Editorial: A Week at Camp
Mentored ministry is a fascinating component of our seminary education. It allows us to learn the ropes of the practical side of our degree. It has also enabled me to see the amazing things that God is doing in the next generation.
My undergraduate alma mater has hosted Never The Same (NTS) Camp for at least my entire working life. As a teenager, I guarded at the college pool over the summer, and we always dreaded NTS week. They had a reputation for putting our pool at max capacity. If that wasn’t stressful enough, they tended to be far too rowdy for our taste. That combination was, thankfully, never lethal, but we always breathed a sigh of relief when that week was over.
This year, I got a chance to witness NTS Camp from the inside. The church I have been interning at this summer sent over 50 teenagers, all eager for the next five days. Churches compete on one of four teams, and ours was part of the Green Machine. There are team competitions throughout the week, although they can win or lose points in any number of ways until the final session. The coveted prize is a trophy and (Christian) bragging rights.
Much more important than the fierce competition between the blue, green, gold, and red teams is the teaching that these young folks and leaders alike get to hear. Powerful messages followed by intentional small group time are the lifeblood of NTS. Night three was especially deep; in fact, stereotypically so. Returners knew that this was “cry night” – the time when a very intentional altar call and/or time of prayer would come for a number of groups: those who did not know Christ, those who needed to recommit, those dealing with image issues or suicidal ideation, etc.
I tried to keep a careful eye on the middle school girls in my small group. All of them went forward to commit or recommit their lives to Christ – thanks be to God! Many of the high schoolers from our church gathered together in an emotional, prayerful blob at the front of the chapel, and they welcomed those middle-schoolers in. Our small group time that night was incredible. They had insightful comments to share and questions to ask, and it was clear that God is doing something big in all of their lives.
That night, I also learned that the NTS Camp staff had made the trip to Wilmore during the outpouring in February. The speaker noted how the atmosphere in the building there was just like that of this chapel full of teenagers. People were reconciled to God and others in powerful ways. Lives were changed, and healing happened at multiple levels. God is on the move!
Based on what we hear in the media, it’s easy to believe that young people are becoming increasingly secular. I cannot speak to the validity of such beliefs, but I can testify to what I saw God doing in this group. I saw a generation on fire for the Lord. God has empowered these teenagers to lift each other up and be a light for Christ in their schools and homes. The Lord has called some into ministry, and many others will minister through their diverse vocations. Looking back on the experience, I’m convinced that this group of teenagers will never be the same. Neither will I.
This article is by Julia Hotchkiss, Alumni Office Student Worker.
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