This weekend at camp was so much fun! Girls camped out Friday night and guys camped out Saturday night, I got to help take pictures over the weekend for Zoom, and heading to a campsite strung with hammocks, watching everyone enjoy hotdogs and smores, is the best! Camping bonds people, and the campers had a lot of time over the weekend to hang out and enjoy each other.
Sundays at Strong Rock are special, and it’s the only day we have an organized worship service during the session. Many Christian camps have a daily service, speaker, and worship band. Here we have more of a walk-alongside type of discipleship, where staff are talking about Jesus and the importance of a life built on faith as we all go about our day. There is a big group morning Lifeline, which is a short devotion with Rambo, and evening Lifelines with counselors in cabins. Sunday is the only day we gather for a more formal service. Strong Rock campers come from many backgrounds, from those who have very little experience with Christianity to those who attend church regularly. The service here is non-denominational, and every week Rambo reminds us that the “church” isn’t a building, but all of us, the body of believers under Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:12-27).
One of the best parts of the service was the worship band, made up of summer staff. We are definitely blessed with talent this summer! This week our speaker was our close friend Carlton Hicks, father of former counselor Blade, present counselor Baha, and Tozer, who is currently a SALT. He reminded us that peace is truly impossible apart from a relationship with the Lord and emphasized our summer theme. I think our band could go on the road and attract a crowd wherever they went!
The weekend was really great, and today classes got underway again. It was a hot one, and I was able to go to some horseback classes that were keeping it cool in the shade on trail rides today. Thankfully it cooled down quite a bit as the sun was setting and campers were enjoying a game of Fortress on Redding Field this evening, and now they are in cabins asleep! I’m about to go do the same myself, to get ready for another day of hanging out with campers, which is definitely the best part of being here. It’s awesome that Strong Rock is small enough that everyone can BE KNOWN, as we say in our material. What a fun way to spend a summer!