One Body, Many Parts

Last week, the flu moved into my body and began a six-day reign of terror. I was amazed at how quickly I became ill. The day my symptoms began, I felt great. I ran three miles and played 14 holes of disc golf. That afternoon, however, I crawled into bed with body ache, fever, chills, nausea, and a monster headache. My priorities immediately shifted from enjoying a beautiful Saturday with my family to trying to find some way to relieve the pain.

As I began my slow recovery, I reflected on how my body reacted, and how it is an example of the believers today. The Bible says that we (as the church) are the body of Christ. Every part of the body is important, although some parts get more attention than others. When something goes wrong, and one part cannot serve its purpose, it affects the entire body.

You and I each have a vital role to fill as members of Christ’s body. South Mountain Christian Camp does as well. We realize that we cannot be everything to everyone, but God has given us a specific purpose. We seek to fulfill that purpose to the best of our ability. If we were to try to perform a function other than our own, our best efforts would end in futility and chaos. But when we accomplish the purpose for which we were designed, we find contentment and peace.

I want to encourage you today to be who God designed you to be. The full scope of what God is able to accomplish through you can never be truly measured. God has gifted you uniquely to be a blessing to the body of Christ.
 

They Never Forget

“Is this Steve?” The voice on the phone sounded cautious and despairing. “I need to talk to you, man.”

 

When he introduced himself, I remembered him immediately. David* was a former camper who came here every summer until he outgrew our program about 8 years ago. I haven’t seen him since then, but I could tell by his tone that he was in distress. Immediately I laid aside what I was working on, and gave him my full attention.

David explained that he felt his life was going nowhere, and he didn’t know where to turn.

 

“I don’t know why, but I just keep thinking about camp, and I really wanted to talk to you,” he said.

 

I told him I was glad he called, and I listened intently as he expressed to me the struggles and anguish he’d been experiencing. As he spoke, I silently prayed the same prayer I pray before every summer camp chapel—that God would use my mouth to speak words of life. When he was finished, there was silence on the phone. It was my turn to speak, but I didn’t know what to say.

 

Then, slowly, like a locomotive pulling out of a train yard, the words began to come. It was just a few thoughts at first, but the Holy Spirit began to pick up momentum as I yielded to Him. Soon words of encouragement, hope, and restoration were pouring out of my mouth faster than I could think of them. Tears began to flow from David’s wounded soul as the words wrapped around him like a warm embrace. Thirty minutes later, as the conversation drew to a close, I told him that he was welcome to call any time, but also to remember that God is always there for him.

Why would David call me after so many years? I believe it was because South Mountain played such a significant role in the development of his faith. David was saved and baptized here at camp in 1998. He’s a young adult now, but the experience he had here with God is not forgotten.

 

This is why we do what we do. South Mountain Christian Camp is not about the hiking, the swimming, or the ropes course. It's about lives being impacted through a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. The activities, the facilities, and the setting all contribute to make it work, but these things aren't remembered long-term. What stays with our campers is the fact that they experienced God here. This continues to be our purpose today.

 

*name changed

The Quest for $20

How far would you go to save $20? Would you clip out a coupon? Would you fill out a page of paperwork? Would you spend half your Saturday at a VBS presentation? That’s exactly where I found myself one day last month. A flyer said I could save 10% off the curriculum I needed for Summer Camp by attending a Saturday morning presentation. It seemed like a good idea at the time.  

You see, we work on a tight budget here, and 10% off the $200 curriculum would save us—that’s right—$20. So I jumped at the opportunity. As the date approached, however, I began to question my decision. I don’t get very many Saturdays off, and now I had given up half a day with my family to save the Camp twenty bucks. Was it worth it? As I prayed about it, I began to sense that the Lord had additional reasons for sending me to this event. So, on a cold, icy Saturday morning in January, I got up early and sleepily made my way to the church where the event was being held.

Shortly after I arrived, the event coordinator asked me if I would be interested in telling everyone a little bit about South Mountain Christian Camp. This took me by surprise, but I eagerly accepted the offer. A short time later, I had the opportunity to share with a room full of children’s ministry leaders from various churches about our Summer Camp programs. As I told them about the ministry of SMCC, I saw several of them eagerly scribbling notes and jotting down my contact information. Afterwards several more approached me asking for more details and expressing a keen interest in sending their children to our camp this summer.

It was then that I realized that my sacrifice of half a Saturday was not just about the twenty dollars. If even one of those churches sends kids to our camp this summer, and just one child comes to know Jesus as a result, then the half-a-Saturday was time well spent. Because that’s what SMCC is all about—impacting lives for the Kingdom of God.

 

I love it when God tricks me into a blessing. He used the twenty bucks to get my attention, then accomplished so much more than I would have imagined. I'll bet He does the same in your life. Look for the unexpected blessings, and you'll find them. And God's fingerprints will be all over them.

 

(If you’d like more information about our Summer Camp, visit our website, or give me a call at 828-245-3322 and I’ll send you some brochures.)

Success

I love a good success story—especially when it comes to our campers. It’s amazing to watch these untamed, grubby cyclones of sweat and laughter develop into productive members of God’s kingdom. Buddy Robinson is a good example of that.

 

When Buddy first came to camp at age seven, his contagious, gap-toothed smile and enthusiasm spread to everyone around him like a cool breeze on a steamy afternoon. He absolutely loved camp. That summer was life-changing for Buddy because he gave his heart to Jesus. He announced his decision to the whole camp at the end of the week, and I had the honor of baptizing him here in our pool.

As he came back to camp each year after that, I watched Buddy grow from a tiny ball of giggles to a big, strapping football player. After he aged out of our summer camp program, God enabled Buddy to attend Rutherford Early College High School where he earned both his high school diploma and his Associate’s degree by age 18. Buddy’s heart contained a light that shone in everything he did. He was greatly admired by his classmates and teachers for his joy and crazy antics.

 

From there Buddy went on to Western Carolina University where he played football and earned his Bachelor’s Degree. He had big dreams, and he wasn’t done yet. Buddy went back to WCU to take graduate courses, and was working toward his master’s degree, when he was shot and killed last spring.

Wait a minute. I thought this was supposed to be a success story. How can that be the end? Well, it’s not the end. In July of 1998, Buddy’s spirit was transformed by the blood of Jesus Christ and his forever life began. I grieve because I miss him, but I know I’ll see him on the other side. Then we’ll relive our favorite camp memories like when he raced my daughter on her tricycle and the summer he finally beat me in a game of foosball. And we'll worship God together again. In this life, Buddy did experience some failures; but in his forever life, it’s just continuous, ongoing success with Jesus.
 

Now, here’s the kicker: Buddy came to camp on a scholarship. That’s right, his life-transforming experience happened because someone decided to invest in a child’s life. Now Buddy is reaping eternal benefits because someone cared enough to write a check to sponsor a child that they didn't even know. That's what I call success.

If you would like to sponsor a child to come to South Mountain this summer, you can make your donation through the button below, or visit our scholarship page for more details.

Divine Detour

“Lord, why did you let me do that?” I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter and felt my shoulders tense as frustration began to grow in me. It was late at night and I was finally on my way home when I realized I needed to turn back because I’d forgotten something. Instead of making an easy u-turn, I had steered into a tiny side street which provided no room to turn my truck around. I knew this dark road eventually wound its way back to the main thoroughfare, but as I navigated my way through the inky blackness, I began to wonder what God was up to. I just wanted to get home.

Then I saw her—an older woman stumbling through the darkness, nervously squinting into the bright headlights of my truck. The look of distress in her eyes compelled me to stop. When she explained that she’d run out of gas and needed help, I felt a strange mix of compassion and caution. I grew up in a city where car-jackings were commonplace and wondered if I was being set up. Then the Lord spoke to my spirit, This is why I had you turn onto this road. When I agreed to give the woman a ride, she lit up with excitement. “Oh, thank you, thank you!” she exclaimed. “You’re a Christian, aren’t you? I knew you were because I was just praying, ‘Lord please send me some help,’ and there was nobody on this road. And then you came out of nowhere!” A few minutes later, I walked into the gas station with the woman and bought her a gas can and some fuel. When I was sure she had everything she needed to get home, I continued on my way. It was still late, but the tension was gone because once again I had seen God’s hand at work.

This is yet another instance of that same prodding of the Holy Spirit that drives everything we do here at South Mountain Christian Camp. Sometimes we don’t understand what God is up to—especially when things seem to be going wrong. But we know that He causes everything to work together for good (Romans 8:28), and, when we trust Him, He accomplishes miraculous things.

Christmas 2012

As Christmas approaches, so does the noise. The sales, ads, specials, events, and productions all bombard us with a view of what the world thinks Christmas is supposed to be. The noise seems to get louder each year. It’s good to know, however, that even with all that noise, we can still find the heart of Christ in seclusion and solitude.

Isn’t that what happened at the first Christmas? The census was creating all sorts of chaos in Bethlehem. Yet it was into the midst of that mess that God chose to begin the total transformation of human history. He didn’t do it with fanfare and a flourish. Instead He chose a quiet place with just a few witnesses. That’s the beauty of the nativity scene. He showed us that the important things are not found in the noise, but they are found in quietness and isolation.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry we find numerous accounts of how He withdrew to a secluded place to spend time alone with the Father or His disciples. Today we live in a world with amazing technology that enables us to connect with people all around the globe, but sometimes we need to unplug and disconnect from the technology in order to reconnect with God. That’s a big part of what South Mountain Christian Camp is all about. We want this to be a place where people can get away from the noise of life and spend time alone with God. When that happens, hearts are touched, and lives are changed.

This is accomplished in so many different ways. There are hundreds of children and youth who attend our Summer Camp programs. Hundreds more experience creation through our SEEDS programs for school groups. Even more learn valuable lessons on life and relationships through our Ropes Course programs. Then there are thousands of others who experience God in their own way through weekend retreats here.

In addition to all this, we added several new events this year to draw even more people. We hosted several disc golf tournaments including a youth group team tournament, a skill shot challenge, and the Dale Sollars Autumn Classic. Then, in November, we held the first annual South of the Mountain Trail Run. This was a 5k race held right here on the camp that included participants of all ages and abilities. In each case, people had a great time experiencing God and His creation through wholesome fellowship and healthy physical activities.

We give thanks and praise to God for all that he accomplished through the ministry of South Mountain Christian Camp this year. Once again, He has proven himself faithful, enabling us to continue to operate debt-free despite some large, unexpected expenses. This is possible because of the faithfulness and generosity of supporters like you.

We look forward to more growth and productivity through God’s guidance in 2013. We are still working toward building a new cafeteria which has been needed for quite some time. Please pray with us that God will provide the direction and funding for this project. We also have plans to renovate some older buildings which will enable us to continue to expand into all that God would have us to be.

 
The coming year promises to be a busy one at South Mountain, but even in all the busyness, we want to follow the example of the nativity. We want to find seclusion and stillness with God, so that we can be sure that we don’t miss all that He has for us. This Christmas let’s all take time to do the same.

Adding Value

What is it that makes an experience valuable? I’ve felt the adrenaline rush of rock climbing in the Rocky Mountains. I’ve tasted the salty water of surfing in the Atlantic Ocean. I’ve heard the thunderous roar of thousands of screaming fans in a stadium. And I’ve known the quiet solitude of sitting alone with the Lord on a mountainside all day. All of these have been memorable experiences, but what makes them valuable? Is it the excitement? The knowledge gained? The people? It may be a combination of things, but one thing is for sure—when you’ve had a great experience, you often want to do it again.

We find this to be the case with many of the groups that come to South Mountain Christian Camp. We provide all sorts of programs for thousands of people each year. Our hope is that each experience is valuable so that they will want to come back again and again. Just last month we hosted sixteen different groups here through our various programs; and, looking back, I was amazed to discover that all sixteen of them had been here before! What is it that draws them back year after year? The truth is, it’s not about the programming or even the facilities. The one thing that adds great value to an experience is the presence of God. He makes all the difference.

That’s what South Mountain has always been about—providing a place where people can experience God. Every year more and more individuals are visiting this place for that reason, and I invite you to do the same. Whether you come with a group for a weekend retreat or just on your own to spend some time in the Prayer Garden, South Mountain is here for you. Just give us a call if you’d like to arrange a visit.