One-Week Christian Summer Youth Bible Camp

“Monumental”

Colossians 1:18, “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” NASB 1995

Glinting off of the dizzying peaks, the sun illuminated the towering monuments to the ingenuity and craft of their creators. Surely as nations rose and fell, these monoliths would remind future peoples of their forerunners, and they would despair that such skill … Read more

“Difference”

Colossians 1:4–5, “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel” NASB 1995

Four tribes competed head-to-head today in the construction of names, chants, and t-shirts. The uniqueness was on display as the students brainstormed, designed, dyed, sang and rapped competitively in a four-way battle. … Read more

“Game Face”

3:59 P.M. Benton TN, everyone is in their seats, ready to go. Enthusiastic rejoicing breaks out as Pastor Brad leads everyone in worship of our Lord God. Camp Areté is off to a powerful and prepared start.

Colossians 1:28, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” NASB 1995

Every camper comes to Camp Areté for their own reasons—some for the … Read more

A wet and wild time on this year’s white-water rafting expedition — refreshing for our Servant Leaders.

Plus some other random pictures

And now for some other random photos …

Servant leaders on their annual whitewater rafting trip. Thank you servant leaders!… Read more

Day Six at Camp Areté: A Day of Celebration

Brad began our day with an insightful breakdown of God’s will, highlighting its three distinct domains:

1. God’s Sovereign Will: This includes His decrees—those things that “will” happen, as Brad explained. These are the events and outcomes that God has ordained.
2. God’s Moral Will: These are the instructions given to us in His Word, guiding us on how to live in a manner that pleases Him. This encompasses His commands

Day 5 at Camp Areté: Lessons on Humility and Faith

Today at Camp Areté, we continued our focus on scripture and spiritual growth with lessons on humility and faith. The day began with an impactful lesson from Pastor Brad, who explored the dangers of a proud heart, drawing wisdom from the story of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4. This biblical account of Nebuchadnezzar’s years in the wilderness, eating grass like an animal, ultimately led to his humbling and submission to the … Read more

Day 4 at Camp Areté

Pastor Dave is back in action, blessing us with insightful connections between Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 in the Bible. Both chapters describe prophetic visions that outline a sequence of world empires, ending with God’s eternal kingdom. In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a statue made of various materials representing different empires: Babylon (gold head), Medo-Persia (silver chest and arms), Greece (bronze belly and thighs), and Rome (iron legs and feet of iron and … Read more