East Camp 2019 – Day Three

Some of us had an interrupted night’s sleep with a couple of sick boys at camp. Nothing to worry about though. I’m sure it’s not  . . . . . .(sshh. Don't say it.)

Being the final morning of camp, the rooms were busy with the activity of packing up sleeping bags, clothes and towels. Fortunately, there is plenty of room under cover in case it rains, and we’re not sure if it will rain again or not.

Our morning session included another testimony. Listening to the testimonies of three leaders through the camp has been an absolute highlight for me. Your children have heard people talk about the struggles of being a Christian and a teenager, though more to the point, they’ve heard about the struggle of pretending to be a Christian on Sunday’s and revealing their true heart at school. What a difference Jesus has made to their lives.

Which leads me to wonder, do young people hear the testimonies of faith in your church? Do they hear from people who can speak of a transformed life? Or of people who can testify to God’s faithfulness over many years? Let them hear your testimony, and encourage others to tell their story too. It will be a help.

Dave’s talk today was on “The Power Within The Gospel” and we spent this time in the book of Romans. The opening verses reveal to us the power of the man – Jesus who is both human and divine. The power of the message is seen in Romans 1:16-17 where we see that we fall terribly short of the standard God sets, but that he takes the initiative to save us. Then Dave spoke about the power of the mind. Romans 12 begins with some challenging comments and in discussing these, Dave has encouraged us all to stop living for ourselves and instead to join the resistance against the pattern of the world.

Towards the end of the session a panel answered some good questions that campers have asked over the camp. If you’ve read my posts before you’ll know that I think it is vital to give space for teenagers to ask questions, and I’m very happy that we continue to do this at PYV camps. Do you do this at home? At church?

Right now the study groups are meeting for the final time. Soon they will break up and people will find a place to sit to enjoy some private quiet time – a chance to sit and read Psalm 146 for themselves and see how it applies to their lives. Then we will have a final meal and a wrap-up session before all the parents start arriving to take their children home.

Thank you for praying for the PYV Camps this weekend. Your prayers have been answered with people coming to faith, people finding more assurance, and people finding others they can share their struggles with. 

Please keep praying for the teenagers in our church.