Leaders and campers from SummerSalt, KidSalt, Camp McCall, Camp LaVida, and FUGE testified of God’s works before, during, and after summer camp. Here are some of the ways God worked this summer.
NINE-YEAR-OLD SHARES GOSPEL WITH CSU FOOTBALL PLAYER
KidSalt is a camp geared toward third, fourth, and fifth graders that takes place at Charleston Southern University. Kathy Miles, children’s ministry director and leader of KidSalt, said their goal every year is to point kids to Jesus.
But kids are also encouraged to point others to Jesus. Church at The Mill middle school pastor Chandler Davis challenged kids that if they were a believer, then they were called to share the gospel with others.
Miles said there was a group of boys at camp who were eager to meet the CSU football players. They hoped to get a picture with them and snag their autographs. Instead of just getting pictures, one boy decided to share the gospel.
Miles said, “This is the boldness of a nine-year-old, like he doesn’t care, he’s going to be passionate about it, and he went for it.” She continued, “That’s how KidSalt kids are. They just do it. And [he] unashamedly did what we all should do, follow the Great Commission, and the Great Commandment.”
The football player didn’t choose to follow Christ right then, but Miles said it’s a good example for kids and adults alike.
“It’s a beautiful picture of the gospel. So that’s a great example not only for kids, but for adults,” she said. “And that’s how we should follow in the faith-likeness of a child, which is what Jesus asked us to do in Scripture.”
CAMPERS COME TO FAITH WHEN THEY REALIZE THEY DON’T HAVE A TESTIMONY
SummerSalt, like KidSalt, also takes place at CSU. The purpose of SummerSalt is “always going to be to communicate Christ,” said Steve Rohrlack, team leader of the SCBaptist Strong Team.
Camp counselor Carson Dyar put that purpose into practice by teaching campers how to communicate the gospel. Dyar was inspired by his church at home. He said that his church, as well as other churches in the area, emphasized discipleship and evangelism. So, after being trained by his own church, he decided to take what he learned and use it at camp.
For two straight summers, Dyar has witnessed several students come to Christ through the PICs (personal interest classes) that he’s taught on evangelism.
“If it’s sharing the gospel PIC, then more than likely you want somebody who’s in there to be saved,” said Dyar.
But Dyar has witnessed unbelievers coming to Christ in his evangelism class. Last summer, he taught the students how to share the gospel using the “three-circles method.” When it was the kids’ turn to practice, a girl turned to a stranger in the class and shared the gospel, and the student she shared with came to know Christ.
This summer, Dyar decided to teach kids how to share their testimonies. He taught the students to ask a follow-up question afterwards: “Do you have a story like that?” Each time he would tell the students to be honest with themselves and not make something up. Throughout the week, many students realized that they didn’t have a testimony.
Dyar said that a girl came up to him the first week and said, “I don’t have a testimony. What do I need to do?” Dyar took the camper outside and had a further conversation with her, and she gave her life to Christ. In the five weeks that followed, six more students came to know Christ through his PIC.
YOUNG GIRL ENCOURAGED TO PURSUE DEAF MINISTRY
Camp LaVida, operated by Woman’s Missionary Union, seeks to encourage girls in their faith, while exposing them to local, national, and international missions. Each week the camp hosts a local missionary, national missionary, international missionary, and GA (Girls in Action, Acteens) representative. Campers hear stories and challenges from the missionaries and also interact with them on a personal level.
One 15-year-old camper named Evy has been attending Camp LaVida for several years. One summer she was encouraged by a missionary, “God can use you in unique ways right where you are!” Evy shared with the missionary that she was feeling called to deaf ministry.
Evy said that during her second year of camp, she began to understand what a calling was and “where God wanted me to head in my walk with Him.” This summer when she came to camp, she was praying for the Lord to confirm that she was on the right path and provide connections for deaf ministry.
Both of her prayers were answered. In a camp essay, she wrote, “In the first ‘camptivity,’ they had ASL (American Sign Language), and it confirmed I was in the right place.” She continued, “At the coffee night, I had a talk with Mrs. Heather and got two new connections and opportunities for deaf ministry.”
Grace Kelley,* IMB missionary, said, “During this week at Camp LaVida, Evy’s faith has been confirmed as well as the Lord’s leading toward deaf ministry. But in the meantime, Evy is hoping to begin an Acteens group at her church, to invite some of her friends ‘and anyone who wants to come can grow in their faith together.’”
SEASONED CAMPER BECOMES FIRST-TIME STAFFER
Camp McCall is located in the mountains of Sunset, S.C. Camp McCall’s “overall mission and vision would be to work/partner with local churches to be able to evangelize the next generation and to disciple them,” said Phillip Jewell, associate director.
One camper who was discipled for years by the staff at Camp McCall stepped up this summer to disciple the next generation. Fezzik Russell was a camper for over 10 years before he became a first-time staffer.
“I just remember how big of an impact the staffers had in my life as a kid, so as long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to come back and work as a staffer to try to be that for other kids,” Russell said.
Russell said that God has taught him to love campers well. He said it’s encouraging to see fruit when the campers who were difficult make decisions for Christ or tell you at the end of the week that they loved having you as a counselor.
Russell shared, “It’s just really rewarding to see that even though, in my mind, they might have been kind of annoying or kind of bad, the Lord is still working in their lives.”
STAFFER PRAYS FOR LOST GIRL WHO PUTS HER FAITH IN CHRIST A YEAR LATER
FUGE camp is operated by Lifeway Christian Resources and is hosted by Christian universities across the United States. North Greenville University has been hosting FUGE since 1982. And God continues to use FUGE to work in the lives of staff and students.
Gretchen Hines, administrative director of NGU’s FUGE camp, said, “One thing that has stood out to me this summer has been the intentionality of the Lord in each week and the way He brings people where He needs them. This has been sweet to observe in situations such as the placement of students in Bible studies. God has aligned stories in a way that has allowed our staff to speak life into their students. He is intentional in every part of camp and makes Himself evident in all aspects.”
One staffer shared with Hines the work she saw God do in the life of a teenage girl.
The teenage girl had no intention of becoming a Christian, but came to have fun, staffer Lauren Fisher shared.
Fisher said, “On Tuesday morning, I asked her if she would be interested in eating lunch with me. She responded with a smile and a no, saying that she wasn’t interested in converting to Christianity.”
Thursday night during a service, Fisher said she felt especially burdened for the teenage girl and grabbed another staffer to pray for her. At the end of the service, the girl found Fisher and asked to have lunch the next day. She asked Fisher to explain the whole Bible, but they only made it through creation. The camper left that summer saying she wasn’t a Christian, but that she felt like a door had been opened.
Over the next year, Fisher prayed for God to work in the camper’s heart. Fast forward to this summer, and the same girl returned to camp and gave her life to Christ.
Upon hearing that the girl wanted to be saved, Fisher said, “I began to weep, truly seeing the faithfulness of the Lord and the power of prayer. She accepted Jesus as her personal Savior on Thursday, July 11. We talked about the importance of church and community with believers, and she has intentions of plugging in to the church she came to camp with.”