Bethlehem Connect February 2018 | Page 4

Faith & daily life At the heart of our faith is the belief that God meets us where we are in all the places and relationships in which we live, work, play and relate. We pray, support and encourage one another as we grow deeper in faith and learn to trust God with our whole lives. Some of us are new on the journey; others have been at it for a while. All of us can find inspiration and hope in the stories of our fellow travelers. FAITH & DAILY LIFE will be featured monthly with stories of God at work in YOUR life. Experiencing the Joys of Camp All Over Again by Alex King Summer camp is a classical American experience. Every summer for the last several decades parents have been sending their children to various camps throughout the country where they can make friends, have fun, and learn lessons. This large volume of people requires large amounts of staff, of which I was proud to be a member. I recently finished my second summer as a counselor at Green Lake Bible Camp in Spicer, Minnesota and I can say that it was one of the best experiences of my life. The things that make it such a wonderful experience are the activities, the people, and the chance to develop in faith. Everyone who has ever been to a summer camp knows about all the awesome activities that happen there. Everything from large-group games, swimming, canoeing, comedy skits, and night games help fill up time during the week. Ninety percent of the time these activities are just as fun for the leaders as they are for the campers. Getting to do all of these things allows someone to feel the joys of camp all over again, just from a slightly different point of view. "Helping kids begin to discover their faith... is an experience that I would recommend to anyone and everyone." One of the reasons I love camp and one of the primary reasons I returned for a second summer is the people. Every single person, including campers, support staff, other counselors, and management, is kind, caring, passionate, and absolutely hilarious. I cannot even begin to count how many times I’ve laughed, thanks to all of these people. In addition to the laughter, we share deep conversations about our lives, the world, and God. All the staff are very passionate about what they do. Many come to camp in order to give back to others while also discovering themselves. One last thing that makes working at camp so awesome is the chance to grow in faith. Getting to do two worships a day for six days a week, four weekly Bible studies, and being surrounded by fellow Christians is certainly a recipe for faith development. Getting to hear different responses to the same Bible verses we were studying throughout the summer was one of my favorite things. Helping kids begin to discover their faith, while being surrounded by other young adults who are continuing to build on theirs, is an experience that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. Is Summer Camp in Your Future? Check out Summer Sunday on February 4 at both campuses. Summer Camp information and sign ups will be available. 4