 

1.    Things happen in His timing.

     Not only is this true in my personal life, but God showed me so clearly that this is true in my professional life as well.  So many life happenings that have occurred in my life did not occur on my timeline.  Actually, very few things in my life have gone according to my timing.  Go figure!  But, most recently, this whole developing relationship and moving to a new state situation really was not in my plans; however, I’ve been so blessed by it.  Professionally, I got to see God do some things that really didn’t happen when I wanted them to.  Thursday before dinner, I’d been sharing with a couple of lovely ladies that I was so saddened to leave rbcstudents, partially because goodbyes are tough in general, but mostly because I’d been hoping to see some restoration and growth, and quite frankly, it just hadn’t happened yet, at least not like I thought that it should.  Little did I know that some MAJOR restoration would take place in just a few hours…  During worship that night, the Lord brought me to the point of surrender with Him, showing me clearly that whatever happens in rbcstudents has got to happen solely because of Him and NOT because of me.  He is so gracious to deal with me on those things, those heart matters.  And so at that point of surrender and that point of heart abandoned to Him and His timing, the Lord so graciously allowed me to see friendships reconciled and relationships restored!  Praise Him for those changes! 

2.    This next phase of life is going to be tough, but worth it.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again:  tough isn’t bad, tough is just tough.  Some of the most growth-producing times in my life have been the toughest times, the seasons that I really could not physically endure on my own.  And I cherish those times more than words can say.  It’s in the tough times that I’m forced to realize my own helplessness and rely fully on His strength, provision, and hope.  If I don’t go through those tough times, I will never learn to fully rely on Him, and I will also miss the blessing of seeing His grace and provision along the way.  Also, tough doesn’t mean wrong.  Just because I face challenges and trials doesn’t mean I’ve done something wrong.  In fact, more often than not, it’s when I’m walking the closest with the Lord that I find myself facing more obstacles.  It’s when I’m following Him that my flesh—and the flesh of some around me—tends to be resistant and tension ensues.  All of these elements of tough were reestablished in my heart this week at CAMP.  And the absolute best part of tough stuff is next in my list of lessons learned at CAMP…

3.    I am His daughter.  Period.  End of story.  No matter what.

As I’m staring down the barrel of a ton of change, my mind has really struggled to fill in the gaps, the missing pieces of what my new life will look like.  Where will I go to church?  Who will be my friends?  What will my daily life be like?  Who will I fit in with?  The answers to these questions may be tough to find or tough to accept.  But, I know that I don’t have to handle any of the tough stuff on my own!  The most beautiful blessing I’ve received in my life is the gift of salvation.  Thankfully and humbly, the Lord reminded me of that so sweetly this week at CAMP.  Regardless of where I go, what I do, or who I’m close to or far from, my identity never changes:  I am His daughter.  My Father never ceases to be my Father.  He will always call me His.  I will always belong to and with Him.  That is so comforting to know at any point, but especially in the face of so much unknown.  Even in the midst of the unknown, I am known by my Father.  And that’s pretty cool. 

I’m sure as I continue to reflect on and process all that God did in CAMP 2013, I’ll realize I’ve left out something valuable.  But, for now, this is my reflection, my take away, my application.  This is my CAMP 2013 experience. 

Sunday, July 21st // The 411

CAMP2013 // Recap Post #7

CAMP2013 Recap Post #7
By: Jourdain Bagby (student & summer apprentice)

       Camp 2013 was probably the most amazing and fulfilling camp experience I've had so far. We had a great time doing activities like rec, tubing, and having free time to just hang out with each other. Bible study gave everyone a chance to think about how God is working in our lives and how we can share that with others. Worship and sermons at night and in the morning left us overwhelmed with the Holy Spirit and desiring to hear more of God's word. Camp is an experience that I wish everyone could have because when you leave your life will completely change.

 

        So many memories came from rec and tubing. Alex led us in Slip'n'Slide baseball, a team building obstacle course, and finger rockets. The obstacle course was really good because we got a chance to meet new people, eat bugs, and get all muddy and wet. Finger rockets are a camp tradition and we had a lot of fun pelting each other with foam rockets. Tubing is always something that we love doing. Zachary Bryngleson and myself held onto the tube with a death grip as Mr. Vermillion whipped us side to side and swung us around. Neither of us would let go because whoever did had to sleep on the floor. (Since none of my roommates wanted to sleep in the same bed) Fortunately, Zach's trunks started to fall and he had to let go. 

 

        Kate led us in Bible Study where we learned how to share our faith with others. It was really good, because everyone had input and we all got a chance to see how others deal with sharing our faith and what the bible says about sharing our faith.  One day we talked about having our own "style" with sharing our faith. None of us really thought about having our own way of sharing and it was a good thing for each of us to think about, because now we can embrace our "style" and it'll be easier to share.

 

        Worship and the sermons were absolutely phenomenal. We did a couple songs before Sam gave a message and it really opened our hearts and prepared us for the message. Then during the sermon the Holy Spirit would completely consume our hearts and open us up to a lesson. The lessons were always amazing and would always leave us thinking about how we need to apply it to our life.

       

       God worked through everyone at Camp this year. He changed the way we look at the Bible and how to share our faith. God gave us new friends and strengthened relationships with old friends. We have memories that we will keep forever. We can praise God for giving us two new brothers and a sister in Christ to love on and have fellowship with for eternity. I wish next year's camp would come quicker, so we can do this all over again.

CAMP2013 // Recap Post #6

CAMP2013 Recap Post #6

By: Cherith Campbell (Summer Intern)

        I can’t believe how awesome camp was this year! I can honestly say that my first rbcstudents camp wasn’t a disappointment. This camp experience was a little different than what I’m used to because this year I was on staff and not a camper or just a volunteer. It was really interesting to be behind the scenes for all of the activities. As a camper I never really thought about everything that went into making camp happen. I have a greater appreciation for everyone that helps with all the events within the student ministry. This whole summer has taught me a lot about all the work that is needed within the church outside of Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights.

        I would say that one of my favorite parts of camp was getting to know the students. For a full four days we get them isolated on one campground. We get to spend all day with them and develop genuine relationships with each student. I love getting to go from activity to activity with a group and see how each student is different and how God is working. I have been blessed with the opportunity to intern with rbcstudents this summer and I can’t believe that I only have a month left. I pray everyday that God will use me to impact students’ lives but this summer students have truly impacted me and that’s such an incredible thing. I am looking forward to the next four weeks and can only hope that the fires that were started at camp continue to burn bright for our Lord!

CAMP2013 // Recap Post #5

CAMP2013 Recap Post #5
By: James Copeland

       As a leader, camp can be quite a whirlwind.  With months of prep work that ramps up to 2-3 really busy weeks, just getting to camp with everything in order can be exhausting.  But then, camp starts….and it is one of my favorite moments.  Students arrive, unpack the bus, eat dinner, and get settled in their rooms, all of which can be a little chaotic.  Then, the students enter the main room for worship.  We have done our work, prayed, prepared, and are ready for camp to begin.  Typically, we welcome the students, give a few rules and details, and then we begin to worship.  It is at that moment that as a leader, I begin to rest.  To be still.  As the students begin to engage in worship, and God’s presence becomes evident, all of the planning and prep seems to make so much more sense.  In essence, camp is about preparing a time and place for students to engage with the Living God.  To experience Him and know Him in ways that they never have known before.  That is why we do camp.  At CAMP 2013, we saw just that.  As students experienced the Lord, they responded to Him.  I know that the seeds that were planted in students hearts at CAMP will continue to grow and bear much fruit!

CAMP2013 // Recap Post #4

CAMP2013 Recap Post #4
By: Aaron Mayes & Shelby Riddle (Summer Interns/rbcstudents Seniors)


         We (Aaron and Shelby) are both recent high school graduates and rbcstudents summer interns... So, we thought we would do a camp recap together to share what it was like to be a student and an intern at camp. We both agree that camp was phenomenal this year and it was a memorable last camp experience. We had the best of both worlds getting to be a student at camp, as well as an intern. I (Shelby) loved seeing all of our staff preparation come together and the Lord taking over to create the entire camp experience. It was nice to have responsibility and learn what it takes to put together student events, while still getting to partake in the activities and services. And I (Aaron) loved getting to see God move and getting to watch everything come together for God’s glory and not in vain.
        We both feel that RBC is blessed with great students that seek after God while enjoying each other’s friendships. We are so lucky to call each of them our friends as well. God was so present at camp and you can see it through each of the students' stories. All of the students had a chance to have some laughs, make great memories, and grow closer together. Whether it was during the services, tubing on the lake, discussions during bible study, or just having fun and being goofy during free time, every student was able to connect in some way and join in the Body of Christ. It was an amazing way to start and end our summer intern job and we feel extremely blessed and thankful for rbcstudents staff giving us opportunities and the way they helped us grow this summer.

We've Got Issues - Racism

This past midweek in our discussion series “We’ve Got Issues,” rbcstudents shared their thoughts on racism and how we relate to it as believers in our world today. All were in agreement that racism still exists. It manifests itself in many ways varying from seemingly “harmless” jokes to racial profiling at airports and other public locations. Most would recognize that racism is a negative idea, but as Christians we must see it in its truly disturbing light and then learn to respond in a holy and God-honoring way.

Racism doesn’t just promote inequality. It is a direct spit in the face of God who has made all peoples in His image and endowed them with value and worth. To carry a racially or ethnically superior mindset actually says: “I am valuable and good, and all of those people are worthless and wicked.” While we wouldn’t directly say something like this, the question we must ask is: In what ways do I consider myself superior to others based on something as simple as outward appearances?

Living in the Midwest, most of us are white. We rarely are on the receiving end of racial profiling or direct racism. We don’t know what it’s like to be followed in a department store because security thinks we’re going to steal, or stopped by a police officer because we don’t look like we should be walking through that particular neighborhood. So, for those of us who don’t experience racism, what should we do?

As Christ-followers, let’s learn to sympathize with those who have felt the sting. We can’t love someone if we ignore or belittle their concerns and experiences. Never assume someone is just “playing the race card.” There exists a “white privilege” that many aren’t even aware of because we receive the benefits of it and never have to think about our race affecting people’s perspectives of us. Finally, seek to understand them, and respect the fact that some of us live in different realities and have to endure different trials. Recognize though, that all of us ultimately have a God who is able to sympathize and meet us in those different trials and help us to overcome them.