“Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.”
Psalm 86:11
Camp is a place where we are able to see and hear God more clearly. While we are away from the world, surrounded by His people and His creation, we grab hold of God’s goodness. In this experience we are able to see new and deeper realities about ourselves and about God.
Camp is a place where…
- Prayer abounds, relationships are formed and worship is experienced.
- We meet God and get to know Him.
- We enjoy uninterrupted time with God.
- We see His power in His creation and experience His love.
- We experience a better way of life…a life focused on Him.
- We experience God’s Word and see it come to life.
- We develop faith and friendships while having the most fun of our lives.
Because of all of those things, Camp Deer Run is a place where young people come to know the truth of God’s love for them, His purpose in their life, and their mission as a disciple of Jesus. Our theme this year is built around that essential piece of our campers’ experience.
Young people need a place to get away from the constant barrage of the world. They need a place where all of the conflicting voices of our world can be silenced and God’s voice can be heard. Why? Because without that experience, it can be hard to discern the truth. This summer, we want our campers to learn to Walk in the Truth by experiencing God’s truth in their life.
And what better way is there to do that than to study God’s word? Through scripture, we learn God’s unconditional love for us, we learn God’s plan to redeem us, and we learn God’s purpose for our lives.
By really digging into the Word, we can put away lies that Satan wants us to believe. That we’re unloved, that we have no purpose, that we have to invent a persona so that we can fit in. When we believe those lies, when those voices go unchecked in our lives, they become our beliefs, and those beliefs become the foundation of the rest of the lives that we’re building.
But if young people can turn down the noise of the world and hear clearly the voice and the truth of God, it becomes easier to discern the lies from the truth. It becomes easier to build on a foundation of truth. It becomes easier to see the world, see people, and see themselves as God sees them. It’s an anchor to what is true, what is right, what is just, and what is holy. It’s a guide that, even when we’ve turned astray, will stay on course and help us get back on God’s path. It’s a foundation that we can build our lives on that will never waver, crack, or falter.
It is our hope that this summer, we can help our campers see the power of God’s truth in their life, understand the depth and richness of scripture, and begin a lifelong relationship with the word of God that will start to set the foundation for a life of discipleship and meaningful service to God’s kingdom. It is our hope that together, we can begin to learn the most foundational truths about God and about who we are in Him, so that as our time inside the refuge of Camp Deer Run comes to an end and we return to the noise of the world, we will know the truth, we will hold fast to that anchor, and we will walk in the way of the Lord.
We can’t wait for the summer to start, and we hope that we’ll see you all there. Please join us in praying over the summer of 2022, our summer staff, and all of our campers, that God’s will would be done in all ways and that his Kingdom would grow through our work this summer.