CREEKSIDE  2018

I think 64 middle schoolers and a race to eat a 30 person sundae at camp says it all –messy, sweet, great.  Creekside 2018 was a blast. The God takeaways were epic. Ministry to middle schoolers is definitely different than to high schoolers.  One key takeaway happened during cabin time with a group of 7th grade boys, I asked them, “Who grew up in the church?” To no surprise for kids this age they all raised their hands. Camp was going to be about challenging them to take their faith outside of the walls of Canyon Springs.  That night I painted the picture for these 7th graders. “What would it look like next year if we had some friends here that didn’t raise their hand when I asked that question?” What if we invited some people that didn’t grow up in the church and gave them the opportunity to meet Jesus for the first time.  After our discussion that night these boys left fired up to reach out to their friends that do not know Christ. That’s what it’s all about right? Canyon Springs is all about “the one.”

As adults, we understand that first and foremost our relationship with God comes first, but we also know that it does not end there. We all come to a point in our faith when we ask, “What’s next?” Well, we at Canyon Springs believe that what is next is reaching out to the “next one.” That’s what Jesus did. He ran after the one lost sheep. He searched for the one lost coin. It was always about the one. My prayer for these middle schoolers is that they would continue to take what they have learned at camp and use the tools they received that week.  Part of the application is for them to reach out to their peers who have not heard the message of Jesus.

 

So many reasons to celebrate and thank God for Creekside!

  • 64 Kids got away from the craziness of life to intentionally hear from God and experience Him.
  • Kids came home with new friends that they did not have before.
  • Every single kid had an intentional one on one with a leader that cares about them.
  • 9 kids accepted Jesus for the first time in their life.
  • 43 kids recommited their life to Christ, admitting that they had fallen away from their faith and wanted to come back to Jesus.

 

Thanks so much for reading! I are so grateful that we have a church that loves to invest into the next generation.

God Bless,

Pastor Chad Richards

Creekside Highlight Video 2018