Although the month of June is easily the most tiring four weeks of the year for our Youth Ministry, it is just as easily the most rewarding. The Edge, at Covenant College, is a week-long camp for middle schoolers from all around the country. We have been attending with our students for over a decade and look forward to it each year.
One of the first things said to us this year at The Edge was: “We’re going to talk about clothes this week.” All of our initial thoughts were: “We’re at a church camp - why are we talking about clothes?” That evening, we were told that we live in a world where we need clothes because of sin. The speaker took us back to The Fall in Genesis 3.6-13 and explained that clothes then, and now, serve as our cover-ups for our lying, excuses, shame, and guilt. We use clothing to change our image of ourselves in hopes that people do not see our real, messy selves. Throughout the week the students wrestled through the difference between guilt and shame, why we desire control, why clothing cannot heal or save us, and why we are so worried about presenting the “perfect and clean” versions of ourselves.
I asked a few of the youths who attended The Edge about what they learned and what camp meant to them. Here are a few of their responses:
- "We’re so glad we got to go to The Edge this year! We learned so much about God and got to spend quality time with our friends! “- Grace & Marianne Doran
- “It was a memorable camp because it brought me not just closer to God but to my whole Youth group.”- Abby Knecht
Also, this June we hosted our fifth Shine camp at CPC. During our first year, we hoped that the camp would grow each year. This year we had nearly double the number of campers and volunteers. Rebekah Bennett and I led the high school girls through training meetings on Tuesday nights for ten weeks of preparation to be leaders for Shine. I am so proud of each of the girls who put so much time, effort, and love into the campers and the whole week. Rebekah and I consistently reminded them that they are able to reach the campers in ways that we cannot, and Shine would not be the camp it is without them. Our goal each year is for intergenerational discipleship to take place and for the Gospel to be presented in a clear, inviting way. In past years we have taught through the Wordless Book (an evangelism tool that walks through the Gospel) and Women in the Kingdom, and this year we taught the Fruit of the Spirit. This year was by far our most challenging curriculum. Rebekah and I wrestled with how to explain the Fruit of the Spirit in a way that was not a set of moral lessons or separate entities, but rather attributes that tell us about God’s character and are very different from worldly standards.
Every year we have seen the Lord work in incredible ways during both of these summer camps, and I cannot wait to see what He has in store for next year. Each week of camp gives the students the opportunity to be poured into and a challenge to live out what they have learned. A huge thank you to each one of our volunteers who made these experiences possible. We are already excited for next year!
