Houseboats 2017 was a huge success. This was the third Houseboat trip for Canyon Springs church and boy did word spread about this trip. We went from 115 to 150 kids. To see this many kids want to come to this camp was quite amazing and we are grateful to be at a church that supports reaching the youth in San Diego.

I wanted to share with you one story from Houseboats that just shows the impact a trip like this can have. It was the last night of worship on Thursday night and we had all of the graduates brought down in front of everyone. As always, I said a little encouragement to them and then I had everyone come down. There was around 160 people that came down and surrounded the graduates. I told them that if they wanted to pray for the graduates they could. Of course, I expected the kids to take turns and pray one after another. Instead, when I said go, all the kids started praying at the same time. We let it go on for 5 minutes and when it quieted down the kids stayed together and worshipped. It was one of the most powerful things I have experienced as their pastor.

As I looked out in the crowd I noticed something. What Canyon Springs is all about was being clearly represented. One of our values here at Canyon Springs is, Investing into the Next Generation…As I looked out at large group of people I thought about all of the different testimonies that were represented by these incredible kids and leaders. As I was gazing, I landed on two specific groups of girls.

Addison Rucker and Lisa Coulapidas had led Cassidy Davis (graduating senior girl) for years of her life (4+years) and now Cassidy was leading a group of incoming freshman. What was crazy is that this Houseboat trip would be Addison, Lisa, and Cassidy’s last trip. Cassidy will be going to college in San Luis Obispo and Lisa and Addison’s girls are graduating. Now, it is the next generations turn as Cassidy’s “girls” whom she has led through Middle School now have their first Houseboat trip. It was great to see what was going on here. Total intergenerational discipleship..Addison and Lisa poured into Cassidy and Cassidy poured into these freshman girls.

That is what investing into the next generation is all about. My prayer is that these incoming freshman would enjoy their time in high school but most of all would grow close with their Father in Heaven. Who knows, maybe in four years, those incoming freshman girls will have a group of their own that they are investing into and crying with as they leave for college.

This is why we do Houseboats. While we did jump off a 30 foot cliff, pulled the students on a tube while the boat was going 20+ MPH, and did flips off the back of a houseboat. God did other things. Here is a list of what He did through the leaders and staff…..

  • Created a safe environment for kids to share what is really going on in their lives
  • Showed kids that church can be fun and that God can be fun
  • Connections were made that will change lives
  • Life long memories were made

 

Thank you Canyon Springs family for supporting this youth group,

 

Chad Richards

Houseboats 2017 Recap Video

Houseboats 2017 Pictures