Well, we made it back from Student Camp.  We spent this past week in Daytona Beach with some of our Crave students for Big Stuf Student Camps and I have to say the week was absolutely nothing short of amazing.  I am so proud of each and every one of our Crave students and what they personally accomplished over this past week.  My mind is just racing with all the stuff that happened this week.  So, let me try to get a few things down. 

Worship was absolutely awesome!!!  The Steve Fee band did a phenomenal job leading the students in worship and helping point them to God.  I loved watching our students really get into worshiping our God.  What I loved the most is by the end of the week our students weren’t concerned about what anyone thought or said, they were just going to worship God in their own way, in freedom.

The messages were through the roof.  Every night I would have at least one student telling me how much God used the messages from the day to challenge and begin to change their lives.  Each speaker and message was just what we all needed to hear (students and leaders alike). 

The beach was pretty much a bust.  Every day when we would have our free time to hit the beach and play some games it would rain.  We did get one seriously awesome game of ultimate Frisbee in and then on Thursday we decided to just go play in the rain anyway. 

Our small group times with the students were amazing.  The students really seemed to enjoy the time and opened up a ton.  My favorite was Wednesday when we combined our small group time with our night games on the beach.  We talked about all the different paths that life offers us and how each path has it’s own destination and how if we travel down those paths together as a group, then we can get through the bumps and detours on the path so much easier.  We then did several team building exercises that I think really helped the students trust and understand each other.  Of course, one of the best parts of small group time was when one of our girls gave her life to Christ – I’m so proud of you!!!

I still have so much to say, but I know this blog is getting a little long and I have to go pack again for a couple days of family time at the beach.  But, let me end by saying; parents, I want to thank you for the awesome privilege of entrusting your students to us this week, for they have taught me a ton. Students, thank you for being so open to what God wanted and wants to do through you. You are the next generation of church leaders. I really believe from the heart that you showed this week that the future of God’s church will be powerful and exciting. I am proud of you all!!!