Camping and camp meetings have long been a part of our heritage as Advent Christians. Multitudes of people have heard the gospel and the news of Jesus’ soon return, faith has been built up and many have come to faith in Jesus Christ through camp ministry. This has been made possible through the sacrifice, commitment and hard work of generations of faithful men and women who have given of their time, energy and talents to build and maintain the campgrounds and who make sure the programs happen each year.
Over the last couple of weeks, I have been a beneficiary of the blessings camp meetings provide. July 20-24 I was privileged to serve as Bible teacher at the Mechanic Falls Campmeeting in Mechanic Falls, Maine. Established in 1889, Mechanic Falls Campground has faithfully nurtured the faith of multiple generations of children and adults. Each day featured times of teaching, a VBS for children, fellowship and food lovingly prepared and served by a great kitchen staff. Each night a great worship team led by Joel Brown from Crossroads Church in Ossipee, N.H. led us in musical worship. Rev. Josh Baker from Tabernacle Advent Christian Church in Lenoir, N.C. served as the evangelist, preaching an excellent series of messages on the theme “Jesus is the Better…” exploring how Jesus is better than all the prophets, priests and kings who went before him. It was a great week to renew and be refreshed in our faith.
Monday, July 27, I traveled a bit closer to home and visited Family Camp at the Appalachian Advent Christian Campground in Blowing Rock, N.C. The theme for the week focuses on holiness and I had the honor to preach that night on the holiness of God from Isaiah 6:1-7. Later this week, I head to Alton Bay, which has served Christ for 163 years.
Experiencing these camps is a great reminder of the power of camp, why it means so much to so many people and how it continues to be a powerful force for the advancement of the gospel and the building up of the church. Thank you to both Mechanic Falls and the Appalachian Family Camp for allowing me to be part of these wonderful ministries this year. Please be in prayer for all our camps, some which are meeting even now and for those who steward these vital kingdom resources.
