Every year my family goes to a church camp called Camp Sychar.I’m at least the 4th generation to go to this camp.This year was my first year in the youth program.Being in the program is a really big deal, at least at camp it is.When your program you have to work meals and for the guys it means you have to sleep in the Barn.Sychar is always one of the most memorable parts of my year, and this year was going to be the most memorable of all 13 years I’ve gone to this camp. Every day at 9:00 a.m. sharp All the youth had to report to the Youth Tabernacle for the youth’s two and a half hour worship service led by the very capable,spiritual, and talented speaker named Angela.Every day she brought people to their knees crying and praying to God.I know of many people who confessed their sins and gave their life to Jesus Christ that week.I was one of those people. Every night at 7:25 p.m. sharp the had to report to the very rough and uncomfortable seats of the choir loft to sing a single song in front of the entire camp. We then had to file down to the even rougher and more uncomfortable seats of the pews for service.Some nights I would go to …show more content…
the nursery to volunteer with the little kids, but Tuesday night I had to go sit through the boring service that almost sent me to be early every night.Every night it was a different evangelist on the rotation.THe man who spoke was quite the opposite, he woke me up.He woke every one up at camp that night.He brought people to their knees, almost the entire camp people.He helped me get through the day. Tuesday was rough for me, more rough than usual.My Mom had left before I woke up at 6:45 a.m. for Columbus to be with her sister and my aunt Janon.Janon had found something weird on her thighroid a few weeks back and she was going to the docter to make sure it wasn’t thighroid cancer.I was extremly worried about her because we’re very close and I didn’t want it to be cancer.I’d already lost four to many to cancer.I couldn’t lose someone else.The speaker hepled me fight that pain. That night the speaker was .He was would come to be my favorite speaker of the entire camp.One night he pulled out a ladder and used it in his sermon.ANyways Tuesday night he was talking about standing in the Gap for God.
“The Gap is basically the space,the void,the canyon between being a fan of God and being an angel of God.Standing in the Gap means you’re a follower of God and you will lay you life down for him.When you stand in the Gap, you’ve decided to stand for God,fight for God,praise God,follow God and die for God!” he yelled to the congregation, “Standing in the Gap means you life,you heart and your mind is God's.Sometimes standing in the Gap is simple things like; giving money to your church,giving food to a homeless person or volunteering at church.Sometimes it’s bigger things like serving in your towns non-profits,going on mission trips or opening your home up to a summer intern at your church, other times though it can be big things like adopting an orphan from another country,becoming a pastor or becoming a full fledged
missionary.” At the end off the service he invited all of the pastors,pastors wives,pastors kids,retired pastors and retired pastors wives to come forward and line up at the foot of the altar.The line went out of the doors on both ends of the tabernacle.He then invited everyone in the camp who wanted to stand in the Gap for God to come find someone up front to pray for them.My Dad prayed over an old family friend and his fiance.My Uncle Andy prayed over many people.My Grandpa and Grandma prayed over me and some other people. By the end of the service almost the entire camp got up.Out of the 98 some youth only about 20 didn’t get prayed over.Several youth and adults got baptised at the altar that night.I was one of the 78 or so youth to decide to stand in the Gap that night.It’s a decision I will never forget or regret, but, what they didn’t say is th there are some people that will stand in your way and that sometimes it takes a while to get to where you want to go. Since that fateful night I’ve tried to stand in the Gap, but, failed.I will be the one who will leave the country to go on mission trips.While at Sychar this year I learned about an organization called Teen Mission that sends teens around the world on mission trips, I want to go with them, but, my Mom doesn’t think I should be leaving the country for two months without any family members.So Teen Mission is out.I’ve talked about going to Mexico because of the vilance.We have some family friends who go to Hati every year on mission trips, but, she doen’t want to got to Hati and get hurt. So like I said there are some people that will stand in your way.You just have to wait till God wants you to do it and it’s the right time.
This experience was really out of my comfort zone. It was hard to be an outsider and not prepared for what was to come and not speaking one of the languages used to understand the entire service. This service learning project gave me the opportunity to try a new church and gain a deeper respect for a different religion. Everyone at the service was very educated on speaking the sacred texts and participating in the rituals practiced. I hope to have gained a better understanding for those who are new to religions and are nervous to come to a worship service. I will make more of an effort to be welcoming and accommodating to those who are new to our church.
After making the difficult decision of moving out from a school I called home and attended since Kindergarten, my freshman year in a new environment made for a rocky start. I fell into the wrong crowd, tried getting out, but kept making bad decisions, which eventually led to a deep depression. My dreams I had as a child were fading before my eyes, and negative thoughts consumed my mind. I started to believe that I had no purpose and could never amount to anything, but the four days at Camp Barnabas in Missouri changed the course of my entire life. This experience was important to me and helped sculpt me into the person I am today.
In my paper I will talk about my visit to The Community Church at Murphy's Landing (CCML). I have chosen this particular Church because it is a family church type and my neighbor goes there and she encouraged me to go with her. I went there with my neighbor on April 6, 2014.This church is an appropriate for this assignment because the people there are welcoming me with an open heart and they are willing to help and provide me with information. When I visit the Church’s site I read these words “We know visiting a new church can be intimidating. But, we want to help you to be as comfortable as possible when and if you join us”. The people gather in the church weekly to glorify God in joyful worship. The expressions of worship on CCML take many forms a prayer, a hymn of reverent awe, a guitar ringing with a chorus of praise, or a warm handshake and a welcoming smile. Their weekly services begin at 9:30 each Sunday at church. Also, they have weekly podcast if anyone wants to listen online. They have many types of services for parents, kids and students. People at CCML were so friendly; they gather around me and start welcoming me, one by one. People there introducing themselves to me, one after another and provide me with their contact information and help. Then we start talking about the church services and Christianity in particular. The mission of CCML was knowing, growing and loving. They seek to live out our mission by worshipping together as a local community of believers, growing in spiritual maturity through discipleship, education, and small groups, caring for one another within the context of the larger church body and small groups, and Communicating the love of Christ to our world, both through local outreach and global mis...
Venturing inside, we all noticed two things very quickly: we were at once wearing entirely too much clothing to be comfortable in the sweltering heat, and entirely too little to fit in with the rest of the congregants assembled. And yet we were welcomed with open arms. We had arrived, the Reverend Rogers L. Pruitt emphasized as we filed into the sanctuary, on a very special day. As he distributed bulletins and hearty handshakes to the rest of the group, I noticed that the front of mine read "Fragment Day." As I looked around the modest sanctuary, I wondered what the service had in store for us.
I never wanted to leave. I truly thought my life was ending on that August day in 2010 as the Peter Pan bus pulled off the dirt bumpy road in New Hampshire on its trek back to the Bloomingdales parking lot in Connecticut. The night before, I stood on the shore of New Found Lake looking out at the horizon on my last night, arm and arm with my sisters, tears streaming down our faces as our beloved director quoted, "You never really leave a place you love; part of it you take with you, leaving a part of yourself behind." Throughout the years, I have taken so much of what I learned those seven summers with me. I can undoubtedly say that Camp Wicosuta is the happiest place on earth; my second and most memorable home. Camp was more than just fun even as I smile recalling every campfire, color-war competition, and bunk bonding activity I participated in. It was an opportunity to learn, be independent, apart of an integral community, and thrive in a new and safe environment. I recognize that camp played an essential role in who I am today.
It was the night of the big revival, and Langston, a young boy going on the age of thirteen, was brought to his Aunt Reed’s church to see Jesus and be saved from sin. His aunt told him, “when you were saved from sin you saw a light, and something happened to you inside” (219). He believed her. When he was brought to church, his aunt directed him to the front row, where he sat calmly and patiently in the heat, waiting for the preacher to begin the service. The Preacher welcomed the “young lambs” (219) and started his sermon. Towards the end of his speech he invited the young children to the altar to be saved. At this point, Langston was confused because he was not seeing Jesus before him. All the young boys and girls sprang to their feet except Langston and another boy named Westley. They were the only two left on, what the parishioners of the church called, the “mourners’ bench” (218). Finally, Westley became very restless and decided that he was not going to sit on this bench anymore. Langston was left there all alone until
How do you judge the atrocities committed during a war? In World War II, there were numerous atrocities committed by all sides, especially in the concentration and prisoner of war camps. Europeans were most noted for the concentration camps and the genocide committed by the Nazi party in these camps. Less known is how Allied prisoners were also sent to those camps. The Japanese also had camps for prisoners of war. Which countries’ camps were worse? While both camps were horrible places for soldiers, the Japanese prisoner of war camps were far worse.
It was the summer of 2013 when I was living with my grandparents and they told me about volunteering at the church. I didn’t know what they were talking about, so I took the initiative to go find out for myself that following Sunday. I was in the balcony on Sunday, when I heard the announcements saying we can volunteer for their hope food pantry. I was excited because it was going to be a chance where I can help other and get community service hours. Volunteering I began to think positive thoughts and telling myself “ I am doing a good deed”.
Innocent people are being starved and tortured in secret North Korean camps that the government are trying to hide from the rest of the world. These prisoners are being deprived of nutritious meals, and are being forced to scavenge for barely enough food. These poor people are being deprived of basic human rights, and no person has let anybody know about it, until now.
Churches were packed as people thronged to hear whatever words of consolation and reassurance that their pastors could provide to them. Not infrequently, however, sermons that day were notably short on consolation and reassurance, but long on warning and condemnation of sin.
Shin Dong-hyuk is one of the only prisoners to escape from a North Korean concentration camp. According to Blaine Harden, the author of Escape from Camp 14, Shin lived in one of the toughest camps because of the brutal working conditions, the alertness of the guards, and the state's unforgiving view of the gravity of the inmates' crimes, many of them being officials who were kicked out of office, the government, and the military (5). One of Shin's earliest memories of Camp 14 was an execution. He was four years old and didn’t know what was happening, but the memory would scar him for life, much like the other things that happened in the camp.
Today 's my second day at the camp, and this time I at least have some idea what to expect based on my [experience yesterday](/blurred-lines/). This time though, I 'm interpreting for an American pediatrician who has volunteered for the mission (Thanks Dr. John!).
As my friend Jenni and I entered the hall of the big church, a feeling of apprehension overwhelmed us. Our feelings were soon comforted when we entered a sea of smiling faces and outstretched hands. A sense of belonging engulfed us. Ms. Shirley, an older colored woman was first to extend her arms. She did not know us from Adam, but it did not matter. She threw her arms around us. "You girls have the prettiest smiles", she declared. "I am so glad you came to be with us this morning." Words can not describe what the act of kindness did to our feelings of apprehension, and that was just the beginning.
From the friendships they can make that will last a lifetime, to the distinct memories they have of campfire traditions, camp is laced with immeasurable meaning. The skills that children learn and practice at camp can become a part of their identity, and may even grow into passions that they will continue to pursue as an adult. Whether they want it or not, the songs with constantly haunt them throughout the years and though they claim to hate it, they secretly enjoy the reminder of summer fun and adventure. One thing camp taught me that I find of value today, is to say “yes!” to adventures and working with my team to accomplish outrageously fun challenges and
As a young child, I spent Sundays in the pews of various churches. My extended family had a wide variety of different denominations of Christianity. Some churches had loud music with singing and dancing, others lots of sitting and standing. But the