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The Christian Chronicle: growing up got to to several different camps. I went to John Springs a couple of times, went to Camp Bandina, worked at Heart of Texas Bible Camp in Brady for a of summers, but ⁓ I'm Blue Haven Blue. I've been coming to Camp Blue Haven for 40 years ⁓ as a camper. camp has been a part of my life for as long as I remember. ⁓ and for me, ⁓ I just it's been the most influential thing ⁓ in my life for my faith. ⁓ I grew up going church, going to every ⁓

Wes McAdams: I'm excited to talk about church camp today. That's one of the subjects we'll be talking about today. But before we get into that, a little time to spend with ⁓ our Christian Chronicle friends today, Kenzie James, our producer, is joining us. Kenzie, welcome to the podcast.

The Christian Chronicle: single Bible class youth group activity. ⁓ so I had a really strong foundation for my faith. But coming to camp is what really changed it and what made my faith just very real. I feel like the when I was at camp it was the first time I really understood how the body of Christ is supposed to function. ⁓ just seeing the way we operate as a family here. And so that really changed my faith for me and it made it much more real. ⁓ met my husband here as a counselor in the ⁓ summers of ⁓ back in the nineteen hundreds. ⁓ and then ⁓ have been bringing kids as a part of a youth group for many years.

Kenzie James: Thank you. It's great to be back.

Wes McAdams: Excited to visit with you about what's going on.

Marcus Stenson: Visit Heritage twenty one dot org slash chronicle. That's heritage twenty one dot org slash chronicle.

Kenzie James: so we actually just had a story come out ⁓ this week about how churches are rethinking senior ministry. and just kind of the challenge of keeping older adults active and valued God's work in the kingdom because a lot of times people see them as a group to minister to, which is absolutely still true, but they still have gifts that they can be using and that they can serve. And so it looks at how a couple of churches over in Tennessee are doing that.

The Christian Chronicle: to look at camp and how it impacts kids and how ⁓ it impacts the future of the church, ⁓ I see ⁓ I see what I imagine the church to to have been early on, where it's multi-generational, ⁓ where it's broad and diverse, people from all over different places, different backgrounds, all coming together ⁓

Wes McAdams: Welcome to the Christian Chronicle Podcast, where we explore what's happening in Churches of Christ. I'm Wes McAdams and I'm here with Marcus Stenson to bring you the latest news and honest commentary. you want to hear stories about Churches of Christ, where we've been, where we're headed, and how God is working, this is podcast.

The Christian Chronicle: And it's also made I think it's made my faith much more lasting. I think the strength of my faith today, I don't know if it'd be the same if I hadn't spent years being poured into at camp and then being able to pour out to others. now especially more than anything else, ⁓ people are longing for authenticity. ⁓ And at camps ⁓ you get to see that. ⁓ I used to well, students are longing for but I've come believe that ⁓ adults are for it just as much as students are.

Kenzie James: one of the examples is the Sunny Day Club where volunteers from a congregation lead activities every week for people with early stages of memory loss and just really engaging with the community in that as well.

The Christian Chronicle: the impact like Camp Blue Haven especially has had on my children, the friendships they've made, ⁓ where their faith is. ⁓

Wes McAdams: If you'd like to hear more from me and Marcus, tune in to the Radically Christian podcast. It's available on YouTube or wherever you find your podcast.

The Christian Chronicle: last year we we brought back one of our favorite aspects of camp ⁓ to our home congregation. ⁓ and I had grown men in in tears saying they haven't experienced any anything like that in forty years. ⁓ so church camps get to play a cool role of ⁓ of distraction free time with fellow Christians and it feels almost like a a Christian marathon. but it really isn't. It's just the fact that there's nothing else distracting us. ⁓ I huge impact on that. But when I look long term on the impact of the church, I it it's so wonderful for me to look and see that all three of my children, male, female, adults, the leaders that they are in the congregations that they've gone to after they've left home. And I see them leading in ways that I I never led, their dad never led.

Wes McAdams: That is fantastic. I I feel like that's one of those age groups, the demographics that gets overlooked so often when we think about ministries. A lot of churches think a lot and and rightfully so and thankfully so think a lot about youth ministry and college ministry and ministries for for families that are at that stage of life of raising kids. But it's so great to see churches that are not overlooking and are thinking about their seniors and in that specific stage of life.

The Christian Chronicle: It feels like John chapter 17, where Christ says, so that the world may know that you have sent me. ⁓ that's that's all based in unity. And and I'm so thankful for Christ and for God and for pointing us in that direction. Because in my ignorance, that's not how I would have chosen to show the world who Christ was, was through the unity of a bunch of broken people. But yet when I walk through camp and see I know Christian camps have And we expose them to being active in the church and leading, but they could come to camp and they could see other teens, they could see other teachers that had total different talents than what we ever had, and could see them using those talents ⁓ to share God's word, to serve others, and it like opened the door for all sorts of possibilities for them. And as they continue to grow, all those summers that I got to spend the whole summer here ⁓ and seeing the amazing spiritual depth to the college staff that's assembled here. And they came here spiritually sound and they leave here even more because ⁓ they're being fed while they're while they're pouring out. And so ⁓ I just think it really is great. And then also

Marcus Stenson: Yeah, I d I just agree with that so much. And that all of those other ministries you just mentioned, Wes, are all enriched and benefit ⁓ from having that older demographic, who John would call fathers in the faith ⁓ mothers in the faith where they're pouring into people. And I always just want to remind folks that, you know, the Holy Spirit doesn't have an age category. He is in the teenager the same as he is ⁓ in in their prime or someone that's a little bit past their prime and doesn't want to admit it yet. And then folks that are in

The Christian Chronicle: have been the spark to change so many lives and and have people consider their relationship with Jesus. ⁓ I know my own my me and my wife both ⁓ put our faith in in Jesus at church camp. and it's not the church camp that saved us, but ⁓ it it was the people working at those camps, ⁓ Jesus working through them in our lives where those places are, you know, our favorite our favorite places. ⁓ a couple of years ago I I took a the unity of a bunch of broken people, ⁓ you can't help but be changed and pointed to Christ. And I think in that way, the future of of the body of Christ is As an adult, ⁓ it's a great week for us as well because ⁓ even as adults sometimes we think we're in a in doing something alone. And so ⁓ camp is just a great way to ⁓ it's a little taste of what heaven's probably gonna be like by getting to be with people from around the world. Two of my three kids ended up being counselors here. ⁓ but I see that impact in the church where they are now and the difference that they are making in ways so different than what I I would have ever done, but ways that they saw other people serving. And I'm so incredibly thankful for that. But not only just my kids, I see it from the kids in our church who've come home from camp, who come home with an enthusiasm for the Lord and

Marcus Stenson: They're golden years as well. And if you're still here, then that means that God's not done with you and there's something meaningful for you to be doing in the kingdom and ministering to as well. So I found that to be a really incredible and uplifting story.

The Christian Chronicle: I guess made a a a an effort to try to make the other camps I get to be a part of at their best. What can we do to make this ⁓ the best it can possibly be? And I realize that it's not always ⁓ the Bible classes, it's not always the amazing sermons, but it's people that are just investing in campers' lives. And the times that I've done that as a counselor have been have been years where I've seen the most Headed in a great direction

Wes McAdams: You know what's funny? We we talk a lot about diversity, and I'm glad we do. And a lot of times when we talk about congregations being multi-ethnic, multilingual, multinational, how we are a kingdom for everyone, we sometimes forget that it's also about a differences in age and bringing a diversity of not just not just age in the sense of how old we are physically, but also at different stages of our Christian walk. And like you said, there's so much benefit that we can get.

The Christian Chronicle: just what that brings into their Bible class and to the programs at the church as whole. And it's just inspiring, I think, for those of us who aren't a part of that to just see the excitement that they come back with and it's contagious. ⁓ me personally, ⁓ I have now had the joy of coming back and actually teaching with one of my kids who went to camp here. And we have taught here at Camp Blue Haven the last four years. change in students' lives. ⁓ you can't really get that elsewhere. ⁓ I wish we could have summer camps for adults because golly we're all going through so much and we all need time away from this broken world ⁓ to just be with other Christians who love one another, who want to be vulnerable with one another, who want to challenge each other, who want to throw their arms around each other. ⁓ I don't know how you create that culture. anyway, it's just camps a ⁓ cross section of the church, ⁓ coming from different places. ⁓ And ⁓ it has made a difference in my life and in my family's life and ⁓ being able to bring my children here and being a part of

Wes McAdams: From having relationships with people that are further along than we are, or that we are helping to mentor. I've heard people say often that everyone should have in their life a Paul, like somebody to mentor them, a Barnabas, somebody that is an encourager and somebody who's lifting up and building up. And then also a Timothy, like somebody that we can mentor, somebody that we can encourage.

The Christian Chronicle: raising them up and having a whole bunch of people that love them and pour into them the opportunity to pour into fifth and sixth grade girls specifically in Bible class and ⁓ back at home congregations and and just the everyday rhythm of life. I I think through that every year and wonder how can we do this better at home. ⁓ but there's something special about being away ⁓ in silence and solitude and with other people who love Jesus for a week straight that is just special and really, really hard to replicate. I come to pour into other people, but the impact that it has on me and my Christian walk I I can't put I can't put words to it. my faith grows deeper every time that I am here. I've been raised in the church my whole entire life and this week, each year, the growth that is there, the friendships that are there, because like teachers are coming from

Marcus Stenson: we go any further into the news, ⁓ we want to make sure knows that the opinions that are expressed by you, Wes and myself, are ours alone and they don't necessarily represent those of the Christian Chronicle. But ⁓ we've got a lot of stuff we're looking forward to getting into today, so let's press

The Christian Chronicle: Different states, different places around here, but I have such friendships of people who encourage me in my faith, who challenge me, who are willing to have hard conversations with me about stuff. But ⁓ it's a beautiful place when you come to camp because you can grow and people are pouring into you at the same time you get to pour into others and

Kenzie James: we also had the second in the reunited series, a series of stories featuring congregations that are merging and coming together all across country. So ⁓ Bobby Ross Jr., recently did one on the Durant Church of Christ over in Durant, And this was actually ⁓ a really interesting story to me. They merged in twenty twenty.

The Christian Chronicle: something about that combination, it's hard match any place else. ⁓

Kenzie James: right before the COVID pandemic, they had two congregations and One of them drew the older crowd, one of them drew the young families and some the younger crowd. And then ⁓ they just eventually the younger congregation was like, hey, like what if we do this? So then all the elders prayed over it and decided to merge.

Marcus Stenson: get excited when I hear things like this for so long ⁓ it seems like the prevailing narrative, or at least the news that we always hear, are about churches that are and all the reasons that churches go their separate ways. it's just so encouraging to me ⁓ to see families coming back together and setting aside whatever history was there for the betterment of the kingdom. And I've been fortunate to even

Wes McAdams: Thank you so much for listening. Please take a moment to like, subscribe, or review today's episode. If you have additional comments, ideas, or suggestions, email us at podcast at Christian Chronicle.org. The Christian Chronicle Podcast is a production of the Christian Chronicle Incorporated. Please consider donating to this nonprofit ministry at Christian Chronicle.org/slash donate and supporting our mission of informing, inspiring, and connecting churches of Christ around the world.

Marcus Stenson: visit with a couple of churches like this. And so I I hope to see more things like this all the more as we continue to move forward.

Wes McAdams: I love that the Chronicle is covering this. I'm glad we're talking about this on the podcast. I hope that it starts a trend. I hope that that Christians all over the country, all over the world that have a a separate congregation in their neighborhood, in their community can think about what it would take for us to come together, because the testimony that that sends to the community, to those outside the church is so powerful. This is what Jesus prayed for. He prayed that we would be one and he said, so that the world will know that the Father sent him. Like this is our testimony. Our unity is an apologetic. Our unity is a testimony to the fact, the truth that Jesus is who he says he is. And and I I think that we we sometimes we don't realize that when we are divided and when people see two different churches of Christ. Sometimes on the same street in the same little town, one on the east side, one on the west side, one on the north side, one on the south side, world sees that and they scoff and they say, ⁓ yeah, this is the way they are. ⁓ when we can come together, ⁓ really sends a powerful message about who Jesus is and and what he's doing in people.

Marcus Stenson: but I think all the more our cultural moment too just emphasizes that because we live in an extremely polarized time and people feel more divided than ever and seem to be more than willing to divide over more things than ever in the past. And so to see the inverse, to see something different happening ⁓ the people of God, I think shines all the brighter. And so ⁓ hope we see this take off. If ⁓ there are churches that split long ago and they can't remember why they aren't together anymore, they just know that they aren't, ⁓ I hope they will pray. this congregation did ⁓ see what the spirit will do with that.

Kenzie James: Yeah, absolutely. Now jumping over to our international headlines, over in Ukraine. In the city of Zaporizh, ⁓ as the war continues, there's still missiles and bombings and unfortunately still a lot of attacks going on ⁓ that are really impacting a lot of lives there, a of tragedy. ⁓ But there's also still so much hope, stories of the there ⁓ and Christians continuing to seek the Lord And so this was a really cool story. two women who decided to be baptized in Zaporizha. They went down to the river and this is the day that there were missile attacks. So in this picture, they're in the river getting baptized and then there's still smoke from the attacks behind them. So just a really, really powerful image, at least for me, of seeing all this destruction, this tragedy of the world. But then seeing that these ladies in this situation are now saved and now part of the body of Christ

Wes McAdams: I saw this picture as well, and I I love this for so many different reasons. One, I think what churches of in the United States can learn from our brothers and sisters around the world, especially in the midst of war-torn areas like Ukraine, but also to think about the contrast of that picture, the the old world, the world that is tearing itself apart, the world of death and destruction and decay, and in the same image, the picture of Jesus. Already beginning to make all things new, the new creation coming up out of that water. Such a beautiful contrast.

Marcus Stenson: Yes. yeah. I ⁓ that that dichotomy that you're drawing out, I see on so many different levels. And I C.S. Lewis is is famous for talking about how war has ⁓ a really way of bringing about perspective. I don't advocate war, I don't like to to see the war continuing to happen. but ⁓ in a way, God works most powerfully in those situations. And ⁓ I see baptism just as As a ritual and not even just the moment that we enter the body of Christ, but it is a declaration of spiritual war. It's a pledge. And so at the very same time where everyone is trying to figure out, well, whose side are you on in this greater worldly conflict where these, you know, entities are tearing themselves apart, we have the beauty of precious soul declaring whose side she's on. And in in winning a war right there on the spot in the midst of a war that feels like it's it's dragging on forever. Hope in the midst of hopelessness, shining brightly right there. I I love it so much.

Kenzie James: Absolutely. Well, Wes mentioned earlier that this episode is about church camp. our editorial in the July and August issue was about camp. ⁓ Jeremy Beller, wrote this piece ⁓ and just really talked about why church camp is so meaningful to a lot of people, whether it's just a break from the world as Christians to just come and worshipping together for a week. Some campers sometimes it's a break from their home life as well. There's a lot of different reasons, but everybody says that church camp always has an impact on them. And so it really just explores how it unifies congregations when there's multiple congregations coming together for one week of camp and you have people of all you have that intergenerational, you have older people coming to volunteer as counselors or teachers or cooks. And then of course you have all of the kids there that are being ministered to and who are ministering to each other as well.

Wes McAdams: I'm excited about this story. I'm excited about talking about church camp because ⁓ I don't I know of any any area or any ministry that has made more of a difference in my life and my family's life than than church camps. And and I think it's it's absolutely one of the best things that we we have a a tradition of doing.

Marcus Stenson: yeah, I would just echo that sentiment. I was the least likely candidate for church camp ⁓ when I was younger, and it it became just a inextricably linked piece of my soul and and a part of my my spiritual development formation. And so ⁓ I'm grateful for it and ⁓ glad to see that camp is not losing steam. ⁓ in the world that we live in today, all the more ⁓ what a respite from the constant connectedness and busyness and overwhelm and anxiety. There's just nothing like it. All right, these are all such great stories. If you want to read these stories and more, please guide guard and direct yourself to the Christian Chronicle.org or keep up with the Chronicle on all manner of social media, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Wes McAdams: now our favorite segment. And that is our potluck, which means that we each bring something to share with the group and we get to enjoy what everyone else has brought. ⁓ And we not only want to share what we've brought to the table, but we want other people to share ⁓ their dishes with us. So if you have something that you want to share with please feel free to share your thoughts, comments, questions. questions, stories with us so that we can discuss those on the next episode. But today's potluck theme is camp. And I want to talk about some of the things that we experienced at church camp and and just share some of those memories and and talk about that. So Kenzie let's start with you. What what did you bring for potluck today?

Kenzie James: ⁓ gosh, lots of stories. Just thinking back on camp. I went to Gulf Coast Bible Camp in Mississippi in high school. And it was great. the year after I graduated, I went back ⁓ as a junior counselor Teen Week. ⁓ And there were just many powerful stories ⁓ of just the people and the relationships that I had. And I think one that impacted me was the singing. singing in the church is one of just my favorite ways to worship. And so the singing there was just incredible. we would always at night go sit in the mess hall, lights off, just on the tile floor, sing for an hour. all the distractions are the lights are off. And there's nothing but singing and praising God.

Marcus Stenson: That's such a good one. There I mean, there's something special about campfire to bring down the evening and there's nothing but the stars overhead and you're sitting around the fire, you hear the crackle, and everyone lifting their voices. what you just said, Kinzie, resonates me because, you know, in the middle of nowhere, West Virginia, sometimes you're gonna get some weather. And we would get rained on frequently. a matter of fact, there was a huge rainstorm in my old camp just last week. ⁓ Everybody's okay, praise God for that. But if we got rained out, we would do exactly what you said. And we would gather in, you know, the main hall where we would eat meals and we would turn all the lights out and we'd put a little candle in a bucket in the middle and we would still have a campfire there. And something about the acoustics gave it its own, you know, beautiful moment. And so man, I can't sing at all, but singing is one of my favorite parts of camp. So

Wes McAdams: You keep talking about how you can't sing, Marcus. I didn't know I didn't know this about you until recently. You keep bringing this up and and it's good to know that about you.

Marcus Stenson: I d I do a good job of just, you know, hiding with a low bass grumble. You know the morning bass you get for about the first three hours you're awake. And then I gotta hide, man. I I'm lucky we have such a talented family that sings in a cappella because otherwise, you know, I'd I'd be in big trouble. You know. Exactly.

Wes McAdams: You sing so low. So low no one can hear you, huh? l I love talking about camp. I was I was adding the camps up today, and I think as a teenager, I went to different camps. I I could in fact let me let me pull up my list here. shout out to these camps: Camp Wyldewood ⁓ Black Hills Bible Camp, Nebraska Youth Camp, Black Mesa in Oklahoma, Mid-Sout Youth Camp in Tennessee. ⁓

Marcus Stenson: Wow.

Wes McAdams: there was one in Colorado. I can't remember the name of it. ⁓ Koinonia at ⁓ Lake Texoma, I believe. ⁓ then on in my life, ⁓ this isn't included in the seven, but Blue Haven has become a huge part of my family's life. So I I've experienced a lot of different church camps over the years, and ⁓ I cannot tell you how many transformative experiences had at camp. I remember the ⁓ one of my very first camp memories. I was standing, I was probably in, I don't know, middle school, maybe not even in middle school yet. the I think it was at Lake Tixoma, and there was a storm coming in over the lake, ⁓ it wasn't raining where we were yet, but we could see the storm off in the distance, and it was, you know, starting to move the water. And I was standing there with my cousin, it was it was nighttime, ⁓ it was probably the first time in my life I ever remember reflecting on the power of God to just stand before.

Marcus Stenson: Mm.

Wes McAdams: Something so big and so awesome, and recognize my own smallness. It's what I love about the mountains. I love being on the top of a mountain because I always think it puts things in perspective. It reminds you how how big God is and how small we are. To me, that's one of the most important parts of being out in nature, is just remembering we're not the main character, and this story does not revolve around us, it revolves around him. And it's been so important in my life to. To again, like you said, get away from the technology, get away from all the noise and just listen to the voice of God the songs, through the preaching, through the study, through the encouragement of one another, ⁓ and and just remind ourselves what story we're actually a part of. Because when we go back home. The all this noise, all these voices, they make us think that we're part of a different story. And every advertisement that we hear makes us think we're the main character and says if you if you pursue your own happiness, then you know then everything makes sense, and and you you be you, you do you, follow your heart, all these things. And then a reminder at camp that hey, that that path that the world has you on, that story that they have you believing is self-destructive, and the only life that ends. happily ever after is is this story that revolves completely around King Jesus. And I just I love I love being in those moments and in those places that remind us of how big God is.

Marcus Stenson: That's good because there's some quiet at camp. You can hear God loudly. I fail to the words to describe how meaningful church camp has been for me in my life. One of my greatest regrets over the last few years is that I have not been able to attend and I miss it. It's in my bloodstream. ⁓ Went to camp for the first time a ⁓ young, precocious, rambunctious.

Wes McAdams: Yeah.

Marcus Stenson: Ornery, mischievous, Afropuff, age eight from the suburbs. And nobody thought I was gonna last a week. It's a rustic camp there, just outside of Pennsboro, West Virginia. But it's a beautiful piece of God's country. well water with the sulfur content a little too high. And so it was just a totally different experience for me. But man, it wasn't cool. to get exposed to brothers and sisters from all over the region and several different states. And there's something about Christians coming together from different places that's reflective and predictive of our experience of what it'll be like in that day when the kingdom arrives in full, that I just think that you can't replace. ⁓ I gained so many friends that are still in credible relationships to this day. That have at times encouraged me, that have at times called me out and kept me accountable, that have at times people that I've been able to look to and been inspired by. And it also introduced me to just an incredible group of adults that just sold out to pouring into the next generation. And ⁓ one the cool things about camp is it's just as good for the adults as it is for the kids. And so I attended camp all the way through high school and started serving on staff multiple weeks every summer. And wouldn't even be in ministry if it wasn't for summer camp. I gave my first devos at camp when I thought ⁓ God making me to be a computer engineer. And I had a really close friend speak to me after campfire. And he just said, Marcus, if you don't preach, you're going to hell. And you gotta know what he meant by that. He just meant You're gonna miss what you're actually put on this planet to do. So I thank God every day for the incredible people that He's given me all throughout my life, certainly, but man, it it wouldn't be the same without that camp family. So shout out to everybody at West Virginia Christian Youth Camp. I'm not as well traveled as you, Wes. I'm kind of like a a hopeless loyalist. There's only one camp that I've ever been associated with. ⁓ but I'm sure that they're great everywhere too.

Wes McAdams: Well, my family, we moved around a lot when I was a kid, and that was the reason we ended up at so many different different camps. But you know, this this actually brings up something really, I think, important that we need to address before we move on I brought up camp. I was at a preacher's lunch not too long ago, and my friend Willie B. ⁓ Williams, who preaches for a predominantly African American congregation in colony, he said, you know. I didn't grow up going to church camp. And most African American members of Churches of Christ didn't grow up going to church camps. And he talked about the National Youth Conference and the role that that played in his life and in his formation. But it it again, it highlights the segregation that continues to exist, I think, so often, unintentionally, of course, now, but because of our history, because of our background, a lot of people have very different experiences. So we may be talking to some people. That that for them, this idea of church camp for whatever reason, because of their ethnicity, because of where they grew up or their proximity to a camp, maybe this isn't their experience. I hope that it encourages people to to try it out if they haven't, but at the same time, also a recognition and an acknowledgement that not everybody had this kind of experience or even the opportunity to experience church camp.

Marcus Stenson: Yeah, that's a really good point. But I I'm with you. I I want them to. So if up to this point you haven't had the chance to experience it, f find a camp to attach yourself to. There are very few things that'll be ⁓ as rewarding ⁓ and as beneficial for you and and for everyone's life that you get to touch by being a part of it.

Wes McAdams: Yeah. Well, Marcus Kenzie, thank you so much for sharing these these thoughts, these memories in our potluck segment. I'm excited about the next segment. I'm so glad you said what you said, Marcus, about the adults that that spend their summer or spend a week of their summer pouring into teaching young people. I interviewed a bunch of teachers that I get to teach with every year at Camp Blue Haven and got some of their thoughts about Christian Youth Camp. But then I also have some interviews with some people at the Red River family encampment, which is like I like I always like to say that this is like church camp for grown-ups. And so it's people of all ages who come to Red River, New Mexico, and we spend the week under a tent and we get to encourage and teach and sing and do all of those things together. So I've got some interviews for both of those things coming up in just a second. But As we said in the beginning of this segment, if you have any comments or questions or a story that you'd like to share in our next potluck, let us know. You can email us at podcast at Christian Chronicle.org and we'll be back with more stories about church camp right after this. Every June for the last few years, my wife and my boys and I, we go to Camp Blue Haven in New Mexico. It's close to Las Vegas, New Mexico, and it is a youth church camp, and it is incredibly encouraging. It's one of our favorite places to be. It's one of the highlights of our year. In fact, my oldest son said that for him, the year doesn't begin with January one. For him, the year begins with Blue Haven. And when we get there, we ask everyone, how was your year? How was your year? And then when we leave, it feels like we're starting a new year. Like this is our recommitment to being disciples, to following Jesus, recommitting to who we want to be and where we want our year and our life to go. And I really believe that church camps, not just Blue Haven, but Christian camps for young people, are increasing. Incredibly important and they shape us into the people. At least that's true for me, and I know it's true for my family. They are really shaping people into followers of Jesus and helping us to be better followers of Jesus. So every year, my family and I we go to Blue Haven, my wife and I, we teach high schoolers, we spend the week just studying scripture with young people, serving food, ⁓ breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And and just spending time watching the Lord work in them and through them and just being in awe of what God is doing there. And so I interviewed some of my co-teachers at Blue Haven this year and asked them not only how they see Blue Haven shaping young people into followers of Jesus, but how they see Christian camps in general shaping people into followers of Jesus. And here are a few of the things that they had to say. Not only do I spend a week at Blue Haven every June, at the end of June every year, I like to go to the Red River family encampment. This is like church camp for grown-ups. It is a place where families can go together, where families of of multi-generations gather to to spend time in worship and in Bible study and encouragement. It's a beautiful place in Red River, New Mexico, in the mountains. During the winter, it's a it's a ski resort, it's a ski town. I've never been there in the winter. I've only gone in the summer, and it is a beautiful place to go and be encouraged. There's a large tent, everybody brings their lawn chairs, and there are between twelve and fifteen hundred Christians. And we sing together and we study together, we pray together, we encourage each other. And I like to go up there every year. I've been by the the grace of God and the generosity of the board have been asked to go and speak and teach. And and this year I think was probably my twelfth or thirteenth year to go up there. And I I got the opportunity to ask a few other people what they love about the Red River family encampment. And they shared some of their thoughts with me. So I want to share those with you.