What was our speaker Derek’s theme for the 2026 Junior High Winter Blast?
Imago Dei
The first night, he had the boys and girls split and then each form a line.
First, he had them line up tallest to shortest.
Then they had to line up weakest to strongest.
Finally, Derek told them to line up most popular to least popular.
While the boys were shuffling around, not sure what to do, the girls made a bold decision.
They made a circle.
Just writing about this brings tears to my eyes. Because without being prepared or told what the theme of the weekend was ahead of time, these young woman instinctively understood Imago Dei.
Image of God
Derek’s chapel sessions focused on the mind-boggling Biblical truth that we are made in the image of God.
Every single person that you meet, is priceless.
They are made in the image of God and so are you.
“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”–Genesis 1:27
“If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image.”–Genesis 9:6
“People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.”–James 3:7-9
On Sunday morning, Derek spoke from Matthew 25.
“Your value is established as an image bearer of God,” he said.
“Now, how will you invest what you’ve been given?”
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone.”–Matthew 25:14
“He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.”–Matthew 25:15
“The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more.”–Matthew 25:16
“The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more.”–Matthew 25:17
“But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.”–Matthew 25:18
Your value is priceless as an image bearer of God. God seeks you like a shepherd searching for a lost sheep and He longs for you to rush home to Him. As a follower of Christ you are the beloved of the Father, bought with the death of the Son, and filled with the power of the Spirit. Rest in the assurance that you are chosen, valued, and loved beyond what you can properly understand. Step out in confidence to use what you have been given in a way that would honor Christ.
Not just a message for junior high students, my friends! This is one we all should remember as we interact with those around us. What will we do with the knowledge that each of us is made in the image of God? Will we honor our Lord or bury His gifts in the ground?
In January, our youth summer staff got to be the campers during their own weekend retreat!
Spyro was our speaker for the weekend and she taught our staff to expect more from our communication with the Lord than the many silly surface ways we often communicate with each other.
While our attempts to talk to one another might include a whole lot of, “How are you?” and “I’m fine” God speaks with His children with depth and authenticity.
“’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’
declares the LORD.” Isaiah 55:8
“’As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'” Isaiah 55:9
“‘As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.'” Isaiah 55:10-11
Spyro urged the summer staff to let go of our shallow expectations and dive deep into God’s word, hearing His authentic heart for us as He communicates with His people!
She taught the staff how to journal during their prayer time as a way to connect more deeply with the Lord!
It takes purposeful thought and practice to step away from our easy and shallow way of communicating and to dare to bring our authentic self to the Lord.
But how can He bring about a true and powerful change within His people, if they are unwilling to be honest and real about their pain and struggles?
During the second chapel session, Spyro taught from John 15.
“‘Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.'” John 15:4
Spyro challenged the campers to consider the difference between what we are able to do in our own strength vs what we are able to do when we trust God to make the changes He wants in our hearts and produce fruit through His Holy Spirit in our lives.
“‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.'” John 15:5
“‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.'” John 15:9
What is it about God’s love that gives us Holy Spirit power to produce good fruit?
Well, the passage itself shares the secret.
“‘If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.'” John 15: 10
“‘My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.'” John 15:12
When what God wants from us is love, it only makes sense that His love pouring into us, enlightening, healing, and empowering our hearts and lives is the only way to produce good fruit!
This chapter includes an incredibly stern warning about the futility of attempting to bear good fruit without Christ as the source of that good and obedient work.
This warning makes sense when you realize that the work required . . . is love.
“‘This is my command: Love each other.'” John 15:17
Who better to empower us to an impossible task than God, who Himself is love?
“‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. . .'” John 15:16a
And so while God’s communication with us can seem overwhelming in both its depth and compassion, through His strength we can respond in kind!
For He Himself gives us the power to show love. He is the source of love in us and that love flows to those around us as we obey His command to rest and remain in His love, so that our work of love is authentic and strong!
For our senior high teen camp, we had the joy of listening to The Thing speak about how God is our guide. He even had a handy acronym.
On Monday, the chapel session was about the G from G.U.I.D.E.. G=God’s . . . with an apostrophe. Our life belongs to God and therefore we need to start our journey from surviving to thriving with God as the foundation.
“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10
On Tuesday, The Thing spoke about how U=Unique.
Every person has a unique journey. Unique struggles and triumphs, unique paths away from simple survival and toward thriving the way God intended. Don’t plan your journey based on someone else’s. God knows and loves you deeply, he understands the best path for you through the hard things and toward growth and victory as you become more like him.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!” Luke 15:17
On Wednesday The Thing spoke on how I=Inevitable.
Every living thing needs food, water, and shelter to survive.
We have similar needs for our spiritual journey with Christ.
Say we have two out of the three. In fact, if we have tons of these two items and yet lack the third, our spiritual journey will still be a struggle. What are the three things a believer needs to be healthy?
The three inevitable things we need to see real spiritual growth in our lives, God’s presence and protection (shelter), Jesus in our lives as the living water (water), and God’s word (food).
Without just one of these, a follower of Christ will become spiritually dehydrated, starved, or alone.
How are you feeding and watering yourself on your journey with Christ?
Are you seeking the shelter of your Heavenly Father’s presence or looking for safety from this broken and hurting world? Do you remember where your strength and hope come from?
“‘I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’” Luke 15: 18-19
On Thursday, The Thing talked about how D=Deliverance
What was the first thing that happened when the prodigal son came stumbling home to his father in Luke 15? What was the very first thing he received?
Not a lecture, lesson, or any words at all. It wasn’t even forgiveness. The very first thing that he received . . . a hug.
So he got up and went to his father.“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:20
We need community for growth and healing.
If we choose to isolate ourselves from God and others, we are so much more vulnerable.
Shame grows in dark lonely places and being alone leaves us open to both Satan’s attacks and our own self-destructive tendencies. God did not design us to follow him as a lone wolf. Remember, we are the sheep of his pasture.
As The Thing said, “The prodigal son’s healing started not in the pig pen, but in his father’s arms. Who is in your life that is uplifting and pushing you to Christ? Are you an uplifting friend?”
On Friday, Thing spoke about how E=Eradication.
We must fight the correct enemy to thrive. What has been keeping you in survival mode, keeping you from thriving in the Lord? Who is your actual enemy?
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.” Luke 15: 28
So many times we find ourselves fighting a false enemy. Friends, teachers, parents. They are simply people who are either walking toward God or away from him. The real enemy is whatever pulls you into deep dark places and away from God. Identify the issue and the enemy, fight the right thing, and begin to heal as you trust Jesus’ truth about you and those around you.
On Friday night, the campers had a chance to share around the campfire in the meadow. Here are a few of the things they shared. Please remember that the photos are random and not associated with any particular testimony.
“Thank you for listening to me. I didn’t think someone listening would mean so much or do so much for me.”
“I am astounded by the atmosphere of camp. Every staff pours into the campers with a strong faith.”
“I felt like I am able to be myself here and not get made fun of.”
“I tried to take my life last year, and if I had never let God into my heart, I would not be here. It is the grace of God that I feel like I belong here.”
“I have felt a unique sense of community every year I have been here. Something about this place feels different.”
“I came into camp with the motive to be a tyrant and get kicked out of camp. Tuesday night I woke up for a few hours and had the realization that that might not be what I should do. I felt like I should cherish this week and this time. I spent this week working on myself. I’m working on not doing crazy stuff for attention. I wanna thank everyone here for calling me on my bull-crap and helping me do better.”
“As someone who has suffered severe religious trauma, camp has been a healing place.”
On Saturday, The Thing talked about how life won’t always be a smooth-sailing journey.
“?‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’?”
“Thriving isn’t about avoiding the hard stuff—it’s about having a foundation that holds you steady when everything else shakes. It’s about being so deeply connected to Jesus that your peace doesn’t disappear when life gets messy. It’s about drawing strength, joy, and purpose from a source that isn’t dependent on circumstances. Thriving means you’re not living on the surface—you’re planted deep in truth, anchored in grace, and growing in ways the world can’t always see. That’s the kind of life Jesus came to offer—not a perfect life, but a deep, rooted, abundant one. Don’t just live for the campfire moment, learn to live on the daily flame.” –The Thing
On a fun note, Scruffy and I have known The Thing for a very long time. Thing’s mom was the only Christian that Scruff encountered in high school who was kind to him. Later, when Scruff chose to follow Jesus, he found out that she had been praying for him for years. Well, this summer offered us the opportunity to recreate this amazing photo of The Thing and our youngest son, Shazam!!
We have been through incredibly dark times with The Thing, facing heartbreak beyond what we thought we could bear. But looking at these photos, of the years knowing each other, I am reminded of God’s power to work in the dark and to shine the light of Heaven to the world through seemingly beaten people who rise and take just one more step forward in Christ’s strength. I thank the Lord for his grace in getting us this far and for the grace that will come for tomorrow as well. He is faithful, indeed.
Wiggin was our speaker during Middle School Camp #2!
Wiggin is the second youngest in a family with nine kids and has been coming to Camas Meadows since he was a junior camper.
This week, Wiggin spoke on what it means to be human.
During Monday’s chapel he spoke from Genesis chapter one. His theme? Being human means we were made for connection.
Wiggin showed a clip from the movie Wall-E where the robot hero sees a movie with people who hold hands. Wall-E stares at the TV for a long moment and then tries to fit his own hands together.
Wall-E’s longing for connection is so palpable in that scene. God did not make us to live alone, without connections to each other and without a deep and abiding connection to him.
On Tuesday, Wiggin’s theme was: being human means we belong even when we feel lost.
He showed the clip from Lilo and Stitch where they read the story of the ugly duckling. Sometimes we feel lost even when surrounded by friends and family.
The Scripture passage for Tuesday was 1 Corinthians 13. We are lost when we act in ways that are opposite to God’s instructions for us.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
For Wednesday’s chapel, the theme was: being human means we are pursued and wanted no matter what!
The Scripture passages were Luke 15 and Romans 8. God pursues our hearts like a Shepherd looking for a lost sheep, like the desperate woman sweeping her entire house to find her lost coin, like the grieving father looking down the road for his lost son.
Wiggin showed a clip from Finding Nemo, where we see another desperate father looking for his lost son. God loves us even more than that determined clown fish and he is seeking us just as diligently, waiting for the beautiful day when we will run to him.
On Thursday Wiggin talked about how being human means that we live a different kind of life. He showed the clip from Moana where she confronts the lava figure singing, “You know who you are.” I have to admit, this one made me cry.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Wiggin asked campers the question, “What’s one way your daily life would be different if you remembered who you truly are?”
Some of the campers’ answers . . .
“I would have more quality friends.”
“I would be more respectful.”
“I would show more grace.”
On Friday, the theme was: being human means we are never alone. The scripture, Psalm 73:26.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Wiggin showed a clip from Toy Story 4 where Forky keeps trying to run back to the trash can because he still believes that he is garbage instead of a beloved toy.
So often we feel drawn to run back to how life used to be before Christ made us new. But we are not living this life alone. We have the strength of Jesus and we have others walking this path with us. When we stay connected with others and with Christ it lets us continue being human as we were meant to be. Just like how Forky had Woody to remind him that he was a real toy, beloved and precious to his girl.
Friday night was the campfire. Where campers walk down to the meadow in the quiet of the evening and sing songs while the light fades and the stars begin to shine. As the last night of camp winds down, they stand and share about what they’ve seen God do during the week of camp.
“Every day at camp you feel and see God reaching out to people.”
“Camp has given me a chance to reflect on my life and who I am. I got to think about it and I got time to think about what I need to change”
“Every time I go to camp I feel like I get closer to God.”
“I’ve always gone to church but I feel like this week I’ve made deep connections in Christ.”
“Camp reconnects me through all that happens through the year. It’s like a refresh to start new.”
“I went through a hard time. I just knew that coming to camp would make everything better. This camp makes me feel connected to God, it makes me realize my faith in him.”
“Feeling his connection here makes me want to go church and follow that faith.”
“Whenever someone asks me what my special place with God is, I think of camp.”
For kids who didn’t know very much about God at all, for children whose parents are in ministry, for each and every camper God is reaching out to them in love. At campfire, we were reminded how powerfully God uses a simple week of camp. Again and again, year after year, to forge a deep and life-giving connection with his children.
Spyro, a camper from years ago, was our speaker for Jr. B Camp! She focused on themes of trust and where our source of worthiness comes from.
On Monday, Spyro shared her testimony with the campers.
When Spyro was thirteen years old, she faced some incredibly difficult things at home. She had decided to take her own life. She had everything planned out, including the day, but a neighbor she didn’t really know paid for her to go to camp. Spyro decided that she could postpone her plan until after camp.
And so Spyro came to Camas Meadows Bible Camp. She bunked in Owl’s Perch with Rhyme as her counselor and Bald Eagle as the speaker the week.
Spyro went to camp without friends or any sense that she was accepted by others. But Rhyme welcomed her in such a way that she felt immediately at home. Bald Eagle was speaking about Joshua, but on Tuesday night he felt the Spirit urging him to change his session. So he told the story of how Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute, was accepted into the family of God because she chose to trust him.
And so, instead of taking her own life, Spyro gave her life to Jesus that day.
She eventually became a camp counselor, then grew up and married and became a mom. Then the Lord called her back to Camas as a speaker so that she could share her story with kids just like Bald Eagle and Rhyme shared parts of themselves with her.
After sharing her testimony, Spyro told the campers that sometimes people can think they must be worthy in order to be loved. But that’s not what the Bible says. In the Bible we read that God first loved us.
So, what does it mean to follow God?
A lot of people think following God means going to church, reading the Bible, and praying. However, someone can be doing all of those things and still not be following God. The first step to following God is believing that you are loved.
On Tuesday, Spyro felt led to change her topic. Instead of what she had planned, she walked the campers through Psalm 23. She talked about how God’s heart is good for us, how he calls himself the good shepherd. She explained that God loves us like a good shepherd loves and cares for his sheep. Then Spyro urged campers to trust God with their cares and burdens.
When Spyro gave the campers the chance to talk to Jesus during chapel, one of our staff saw her young cousin mouthing words as she spoke to God. This girl was from a home that didn’t know about God, but this week, she was given the chance to talk with him for herself. During that same chapel, Scruff saw one of our young C.I.T.’s crying in the back of the room as chapel time came to a close. What is it about Jesus as the Good Shepherd that speaks so powerfully to our hearts? I would suggest that it is the love, care, and sacrifice that the shepherd expends on behalf of his wayward sheep. Jesus himself gives us this example, in his own words from the gospels. Dare we believe he feels something different for us, when he has been so careful to explain his love? Clearly, the Lord had important things he wanted Spyro to share about his role as the good shepherd who loves his sheep.
On Wednesday, Spyro read through the story of the woman who poured perfume on Jesus’ feet and dried them with her hair. Spyro asked the campers to consider those who looked down on this woman and what it means when the Bible says that everyone sins.
“Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Luke 7:47
Spyro wanted the campers to know that sin comes in many different forms. Like the woman whose sin was so public that everyone knew about it or the man in the story who observed her with unkindness in his heart, not considering her worthy of Jesus love and forgiveness. Spyro emphasized that before we can trust in God’s love, we must become like this woman and realize that we have a lot to be forgiven for. Then we can bring all those things to God!
On Thursday, Spyro shared the Gospel with the campers. She shared that trusting in God’s love begins by trusting in Jesus and what he did.
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” I John 4:10
On Friday, Spyro talked about trusting in God when we go home. As someone who had incredibly hard things to face when she left camp for the first time, Spyro has such a heart for the hard journey that children face.
What does trusting God look like at home? She gave the campers some ideas, reading your Bible, being a good friend, being careful about who you let influence you, taking your concerns to the Lord in prayer.
But these simple suggestions fall on campers’ ears differently when they know that Spyro herself faced such a hard time going home and the Lord walked with her, even through some very dark times.
After each chapel session, the campers meet with their cabin for a discussion time with their camp counselors. One first-year counselor told us during staff meeting that her campers went above and beyond answering questions about the chapel session. They had their own discussion question, “What was a time when God impacted your life?” They asked each counselor and then every camper shared their answers too!
On Friday night, we had our campfire.
(This is with a Fire Marshal approved Solo Stove, for those of you envisioning a wall of flames sweeping across the land!)
This is the chance for campers to pick up a stick, share how camp has impacted them, and then throw this stick into the fire. As each one shares, the fire brightens, giving more and more light as more people are willing to share their stories with each other. Here are a few of the things that were shared.
“I’ve always tried to fit in and here, I feel like I can actually be myself”
“I have had a lot of loss in my life and getting to see Spyros message apply in my life was really cool”
“I like camp because I don’t often get outside.”
“A lot of my family has died in the last years, and every time I come here it takes my eyes off the chaos in my life”
“My sister has a medical condition and for me, being here helps me remember Gods plan.”
Camp is composed of many individuals training together for a summer of Kingdom Work! That work involves sweating in the dish pit and hiking through scratchy bushes carrying a camper on your back just as surely as it includes sharing from God’s word and listening to the Holy Spirit’s prompting about what to say.
As Spyro’s story attests, God used both Bald Eagle’s faithful teaching and Rhyme’s welcoming smile and willingness to truly see a girl who had felt alone for a very long time. For our gracious God can and will use each and every sacrifice for his mighty work of love in our lives!
It was a true delight to see the simple gifts of service given so many summers ago come back full circle as Spyro gave of herself to this next generation of campers. I am so excited to see what the Lord will do with these new precious souls, who are eager to serve in his name. Only time will reveal all that God is doing, but we know that it will be good. He is the Good Shepherd, after all.
And who knows, maybe in fifteen years it will be one of your children standing at the wooden podium that says “Camas Meadows Bible Camp” in rough pine letters, sharing Scripture with another group of wiggly kiddos trying to sit still on the patched lodge carpet while squirrels skitter past the windows outside?
John 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18
Pyro was our speaker for Middle School Camp 1 and on Monday night he spoke about something that is worth pricking your ears up to hear. See, Nessie Karu’s example above. Those who trust Christ were adopted into the family of God. Not grudgingly allowed into Heaven. Not put up with for a time. Not given a distant seat at the table and basically ignored. Adopted as beloved children of our Creator God!
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.” Psalm 68:5-6
Sometimes it feels like God only wants the most distant of relationships with his followers. However, if you read the Bible, it becomes strikingly clear that God has always pursued the closest relationship with his people that they will allow.
During Tuesday’s chapel, Pyro spoke on how God’s love changes the world!
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
“You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.” John 15:11-17
In this passage, Jesus himself describes what he is seeking with his people using another close relationship, friendship. Shocking, yes. Mindboggling, absolutely. True, well do you believe the words of God himself?
On Wednesday, Pyro spoke about how different people connect with God differently.
Praise – Psalms 42 : 8
Nature – Psalms 19 : 1 – 2
Friendship – Psalms 133 : 1 – 2a
Bible Study – Psalms 1 : 2 – 3
Prayer – Philippians 4 : 6
Service – Matthew 20 : 25 – 26
And while there is most likely a way of connecting with God that feels most natural to each of us, all of these connection points are available to each of his children!
On Thursday, Pyro spoke about the story of the good Samaritan and what it means to love our neighbor.
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:36-37
On Friday, Pyro spoke about the Holy Spirit.
“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis 1:2
Amidst all the great teaching, counselors and campers were building community through all the crazy and fun activities that make up the summer camp program.
The beautiful thing about summer camp is that absolutely nothing is wasted. Each time a counselor calmly shows a child how to do an activity, facilitates a restoration among friends, helps a nervous camper fall asleep, or walks across a tarp full of canned pears blindfolded, they are proving their trustworthiness.
Children who trust their counselor to get them to horse rides on time and to drink the Camas Smoothie for the team, find that they are able to trust their counselors when they say that God loves them.
This week, we saw that ministry extend beyond the boundaries of camp to those who write letters to campers as well. Our nurse Mothra was sitting beside a camper at the pond.
“I’m having the best time!” he said.
“Oh, really? I’m having a good time, too.”
“Did you know I actually got a letter? This is my first time here and I’m on scholarship so my mom didn’t know you could send mail. It was my teacher, she sent me a letter!”
This teacher goes to our church and asks for prayer for her students. Over the years, she has arranged for many of them to go to camp and made sure that they got a scholarship if they needed one and also a letter. That letter made this camper glow. He knew that someone had remembered him, that he was loved and that he was seen.
We ended the week with cabin skits and a baptism in the meadow.
The camper who wanted to be baptized wanted just her cabin to be there and she wanted Scruffy and her cousin to baptize her in the giant horse trough that is older than the camp itself.
One of the special things about this girl’s decision is the string of connections that brought her to camp and this moment in the meadow with her friends and family.
You see, about eighteen years ago Scruffy started a Camas ministry that had people shaking their heads in confusion. CamasCon, a Christian Boardgame Retreat. He got pushback about his idea, some of it quite disheartening, but he felt that this camp aligned with the Lord’s calling and so Scruff hosted that first CamasCon anyway.
Eventually, Camas Meadows started hosting three to four CamasCon camps a year where those who love tabletop games can come and followship, go to chapel together, and play games all weekend long.
A fun couple who have become good friends began attending. Then they sent their children to camp. Their son invited his friends. His friends invited others as well until the young man in this photo invited his cousin.
Then on Saturday of Middle School Camp 1, this young lady asked to be baptized in the meadow.
Baptized by her cousin who had invited her to camp and who took the time to pause and pray with her.
Baptized by Scruffy who had taken a risk to start a camp ministry that nurtured the faith of a long string of Christians until she found herself on a mountain meadow ready to make a public proclamation of her faith in Jesus Christ.
Yet, this is not only her story. The beauty of the close family relationship that led this girl to camp can be all of ours.
The camp counselor who walked to the meadow to support this camper isn’t family . . . and yet, she is. Because not only did God die our death to rescue our souls, give us strength for this life, and hope for the future, but God has invited us to be part of the family of God, heirs with Christ, friends of God. Shocking and lovely and absolutely true. God wants you in his family, my friend. His love for you is that vast, powerful, and personal. So, what will you tell him?
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4
Our speaker for Junior A Camp was Faramir!
Faramir spoke on the power of connection.
During the first chapel on Monday, he talked about what connection is and why branches need to be connected to the vine.
To illustrate our need for connection, Faramir told the story about his debilitating fear of heights . . . and the rollercoaster!
He was a youth pastor taking the brand-new high schoolers in his first youth group to a theme park. Faramir carefully chose the most mild coaster in the park, the one that had bored an eleven-year-old child ahead of them in line. As Faramir and his student (Justin) chugged up to the top, Faramir was overcome with terror. In a desperate bid for sanity he shouted out, “I am going to hold your hand!!!!” He then proceeded to clutch that youth group kid’s hand for the entire roller coaster ride.
It is true, folks. Connection is key!
Camas Meadows is on the sunny side of Washington State, the dry side. We see firsthand how quickly the wildflowers and grasses fade from lush and green to a crunchy, brown fire hazard. However, the trees remain green all summer long. Each branch is nourished by the trunk and because of the deep roots the trunk connects them to, their leaves stay bright and green until the frost comes in the fall.
On Tuesday night, Faramir talked about how we need connection with God often, not just occasionally.
The campers looked at the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. How these three captives had such a deep and regular connection with God that they trusted him with their lives when facing a raging king.
“Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.'” Daniel 3:28
On Wednesday night, Faramir talked about suffering.
Were Job, Joseph, Paul, and Faramir himself crazy for connecting with God during times of extreme pain and heartbreak?
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20
Although Faramir is one of the funniest, most cheerful guys you will ever meet, he has weathered an incredible amount of pain. He shared parts of his story with the campers this week and while they love to laugh with him, these children are not afraid to cry as well.
In fact, the campers of Sasquatch Den made Doc Hudson cry when they sent him a card with incredibly sweet words of encouragement tucked inside. These kiddos know how to use their power to connect with others to build God’s kingdom!
On Thursday, Faramir talked about how Jesus calls us to a lifetime of connection with him!
“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.” Matthew 4:18-20
On Friday, Faramir talked about living a connected life. Being ready to be changed, to grow, to become more than you were all alone. To follow a Savior who seeks, finds, and heals. Then to seek to bring that power of hope to others and to live stronger ourselves because we don’t face the world alone. To gather together around our Lord as the sheep of his pasture and the delight of his eye. To find common ground and community in Jesus.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” Galatians 5:22-26
During the campfire on Friday night, the staff were pretty sure that every camper stood up to share. There were certainly some silly moments, like when a deer walked through the meadow and five campers bolted for the stick bucket so they could toss a stick into the fire, “For the deer!” One camper even put two sticks in for the deer! But there were also moments of true thankfulness and praise. Children made new friends, admired the stars, listened to teaching about God’s word from someone who has weathered incredible pain on his walk with the Lord and survived, faced homesickness head on and won the battle, and learned how to grow their connection with God and share the strength they gain in ways that bless others. Something to celebrate with a stick in the fire, for sure!
On Saturday morning, Faramir talked about staying connected with each other and with God.
This was our smallest camp of the summer, but oh my, these kids could sing! As Kindred and Legolas, a brother and sister team, led them in worship they just sang their hearts out.
They sang like children who had deeply taken to heart that they do not face this world alone.
Children who knew that the one who made the universe loved them, sought them, paid their ransom, and longed for them to be with him for eternity.
What about you, my friend? Do you believe in his great love for you?
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” I Thessalonians 5:23-24
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
Every year, amidst steadily warming temperatures and a forest blanketed in wildflowers, we welcome women to come up the mountain to Camas Meadows for the Camas Ladies Retreat.
This year, Judy Baker was our wonderful speaker.
Judy spoke from the books of Genesis and Psalms.
Her chapel sessions followed the story of Joseph.
Family drama, betrayal, tragedy, more betrayal, oppression, neglect, and finally victory. Joseph’s story has it all.
The true power of Joseph’s tale comes when you pause and consider that this epic story happened to a real person who didn’t know the ending and had to live the tragedies and triumphs with all the same emotions that we fight through on our own journey with God.
To begin the ladies’ journey with Joseph on the first night, Judy told her testimony.
Judy was the wife of a pastor and camp director. They had two children who were twelve and fourteen when she was widowed through a tragic accident.
She married a machinist and became a stepmother and then was widowed again due to cancer.
Judy is no stranger to heartbreak.
After hearing her testimony, the ladies at the retreat knew that their speaker was not one to spout platitudes.
There is beauty on the painful path, but it is sometimes easier to accept direction towards that beauty from someone who understands how hard it is to look beyond the pain.
Joseph’s story begins with priviledge.
The favored son of a weathy father and the firstborn of that father’s favorite wife, Joseph’s position (and fancy clothes) were the envy of the rest of the family.
Add to that, Joseph gave his father a bad report about his brothers and so he faced a pack of angry brothers who were growning more bitter by the day.
Seemingly oblivious to this, Joseph then waxes eloquent about the prophetic dreams he was having where the family bowed down to him . . . the rest is history.
Attacked, robbed, thrown into a pit, and then sold into slavery by his own family, Joseph’s journey takes a sharp and dark turn.
Joseph chooses trust in God and is tough and resilient enough to thrive in his new position. He works hard where he finds himself until Joseph is in charge of his master’s household. Betrayed and disbelieved, he is sent to prison. Once again, Joseph trusts God and excels. In the end, God uses him to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, provide for the people during a famine, and save his family from starvation.
Judy spoke from the scriptures that tell us Joseph’s story because we often find ourselves on a path that has taken a sharp and dark turn in a direction that seems hopeless.
But despite the horror of his circumstances, Joseph trusted that God was still capable of a mighty work, in Joseph’s life, in the lives of those around him, even in the hearts of the brothers who had sold him into slavery.
Joseph’s confrontation with his brothers when they come to Egypt to beg him for food is such an incredible tale of inner strength, redemption, and grace.
Genesis 45:5–“And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.”
Imagine the power of such a trust as Joseph’s. The wisdom to see God at work in the darkest of circumstances. The strength to refuse bitterness and let go of hate. The grace to forgive and dare to show compassion to his tormentors.
It boggles the mind and stirs the heart.
As Judy shared in conclusion, from Psalm 31:15, “My times are in your hands . . .” God is at work, even in the dark, and there is hope for the broken and strength can be ours as we learn from Joseph’s terrible, beautiful life that trusting God is always worth the cost.
Genesis 50:20–“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
P.S. Since some ladies have asked for a copy of the essay on courage that I shared during the retreat and it speaks to some of the hard times that Judy shared during her testimony, I’m including a link to that here. Scraped Off the Bone by Kristen Joy Wilks.
Scruffy and Chiquita tag teamed as our speakers for the Senior High Winter Snow Camp!
Both our camp director and program director are constantly looking for opportunities for further education. In a lecture (Kara Powell) that challenged youth workers to stop asking the questions kids are not asking themselves and to look at what teens are actually wondering, Scruff and Chiquita delved into a Biblical look at the top three things that are troubling teens today.
The first question . . .
Who Am I?
Thankfully, the Bible has a lot to say about this!
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 NIV
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
The main passage that Scruffy and Chiquita looked at when considering the question, “Who am I?” was John chapter six and the feeding of the five thousand.
“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” John 6:9
Imagine being that boy with the small lunch. It’s clearly not enough. He isn’t enough . . . but when he places that simple gift into the hands of Jesus, suddenly it is. His lunch is enough. His gift is enough. He is enough to be part of one of the most mind-boggling miracles in the Bible!
“Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” John 6:11-13 NIV
Now, Scruffy’s favorite answer to the question “Who am I” comes from the life of Moses.
In fact, when Moses kills an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave, he is asked something very similar.
“The man said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?’ Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.” Exodus 2:14 NIV
Forty years later, God speaks to Moses from the burning bush and asks him to go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses response, the very question the campers were considering.
“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’” Exodus 3:11 NIV
Now, Moses has a variety of excuses. But what is God’s answer to Moses’ question, “Who am I?”
“And God said, ‘I will be with you.'” Exodus 3:12a NIV
The second question Scruffy and Chiquita looked at with the campers was, “Do I belong?”
God addresses this question within Christ’s very name.
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).” Matthew 1:23 NIV
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28 NIV
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,” Ephesians 2:19 NIV
The third and final question that Scruffy and Chiquita delved into with the Senior High Snow Camp campers was, “What is my purpose?”
“For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
I Corinthians 3:9
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” Matthew 28:18-20
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1 NIV
After an amazing weekend full of crazy games and fellowship together, they finished up with this thought: “Our purpose comes from knowing we’re invited into God’s greater story!”
From Moses and his doubts to Jesus last words to his disciples, God has so much to say about the questions that trouble us. Just like this group of amazing teens, may you leap into God’s word today and discover all of the ways that the Lord is pursuing a relationship with you!
The shouts and laughter of forty campers and their accompanying counselors filled the air. They even made the lodge tremble with their energetic singing and hand motions.
This year, our speaker was the one and only Wiggin!
Wiggin was a camper here at Camas Meadows back when Scruffy and I were . . . much younger. Then he became a camp counselor and finally a youth pastor and camp speaker!
Wiggin spoke about the gospel being good news.
He mentioned how sometimes the gospel doesn’t seem like good news, even though that is what the word gospel means.
Sometimes kids are dealing with some serious church hurt. Maybe their family had a dispute with a local church, fell through the cracks and had real needs ignored, experienced the horror of a church leader who betrayed their trust, or watched the Christians around them treat others in ways that Christ would never have praised.
But while Wiggin was honest and serious about the hard things kids have lived and seen, he assured them that the gospel really is good news.
Wiggin shared about the origin of the word gospel. How it came from ancient military clashes where the townsfolk were waiting for the messenger who would run back from the battle to let them know if their army won the day or had been defeated. Gospel, good news, was a message of victory for the worried people who waited.
The very first good news Wiggin shared was that we don’t have to have it all together.
They read in Genesis chapter two about how Adam and Eve, “were both naked, and they felt no shame.”
Wiggin quickly reassured the campers that there was no need to join a nudist colony. But that this scripture illustrated an important facet of the good news of the gospel. God designed us for real and vulnerable fellowship with each other and with him. Not for pretending that we are perfect but for honesty and vulnerability.
They looked at Brene Brown’s research about authentic connection requiring vulnerability. Investigated Genesis chapter two in a new way and saw that one of the things that made Eden ideal, was that mankind was completely honest and open with God. Then they talked about how God has designed us in such a way that to actually connect with God and others, we must be our vulnerable, authentic selves.
Just take a peek at Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman as they stood and talked beside the well for a glimpse of the kind of authenticity that Christ urges his followers to risk.
On Saturday morning, the part of Jesus’ good news that Wiggin spoke on was that God cares about the broken.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19
“God came to earth to be on the side of the outcasts, and the hurting, and the broken—the people who don’t have it all together. That’s Good News, especially with how hard middle school can be.” –Wiggin
“If life is great and we’re happy, it means that God’s inviting us to also be on the side of the broken.” –Wiggin
The good news on Saturday night was that God wants to be in relationship with us. Not just in Heaven someday, but right now!
“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.'” John 17:1-3
On Sunday morning, the good news was that God wants to live normal, everyday life with us.
“… normal life with God means denying ourselves, that we don’t get to live for us, we don’t get to be selfish anymore—we live for God and for others; and normal life with God means choosing relationship with God every day, engaging with him, and, really importantly, putting ourselves around people who help us choose God every day.” –Wiggin
Christ’s invitation is good news indeed! This good news isn’t just for the amazing middle school students in our lives. Pause with me a moment, my friend. Truly consider the depth and beauty of what our God and Savior offers us each day.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
