A Memorable Praise-Worthy Start for Areté
Our first day at Camp Areté was a tremendous success, thanks to the prayers offered on our behalf. All campers arrived safely, with the exception of a few notable glitches involving a broken-down rental car. Thankfully, our logistics coordinator, Sarah Thomas, solved this problem quickly and got the stragglers here safely. We began by introducing the campers to the staff, emphasizing our commitment to serving them with the sacrificial love that Christ demonstrated. This year, we have the privilege of serving over fifty young adults from fourteen different churches. We are grateful for this opportunity and take quite seriously the charge we have from scripture. It is God’s word that changes hearts and minds, and that is our guiding North Star for the week. The teaching focus for the week is the book of Daniel, exploring its themes of wisdom and prophecy. Notably, we highlighted that Daniel was likely around fifteen years old when he was taken from his home, drawing a parallel to the campers’ own experiences away from home this week.
The evening was filled with uplifting singing and fellowship, led by our awesome worship leader, Brad Maston, creating a strong sense of the body of Christ right from the start. Director Jeff gave a charge to the staff, reminding them that they are each individually God’s workmanship, created and crafted in Christ Jesus to walk in this work He has prepared for us, corporately and as individual servants. This assurance that they are equipped for this mission provides a powerful foundation for a life-changing week in God’s word.
We are immensely grateful for the answered prayers ensuring everyone’s safe arrival and are eager to dive into the activities and teachings planned. We ask for continued prayers for awareness of anyone who may not know Christ as their Savior and for effective communication of the Gospel. “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” is a message we hope to convey powerfully throughout the week. Praise God for such a wonderful beginning, and please keep us in your prayers as we embark on this journey that God prepared beforehand.
Praise
- Safe arrival and a great start
- God assembling a great staff ready to serve Him
- For each of our counselors
Petitions
- David Roseland, who has been called away from camp for a family emergency, and for his strength and love as he visits with his sister Kari, who is battling stage 4 cancer
- That the teachings will be effective and that we will walk in a manner worthy of our Lord
- For each of our counselors as they enter a week of battle with the forces of darkness and sin that each of our campers face
- That it will be made known to us anyone who doesn’t know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior
Praying for all the leaders and campers
Our prayers are with each of you.