PYV West Camp 2019 – Day Two

There is a strange relationship between teenagers and sleep. With daylight savings ending early this morning it meant we had an extra hour of sleep. But there were still a number of campers straggling into breakfast this morning, and a few who would have liked more sleep. (I was one of the latter group.)

Breakfast provided a lot of options for us. There was cereal, toast, and porridge and it was all good.  The catering team have been amazing (especially with the scones at morning tea) and if anyone comes home complaining that they didn’t have enough to eat, I don’t think they’re being completely honest.

From breakfast we went into the morning session. Today we continued the theme of “The Gospel – what it is and what it isn’t” and Russ was able to help us see where the gospel – the good news – leads to. Yesterday we were in Genesis 3. Today we were in Mark 15 and 16 where we read about the trial and death of Jesus. The comment that stood out for me in comparing these two sections of scripture was regarding an exchange that is made in both of these. In Genesis, a terrible exchange is made when people exchange God the creator for the creation and so become infected with sin. In Mark 15 we see a great exchange happening when our sin is placed on Jesus and we are given

freedom.

But you might ask how do we see this second exchange? Jesus wasn’t the only one to die by crucifixion that day, after all. So we move into Mark 16 where we see the account of Jesus being alive again. This is what separates the death of Jesus from all other deaths. This is what separates Jesus from all other founders of different faiths.

At the end of his sermon, campers were given a card to fill in where we ask them about their faith and their understanding of the gospel of Jesus. This is essential, and proves tremendously helpful as leaders begin to talk about these issues with the campers in their study groups.

The weather is glorious in Halls Gap. Not too hot, and not cold, so it was a good afternoon to be heading out into the area. One group enjoyed a 6km walk to Boronia Peak. We’ve taken groups here before as it is a good hike from the camp site that ends with a great view. Another group drove to various spots in the area to enjoy the sights from a lookout, and then to the beauty of a waterfall. Those of us who enjoy things a little more sedate enjoyed a stroll into the township for an ice-cream. The shop proved very popular and the queue was out the door for most of the afternoon.

When we all returned it was the annual city vs country soccer game. I don’t know who scored the most goals and the only goal I did see was scored by Country so maybe they won, but it looked like everyone was having fun playing together. The dust did pick up a bit and made it hard to keep your eyes open, which was a shame as it is truly a beautiful place to play sport. 

The camp theme we’ve been enjoying is “Safari”. So our teams have names like “Cheetahs”, “Elephants”, “Rhinos”, etc. I’m always impressed by the imaginative ways that teenagers and our leaders are able to put these themes into creative costumes for our end of camp photo. While there was a disturbing number of onesies at this camp, there was still some clever and simple costumes. There were a lot of photos taken with the whole group, and then when we came into the dining room, the separate study groups had their own photo taken.

A big shout out to those who worked hard to decorate the dining room for our dinner tonight.

After dinner I sat at the campfire for the evening. Here I enjoyed some good conversations with campers and leaders as well as distributing marshmallows for those who wanted one or two . . . or four . . . or maybe a few more too. Other campers were busy with games in different sections of the campsite. During this time many leaders were having chats about faith with campers. I can’t tell you how encouraging it is to see this happen.

A two night camp always feels like a very short camp, and tomorrow we will finish after lunch. This means we have one more worship session, one more study group, one more devotional time and two more meals. May God work in the hearts of the young people here.

Thanks for praying for us today. God has been good to us.  

He looked bigger in real life.

Dust on the oval

Worship in singing

PYV West Camp 2019 – Day One

For some of us it was a very early start to the day to get to Halls Gap by 10.00am for camp setup. But it also meant it was a good drive through Melbourne to get to the western side.

Registrations opened at 11.00am, and as most campers were being transported by leaders, most of this happened before 11.00. It’s good to see such enthusiasm amongst the campers and leaders that they want to be here early.

As people arrived we had various games happening in different parts of the camp ground, which provided a good way for campers to meet up with old friends, meet new people, and generally mix with each other.

The introduction session is an integral part of our camps now, and in this session we just deal with the introductions of people (hence the name), explain some of the camp rules, and hear from the campsite managers. This means that having done this, when we meet for our worship session later in the day, we can have a better focus on God.

We have a great team in the kitchen again this year, and a lunch of make your own meat and salad rolls is always a winner. It makes the washing up simpler too. I expect that we will be eating well at this camp again. After lunch we had some outdoor activities on the oval. If you have a child here at camp, ask them about the game “Find the Shepherd”. It is a game that is new to me, and is fantastic! It’s a fun game for all ages.

The topic that is central to this camp is “The Gospel – what it is and what it isn’t”. Today our speaker, Russ Grinter, spoke about the gospel of Jesus by beginning at Genesis 3 and the account of sin entering the world. It is important to know why we need the promise that the gospel of Jesus brings, and sin is the problem that nothing else can solve but Jesus. It was a great talk that we heard today, and I’m looking forward to what is yet to come.

Our study groups are a key facet of PYV Camps, and as I wandered around the campsite to see each group, I was encouraged to see people talking together, praying together, asking questions, and thinking deeply about the study questions. Our leaders are brilliant in the way the encourage groups of people who have just met to talk with each other. Please continue to pray for these groups.

After dinner it was the annual night game of “Capture the Flag”. The weather has been brilliant for our outdoor activities today and tonight was beautiful. But when we came inside for supper, it was even better to watch all the campers and leaders playing various board games around the tables. I got involved with a game of ‘Jungle Speed’, which took me a while to grasp, but was a lot of fun as well.

Now everyone is in their dorms, hopefully building some good friendships there before the lights are turned off and we get some sleep.

Daylight savings ends tonight. We wonder how this will affect campers in the morning. We’ll find out.

Thanks for praying.

PYV West Camp 2019 - Beginning tomorrow

Here is the text of an email sent to the Presbyterian Church of Victoria Email network today. 

 

If you'd like more info about West Camp, click here - https://www.pyv.org.au/camps/west 

Dear Friends, 

The 2019 PYV West Camp begins on Saturday morning, April 6 2019. We are expecting a great weekend with around 100 people gathering in Halls Gap for this camp. We will have Rev Russ Grinter speaking on the topic "The Gospel - what it is and what it isn't" and trust that God will use this to make himself known. 

Can I again ask you all to be praying for us over the weekend? When you meet in your church communities on Sunday morning, perhaps you could include this in your time of prayer. We thank you for that. 

As usual, I will endeavour to post a blog each day of camp at https://ministryandyouth.blogspot.com and we will keep adding bits to the PYV Facebook and Instagram pages. 

We conclude after lunch on Monday, so while your enjoying lunch, please pray for us as we journey home again. 

Thank you for your constant support of PYV and your interest in the youth of the PCV. 

Rev Brian Harvey

Youth Ministries Director

e: ymd@pyv.org.au

p: 0432 916 967

w: www.pyv.org.au

268 Canterbury Rd

Heathmont    3135

PYV West Camp 2017 - Day 4

The final morning of any camp always has the added need to pack up your belongings. But with the leader’s meeting at 7.00am that packing will need to wait until after breakfast for me.

These meetings have been opened with a devotion from our pastoral care team, and it has been good to start the day with a Bible reading and some encouragement from what has been read. I want to give a huge thanks to our pastoral team who were great and proactive encouragers to leaders and campers through the camp. Our camp parents, Stuart & Belle McKerrow, have been enthusiastic attendees at every West Camp (I think) and their long presence here makes a difference. Brad Haughey and Lori Pereira as our leader’s chaplains were fantastic. It wasn’t unusual to see either of them talking with or praying with one of our leadership team right through the camp.

At this meeting we were all pleased to hear of two girls who had been converted at camp. Praise God for what He is doing amongst the young people of our churches. Please be praying for these girls and for those who will be discipling them.

Some of our leaders needed to leave camp early this morning to get back to University. I am thankful that these good people gave up the time that they could to commit to a very full weekend before a long drive to Uni on Monday morning. (Wouldn’t it have been nice if the universities and schools all had a holiday week together?) We still had enough leaders to keep everyone safe – and I should also acknowledge those leaders who used annual leave to ensure they could be here right through the camp.

Our final worship session included another book review, this time on ‘The Heavenly Man’. We normally have a book stall on our camps, and would always encourage people to be reading good books. What have you read this year?

We opened the scriptures to Romans 8 and my preaching today was “Freedom from Condemnation”. If you read Romans 8:1-17 you will see a wonderful comparison made between the impact of the law of sin & death, and the law of the Spirit. In making a list of both, it would just make good sense to follow the law of the Spirit and life rather than the law of sin and death. I also urged the young campers to grasp the wonder and freedom of this and live teenage lives committed to Christ. Even in an age like this, where sin is as attractive and easy as ever, teenagers CAN live to the glory of God.

We also had the chance to answer some questions. Some were more difficult than others! It’s good to know that our teenagers are wrestling with some aspects of Biblical teaching and what it means for them. We also hope that in doing so, they do not lose sight of the bigger themes of Scripture – God’s sovereignty and salvation in Jesus.

Our final study again used the COMA format and gave youth the opportunity to read through this passage and write down some statements or themes that stood out for them. I have enjoyed listening to my study group reveal the things that they found interesting. It wasn’t always a common theme in the group, but everyone had something to share. Having made those observations, it is then important to take the next steps and consider what this passage means, and then to consider how it applies to us in the here and now.

Our final lunch together was a simple meal of ‘make your own sandwiches’, which is in my mind, one of the best things for a final meal together. Even better if there is a meal that means no dishes to wash! I want to mention our cooks for West Camp 17. Vern & Jo Wheaton travelled from the far west to serve us at camp. With a couple of helpers, they prepared, cooked and served some magnificent meals. The standard of meat at this camp was sensational, and the fact that it was cooked so well helped. If you would like to know more about Vern & Jo and what they are doing have a look at their website - wheatonsstore.com.au/ You could be enjoying some of this delicious produce at your place too.

During lunch we were able to express our thanks to Vern & Jo, and then I was also given some rather dubious gifts as a thank you for preaching. Thank you, Toby, for thinking of me in this way.

And then it was over. Everything was packed into the trailer and into the cars. Campers and leaders climbed into cars and vans and drove away. I took the chance to visit a dear friend in Stawell and some family in Ballarat, so it was a long drive home, but importantly it was a good drive. No issues with the trailer on this camp!!

Thank you for praying for us. God is good. Jesus saves.