Impact Camp Blog 2009

Last night we had an overflow crowd at the Villenas’ home for Impact@home prayer time. Before he left for camp, Tim Albury was so kind as to write a summary version of the curriculum that the family groups are using in their time together. We went over the curriculum and read key verses so that parents would be equipped to follow up with their students after Impact 2009 ends.

You always get great parenting tips from other godly parents and this night was no exception. After we discussed the curriculum, parents began sharing opportunities for how to get involved in missions here at home. Beginning with the many ongoing projects headed by our own Community Ministries team and expanding to other well-known local ministries, these parents brainstormed a wide variety of family-friendly ways to help our students walk in the commitments they are making at camp. We are compiling a list of ministries — complete with policies for student volunteers, contact names and phone numbers/email addresses/websites — to make connecting for service a little easier.

Then we shared the special hot-of-the-presses prayer requests that Chris sent just prior to the meeting time. They were:

1. SAFETY - protection from injury and illness on land and in the water.
2. HEALING - proper healing of injuries sustained thus far at camp with no complications in the process of getting better. (And a little added protection to those injured who chose to stay at camp instead of coming home… we added that one ourselves.)
3. PARENTS - that parents will engage with students to nurture spiritual maturity and help students be faithful to the commitments they made at camp.
4. COUNSELORS - wisdom in dealing with various and diverse needs of campers.
5. COMMITMENTS - that the commitments made will be real.
6. STUDENTS - that the students will have and express Christian love for each other.

For the first time ever at an Impact@home meeting, we had to break into two groups to pray in order to give everyone an opportunity to pray.  What a sweet time we had going before the throne of the Most High to intercede on behalf of our students, counselors, leadership team, pastors, speakers, and families.

While there were many parents who attended the meeting, there were many others who contacted us to let us know that  for one reason or another — childcare issues, illness, ministry conflicts, travel, etc. — they were unable to be at the Villenas’ home but were praying along with us for camp.  What a blessing to know the prayer net was so wide!

We are excited our kids will be home tomorrow, but we know that the end of camp means the beginning of our job as parents to nurture those seeds planted at Impact 2009.