It is finished.

Echo Ranch’s final camp week of the summer ended on Friday, August 9^th, with 10- to 11-year-old kiddos on tractors bound for the beginning of their 2-mile hike out, waving goodbye to the canoes, the zipline, and everything else.



It was such a good week.  Of course, there were a couple of mishaps with campers not getting along, rolling their eyes instead of following directions, and burying their watches in the sand for safekeeping (and forgetting to mark the spot)…  But, overall, God provided a week for us to really enjoy the kids without trying too hard.



Although I didn’t counsel that week, the Broncos are definitely my favorite age group.  They’re the kids who are still young enough to think you’re awesome and not be embarrassed to open up about their lives and ask all the questions, but they’re old enough to have relatively intelligent conversations and understand the Gospel.  As usual, a few of the kids came to camp with zero/very little church background and no knowledge of Jesus.  One of them, Thomas, was attentive, wide-eyed, and inquisitive after every chapel message.  He absolutely soaked it up.  I honestly don’t know whether he made a decision to trust Jesus by the end of the week, but I can say that boy knew the News was Good.

Another boy struggled with other questions, like how to find “Oppossums” in the Bible.  After a bit of questioning from his counselors, they finally figured out he was talking about Psalms.

While I didn’t get to counsel in a cabin, I did get the opportunity to preach at chapel!  Our weekly message series always (usually) hits on these topics:

1.     Who is God?
2.     What is sin?
3.     Who is Jesus?
4.     Salvation
5.     Community & Evangelism

I spoke on #3, which basically consisted of throwing up a PowerPoint slideshow of about 20 pictures of stories about Jesus – and just talking about them.  It was awesome.  Of course, a lot of the pictures were a little cheesy…







But the kids listened.  And they were amazed.  It’s easy to forget just how incredible each detail of Jesus’ life on earth was until you make yourself a character in the story, imagining you were seeing it with your own eyes.  Seriously, Jesus raised a dead man to life?  He walked on the surface of the sea?  He made the blind see and the lame walk?  Most of us have heard those stories a million times, but our jaws would be dropping if we saw Him doing those kinds of things today.  (Want to know something cool?  That stuff still happens.)

The last picture of my slideshow sermon was of “The Last Supper.”  I asked the kids if they knew the name of the painting.  One of them yelled out “The Mona Lisa!”...  I tried not to laugh too hard.



Echo Ranch’s fulltime staff is entering into a new and exciting season.  Most of their heavy, intentional children’s ministry is focused on the summer camps, but they are seeing more and more that discipleship in the “off” season is absolutely essential.  During the last few weeks of camp, the director met with the counselors and brainstormed about how to "do discipleship" effectively.  Many kids need and desire this kind of spiritual leadership in their lives year-round, not just during the summer.

That’s where I am, too.  I’ve been home for just over a week now, and I am deeply craving discipleship in my own life.  I still don’t know what my next steps are.  Many of the counselors are in the same boat, and the failure to walk off our destination flights with a five-year plan in hand was a source of anxiety for some of us.  In spite of my inability to control every aspect of the future, though, God has been reminding me that my fulfillment will never come from my performance and circumstances, but in knowing and resting in Him.



As you read this and think about the kids and the counselors and the staff and me, please be lifting all of us up to the Father.  Ministry and discipleship, these things aren’t meant to be simply a “season”.   Pray that He opens our eyes to what He is doing and that we recognize His invitation for us to join Him.  Pray that for yourselves.  You won’t regret it.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement this summer.  I’ll keep you posted as God leads me to what He has next!