Our first Junior High camp for the summer is over, with over 170 campers heading home to tell their families all about their week. We are sad to see everyone go, but so joyful to know that they met God at Camp and had some of The Funnest Fun they will have all year!
While today is a Closing Rally for campers and parents, our traditional last night Campfire was definitely a closing rally of its own for these campers.
We sang all the classic action songs, played our final round of Gorilla Gets the Man, and even went on a Lion Hunt with Bobber Bill! The Campfire was also a time to reflect on the week. Bobber Bill called up ten campers to share how God had worked in their lives over the course of week – it was incredible to hear their stories and to see their bravery in sharing before the entire Camp! We finished off the Campfire with a mighty Praise God! yell, which could be heard echoing across Cedar Lake!
This morning, it was time to pack up and welcome parents back to Camp for our Closing Rally day! Campers were recognized for their many achievements throughout the week (Polar Dip, cabin points, biggest fish, to name a few!) and got to demonstrate their memorized verses for all the parents (Colossians 3:12-14).
We also heard from our speaker, Rocky Hovda, one last time. He commissioned the campers once again to live like Knights of the Lord’s Table. Here’s a message from Rocky:
“What an amazing week of transformation in the lives of your young Knights in training! So, what does it mean to be a KNIGHT of the LORD’s TABLE? I gave students a tour of my own Heroes of Faith that molded me. As I shared stories of growth and challenge, such as learning obedience, not complaining, and waiting on the Lord, I would share a person who modeled that from my own life and a ‘forever verse’ that reminds me of this hero in my own life.
After many kids made a decision for Christ (PRAISE GOD!), we took a journey inward. I used the short story, ‘My Heart, Christ’s Home,’ to take them thru the rooms of their heart, challenging them with next steps. (Read it, it is powerful!) I wrapped up the week with 12 qualities of a Knight! Thanks for letting me speak into the lives of your students. What a blessing!”
- Knights do what is right, even when they are alone! (Genesis 6:58; 7:1; Daniel 6)
- Knights embrace the unknown. (Genesis 12)
- Knights endure in spite of circumstances. (Genesis 37; Romans 12:12; Col. 1:11-12; Gal. 6:9; Rev. 3:10; James 1:12; 2 Thes. 3:13; Prov. 3:5-6; Luke 21:19; 1 Cor. 9:24-27)
- Knights stand beside their own. (Exodus 3)
- Knights lead by example. (Joshua 24; 1 Tim. 4:12; 1 Peter 5:3; Hebrews 13:7; 1 Cor. 11:1; Phil. 4:9; James 3:1-18)
- Knights do not fear dragons, ogres…or giants! (1 Samuel 17)
- Knights rise to the occasion. (Isaiah 6:1-8)
- Knights challenge the foolish. (John 3)
- Knights are servants. (John 13:6-17)
- Knights are passionate. (Acts 9)
- Knights own their failures. (Luke 22:54-62, then Acts 2)
- Knights have ONE KING! (1 Timothy 2:5; Isaiah 43:11; Matt. 6:24; 1 Cor. 8:6; Rev. 1:8 and about 80 more!)
Take Camp Home: Take one of these bullet points every day and read through the verse(s) with your camper! Talk about what it looks like to be a Knight of the Lord’s Table in practical ways. Ask your camper what they learned about living for Christ while at Camp this summer.
As we always say, at the end of every Closing Rally, pies will fly!
And it wouldn’t be a Closing Rally without thanking the One who made the whole week at Camp possible. Linking hands with everyone, the whole Camp shouted “Thank You, God, for a really great WEEK!”
It really was a truly wonderful week. We are so thankful for the amazing staff and volunteers who invested into the lives of these 170+ campers, to the parents who chose to send their campers here, and to the campers themselves for genuinely making this place #TheFunnestFun! To Victory – and see you next summer!
To continue following the story throughout the summer, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We love to keep you updated on Camp Lebanon all year long! Also, you can find all the pictures from this week on Facebook at the link below.
For higher quality pictures from the week that you can download, head to this link!
