"2 Amazing Times of Fellowship and Growth "

August 13, 2008
By: Marcus Wallace

After going on vacation with my wife to Honolulu, Hawaii, we had the opportunity to go to Teen Camp and the International Campus Ministry Conference (ICMC) at the end of June and into the beginning of July.  They were two incredible times of fellowship and growth.

Teen Camp:

     Under the leadership of Jermaine and Stefanie Peacock, Teen Camp was incredible!  Because of the ICMC, my wife and I and a few others couldn’t be there the whole week, but the four days we were there were great!  Camp was in Spokane, Washington, which for those of us in Western Washington meant that we were in for a long, hot bus ride—and long and hot of a ride it was—all six hours of it.  Despite the difficult bus ride, we had something to eat and started Teen Camp by having a time of worship and by listening to a sermon on Faith by Dana Perkins (Church Leader for the Treasure Valley Church of Christ in Boise, Idaho).  Dana challenged all of us to be “Climbers” spiritually by always believing that if we only believe in God, he can and will do the impossible through our lives.  His lesson is one that still inspires me to this day.  The next night was equally as good as we heard an amazing lesson by former Seattle Seahawks Fullback, Mack Strong.  He did a lesson about the nature of God.  It was both inspiring and convicting.

The Daily Schedule of Camp went as the following:

• Morning Quiet-Time with your cabin
• Morning Lesson (Split by High School and Jr. High and by gender)
• Lunch
• Free-Time
• Dinner
• Themed Nights
• Evening Lesson
• Cabin Discussions

     Everyday, Camp only seemed to get better and better.  Before all meals we sang songs together, and to make things fun, on a few different occasions, Jermaine Peacock dressed up as Major Payne and impersonated him as the Camp Director.  He almost played Major Payne too well.  The themed nights were fun because each night we dressed up as a character with a particular theme.  The first night was Ugly Betty/Urkel Night and the next night was Grandparents Nights.  People were creative beyond belief.

     What made camp so awesome was the repentance that took place for many of the campers present.  Each day more and more people made decisions to get open and decide to repent of sin their lives.  It was miraculous!  Please continue to pray for all of the Jr. High and High School students.  Pray that they will trust in the Lord and decide to live for him!  Everyone I have talked to cannot wait until next year when we will do it all over again.

ICMC:

     The ICMC was just great and exciting!  The ICMC this year was held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  In addition to the fellowship and the spiritual classes held at the conference, another part of the conference included a day of service sponsored by HOPE worldwide.  For an entire day, we the participants for the ICMC (a group of about 1,500), went to the Lower 9th ward of New Orleans, Louisiana, and rehabilitated 54 lots that had gone unused and overgrown since the massive flooding of Hurricane Katrina (2005).  We also laid the ground work for a future memorial garden that will one day exist in the Lower 9th ward.  Several state and federal legislators were present and thanked us for our hard work, sacrifice, and service.  Our group was one of the largest groups in number to ever come to New Orleans in the relief effort to rebuild the city of New Orleans.

     The classes taught were faith building and challenging.  For campus ministers and those involved in the full-time ministry, many of the opening classes stressed the need for training and the need for us to train others in our churches.  It was a humble call back to a fellowship of discipleship and accountability.  Other classes were more specific in nature as they ranged from topics such as faith, prayer, leadership, and many other topics related to Campus Ministry.  My wife and I learned so much and we are so excited for the start the fall semester here in Tacoma.  Please pray for us to be used by God like we have never been before in our Campus Ministry.

     After these conferences, I am a bit tired but more anything, I am inspired to see God work in the Teen and Campus Ministries of my church and the fellowship of others around the world.  God has always had a heart for the youth and I only pray that we will be able to witness the next generation of disciples turn this world upside (Acts 17:6) and bring us all back to the Father and to his son, Jesus Christ.  To him be the Glory forever and forever.  Amen.

 

Marcus Wallace

South Sound Church of Christ Intern