summer is filled with opportunities for camping experiences across Louisiana and for that matter, across the nation for children and youth in Louisiana’s Southern Baptist churches.
STATEWIDE – Summer is filled with opportunities for camping experiences across Louisiana and for that matter, across the nation for children and youth in Louisiana’s Southern Baptist churches.
Boys’ camps, girls’ camps, missions camps, youth camps, Centri-fuge, M-fuge and more are offered at Louisiana’s associational camps, and at camps hosted by churches.
These provide opportunities to extract youngsters and youth from cell phones and other electronic devices – most camps have ‘rules’ against them – and to connect them with the God who created the universe and everything in it.
Over the last several months the Louisiana Baptist Message has taken an in-depth look at each associational camp (except for Tall Timbers, which will be soon). This week we’re spotlighting two annual camps: One is to help elementary school girls develop a deeper appreciation for missions; One is to help Korean elementary and middle school students develop an understanding of God and His ways, while it also provides them with a cross-cultural experience.
GA CAMP
WOODWORTH – Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center was “completely full” for GA Camp, said Kimberly Williams, Louisiana Baptist Convention’s children/youth missions education strategist.
In all, 215 campers, sponsors and GA Camp staff – with campers from 19 churches – participated in the July 14-17 event.
“It was a very exciting week,” Williams said. “The girls absolutely loved everything about camp, from Bible study to worship and hearing the messages from Bro. Mike.” She was referring to Mike Lanham, youth pastor at First Baptist Westlake.
By week’s end, five girls had made professions of faith, four made rededications and one surrendered to special service as a Christian dramatist.
Camp missionaries were Angie and Charlie Lechner, assigned by the International Mission Board to the southeastern African coast, serving during their stateside assignment at First Baptist Minden. Katie Boles and Kayla Ash led worship; Kathy Frady served as dramatist.
Crafts included nameplates, ceramic watering cans and sandcrafted crosses. Camptivity times included decorative collage, creative movement and drama. Other activities included paddle boats, high ropes, water slides, swimming and “blind kickball” – a game that involved developing trust in others.
“It was a great week,” Williams said. “To see their excitement for missions thrilled me. They learned they could be a missionary right here in North America, right here in Louisiana.”