Freezing the Faith | Spiritual Experiences Cultivate Commitments to Christ

-

FREEZING THE FAITH

by Alex Hardt, Associate Pastor to Youth and Young Adults

1One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2and he began to teach them. – Matthew 5:1-2

FROZEN FOR GOD

This month I get the amazing blessing of taking Middle School, High School, and Young Adults to winter camps/retreats. Yes, I get the joy of standing in the freezing cold waiting for mystery meat for dinner, sleeping in a smelly cold cabin (middle school boy cabins should require hazmat suits), and shaking in my boots hoping I don’t get frost bite. Okay it’s not that bad except for the middle school boys’ cabins and the fact that it’s seriously cold. I could go on and on about how cold it is, but the truth is these experiences are fun, filled with truth, build community, and give students opportunities. When Jesus went to the mount with his disciples I’m sure it wasn’t the most pleasant of environment, they are on a mountain, but Jesus utilizes this opportunity away from everything to pour truth into his disciples, help them realize the value of community, and give them an opportunity to respond. Sometimes we need to “Freeze the Faith” by creating spiritual experiences away from life in order to deepen our commitments to Christ aka camps, conferences, retreats.

TRUTH

Camps and retreats provide a chance for youth, young adults, and adults to hear the Gospel truth in a different way than they probably have before. Normally we sit in church with our phones strapped to us like the next greatest natural disaster is about to happen, prepped to respond at a moment’s notice. At camps and retreats we escape the distractions of technology and life to encounter God. Speakers share their personal stories, counselors share with students, questions are encouraged, and, most importantly, the Gospel is presented. The unfamiliar environment, the change of community, and the shift in the Gospel presentation makes us more conscious of the message presented to us. It’s why after hearing the truth presented many times over in church services in a similar fashion, it can become stale and why at camps and retreats people suddenly feel called to respond to the same message they heard at church.

“Don’t tell me you can’t hear from God, when your book (Bible) is closed.”- Bryant Garcia

COMMUNITY

There is nothing like getting together with some of your closest friends and spending a weekend away. It’s just different than going out to lunch or hanging out for an hour or too. Your spending 36 waking hours at a weekend retreat with individuals whom you can’t escape, at some point those walls, yes you know the ones you have built up over your lifetime, will disintegrate and you will begin to be vulnerable with those you know and those you just met for the first time. It is after the service when questions are asked, and conversations happen. It’s walking from the cabins to the mess hall or standing in line waiting for food or late at night around a campfire. To add on to that, there are camp/retreat leaders investing into you. One of the things I love about camp/retreats is that I’m encountering people who I might not normally associate with. I am sitting across from individuals who have different backgrounds, like different things, have different political views, watch shows I would never watch and do things I have no interest in but for some reason we have been able to connect with.

“I’ve been asking God for a community and what I realized today that this is my community.” – A student at the end of Winter Camp

OPPORTUNITY

Camps/retreats provide an opportunity for us to make time for God, to reboot, develop spiritual habits, and make commitments to God. We are not bound by a schedule or to do list. We are free to open ourselves up to what God is saying to us and respond likewise. This last month we had three students give their lives to Christ and over 10 other students recommit their lives to Christ. Praise God! I don’t know whether these students would have responded the same outside of these experiences. What I do know is that each of these students need to put a pause on life (aka Freeze the Faith) and experience God without the distractions. When Jesus took the disciples away to be with him on the mountain it was an experience unlike any other and they were different because of it. Spiritual experiences cultivate commitments for Christ. What are you willing to experience?

Practically Speaking | How might we Invest Well?

  • Recognize the need for devoted time with God away from the chaos of life
  • Create space in your calendar each year for at least one camp/retreat
  • Pray about how you might surrender your calendar and time over to God
  • Sign up for a camp/retreat.

Resource

Covenant Camps/Retreats- http://pswc.org/

Mission Springs Camps- https://www.missionsprings.com/

 


Popular posts from this blog

Leadership Tools 13- Speaking and Testimony

-
Image
Awww... Oh gosh what do I say... what if I say it wrong and my pits start sweating... or my lucky socks are dirty that day... What do I do!?! Speaking is difficult particularly when you're speaking in front of a crowd of people you don't know well.  Being in front of friends and family is usually easier cause those close to you will give you a bit more grace.  Speaking in front of adults is hard, but teens eeeeekkk.  After 14 years in ministry I still get the shakes before speaking.  It can be totally scary at times and a total blast other times. Remember to smile and have fun!  I am going to share a few tips I picked up along the way.  I also love this article by Kurt Johnson that was published in 2016 and thought hey I should share this too. I speak not for myself but for those without voice... those who have fought for their rights... their right to live in peace, their right to be treated with dignity, their right to equality of opportunity, their right to be educated
Read more

Hope Unites

-
Image
HOPE UNITES By Alex Hardt Did you know when the sun set at night sailors   used the stars  to navigate? Stars move across the sky from east to west and some stars called rise and set stars begin and end their nightly path below the horizon. Sailors determined their heading by watching the movement of the stars the same way they watched the sun’s movement. Stars give sailors hope. No matter where they are on earth, they how to determine their direction based upon the stars. They know that if they just follow the stars they will eventually arrive at their destination. One of the things I have come to recognize is that God is like the stars in heaven. Our life can be overflowing with joy or overwhelmed by pain and yet God remains the same. Wherever we are on this planet He will guide us. I can trust in His direction because He is the one who has been here since the beginning of time and will be here through all of eternity. This gives me great hope in knowing that the one who g
Read more

Leadership Tools 9- Managing Confidentiality

-
Image
Are you barking up the wrong tree?!? Working with teens is a tricky thing.  You want to earn their trust, but there is a fine line between earning their trust and forgetting that your primary responsibility is to keep them safe.  And yes sometimes keeping them safe means breaking confidentiality.  After 14 years in ministry I know that at times it can be trick and that each situation is needs to be handled differently, but there are some basic guidelines to help us navigate these tricky times. "So I've been smoking with some friends lately." James tone seemed to indicated that he wasn't talking about cigarettes. "You mean you were smoking pot?" "Yeah." Then a pause. "Wait, are you going to tell my parents, come on I trust you, your not going to tell my parents are you?" How might you respond to a question like that?... Do we tell the parents right away... Do we work with the student in hopes they will tell their parents?... Do
Read more