MONTHLY ARCHIVES: March 2018

Seeking to Save

Posted by Karah

PAUSE

As you reflect on your day, ask Jesus to bring to mind one person you can share the gospel with.

The words Jesus said and the deeds He did during His ministry served to prepare people and help them understand what He would soon accomplish on the cross. As you read today’s Scripture, pay attention to how His encounter with Zacchaeus revealed the true purpose of His earthly ministry.

“’Today salvation has come to this house,’ Jesus told him, ‘because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.’” —Luke 19:9-10

Read Luke 19:1-10 in your Bible

• Read verses 3–4 again. Underline the words “running” and “climbed.” These actions were considered undignified for a grown man in that day. How do these actions reveal Zacchaeus’ desperation to see Jesus? Explain.

• Circle the word “must” (v. 5). Now, read verse 10. Why was it so important for Jesus to go to Zacchaeus’ house?

• How was Zacchaeus changed after this personal encounter with Jesus? What evidence do you see of conviction?

• How do the words of verse 9 and 10 reveal the purpose of Jesus’ ministry?

RESPOND

Jesus sought out a tax collector, a notorious sinner and went to His house. Jesus didn’t ask Zaccheus to repent before He stayed with Him. Jesus took the gospel to Zacchaeus. Today Jesus continues to pursue the lost, seeking to win their hearts with the offer of salvation.

• In your journal, draw a line down the middle of the page to create two columns. On one side, record Jesus’ actions in the passage—He sought, invited, lodged with, and brought the gospel. In the other column, list ideas for how you can do these same things to help others see how Jesus loves and pursues them.

BEHIND THE STORY

As a tax collector in Jericho, Zacchaeus would have been labeled as corrupt and a traitor. The Romans had invaded Israel and collected taxes from their new subject nation. Many collectors charged more than necessary to pad their own salaries. As a Jew, Jesus’ interaction with a tax collector would have been considered scandalous.

THE POINT

Jesus came to seek and save the lost—and He’s still doing so today.


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Songs to know before you come to camp!

Posted by Karah

If you’ve been to camp before you probably know that we sing  A LOT of songs and if you have never been to camp well GET READY because we sing A LOT of songs!

So there are many times at camp where we all like to break out in song, kind of like our very own musical! Some songs are more traditional to camp, like the songs we sing at Campfire night or at Council of Progress, but others are classics to everyone and you probably might have heard them at home!

 

Here’s a list of some of our FAVORITE songs we sing and why we sing them!

“A-la-la-la-le- luia”: This is the song we start off every Campfire night with. In this song we get to shake each others hands, scratch each others backs and mess with each others hair! Who wouldn’t want to join in on that!

“I Just Want to be a Sheep”: This is one of our Executive Director, Ron Springs’, favorite songs to sing with campers. It is so much fun getting to ‘ba ba ba ba ba’ with all of your cabin pals and do silly hand motions that go along with it.

“Pharaoh, Pharaoh”: Another classic song with more fun hand motions for campers to dance a long too. You have to remember with this song to sing from your soul and get super into it!

“Lord I Lift Your Name on High”: You might have sung this song growing up in church and it was one of our favorites as well! We sing this song at campfire night to transition into a more reflected part of the evening.

“Sanctuary”: Campers love to echo this song when we sing it to end campfire night. It allows us to settle in for a night of good conversation and discussion around the fire with all of our close camp friends.

“The Mountains Rise”: This is a very traditional part of our Council of Progress night. We sing this song at every CP to help us reflect and remind us of why we come to camp and that is to grow in our relationship with Christ.

“KiYi”: This is the very first song we sing to get the Dinner cheers started. It is a tradition and is the best way to get everyone pumped up for the evening!

“Do Re Mi” from the Sound of Music: This is always a crowd favorite because almost everyone knows this song. Campers love to dance around the dining hall and yell all the words at the top of their lungs.

“Happiness is”: DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE! This song is dedicated to all of the hard work the staff and campers put into every summer. Each person has a different job to do but we all come together united finding happiness together with our camp family.

“I Love the Mountains, I Love the Rolling Hills”: A dinner time favorite where we all stand up on our chairs and stomp to the boom-di-ada rhythm that echoes throughout the dining hall. You know it is a great night when we all end on the same stomp!

“Hey Look Me Over”: Make sure your water cup isn’t filled at dinner because it will surely be knocked over during this camp favorite. Get ready for lots of banging on tables and yells in this classic camp tune. The words can get a bit confusing so be sure to look at the words in our song book below!

“Farther Along”: This last song we sing at dinner to close out the evening. It is a combination of KiYi and Farther Along to give it a little Crestridge touch.

“I Want to Linger”: We sing this on the very last night of camp. You can bet tears will be shed, but we also get to be reminded about all the wonderful friendships we made here and all the lessons we have learned that we now get to take home with us. “It’s just goodnight and not good bye.”

“Climb Every Mountain” from the Sound of Music: We sing this song at the end of each session as a farewell to all of our campers. It is a bittersweet time because we come together one last time with our friends and family and reflect on all the awesome memories we made at camp before we have to head back home until the next summer.

 

Other ones to look at to get yourself ready are: Crestridge Reputation Blues, Crestridge Cutie Cutie Pie, Kitty Kitty Wash Wash, Change My Heart O God, Hiya Hiya, Oh You Can’t Get to Heaven, Joy Joy Joy, Boom Boom Gee Whiz

If you would like to learn the words to any of these songs, click on the song sheet below!

Crestridge_Song_Sheet

We can’t wait to sing and shout with you ALL summer! It is going to be grrrrrreat! Get here already!


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Doing vs. Being

Posted by Karah

PAUSE

Jot down anything that may distract you from your time in the Word. Ask God to help you set aside other concerns and focus on what He has to say to you today.

“The Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.’”
—Luke 10:41-42

Read Luke 10:38-42 in your Bible

• Based on the events recorded, how would you describe Mary and Martha?

Mary                                                                                                                                       Martha

 

 

• If you were Martha, would you have been upset with Mary? Why or why not?

• How did Jesus help Martha see beyond her own priorities to what was truly important? Explain.

Jesus didn’t demean Martha’s desire to serve Him, but He gently reminded her that it was more important to spend time with Him and learn from Him. Sometimes even good things can distract you from connecting with Jesus on a deeper level.

RESPOND

Serving God and doing good things in His name should never take the place of your relationship with Him.

• Think about some of the ways you serve God and jot them down in your journal.

• How might these responsibilities, or commitments become a distraction from spending time learning from Jesus?

• Examine your heart—is Jesus your top priority? Spend some time in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you answer this question.

• Close your eyes and reflect on your day. Would people see Jesus through the way you live? How do you interact with others? React to frustrations? Consider most important? Journal your thoughts.

• For further study on godly priorities, read Exodus 20:3; Matthew 6:33; and Luke 12:34.

BEHIND THE STORY

This was likely Jesus’ first encounter with Mary and Martha. In John 11, Jesus returned to Bethany to raise their brother Lazarus from the dead. John 11:2 mentioned Jesus’ previous connection to
these women, identifying Mary as the one who anointed Jesus with oil and wiped His feet with her hair. This and the use of the phrase “the one You love” (v. 3) indicated a friendship between Jesus and their family.

THE POINT

As believers, seeking Jesus should be our top priority.


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2018 SALTs

Posted by Ashley Genoble

The SALT program is a unique Service And Leadership Training experience for girls completing their junior year in high school. The SALTs serve in a variety of ways around camp including dishes, preparing for campwides, spending time with campers and so much more. We are so excited to have these girls join us this summer!

Session 1 & 2

Session 3 & 4

  


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Did you know?

Posted by Karah

Did you know the height of the rock wall? Did you know how many gallons of water are in the Crestridge pool? Did you know how many hours you will spend at camp this summer? Well now you do!!!!!! Here are 14 fun facts that you should know about Camp Crestridge:

 

1. There will be 46 camper cabins at camp this summer!

2. There are up to 67 different snack options at store

3. During one session, you are at camp for a total of 288 hours

4. Your cabin will be cleaned at least 56 times this summer

5. There are 142,000 gallons of water in the Crestridge pool

6. The blob tower is 23 feet tall from the top of the tower to the bottom of the lake

7. There are 125 steps on the Ridge stairs

8. This summer will be our 64th summer as a camp

9. The laundry staff will do at least 2,400 loads of laundry this summer

10. The rock wall is 30 feet tall

11. The kitchen staff will serve 86,400 meals during camp this summer

12. There are currently 76 fire pits at camp

13. The Choctaw village has won the Crestridge Cup 2 times more than any other village at camp

14. The zipline is 325 feet long


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Like a Child

Posted by Karah

PAUSE

Think back on your childhood. Try to remember How people took care of you and provided for you. Ask God to help you see how He provides for you also.

“When Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me. Don’t stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’” —Mark 10:14-15

Read Mark 10:13-16 in your Bible.

Childlike frailty and dependence can be seen as a burden or weakness. Jesus saw this group of children as worthy recipients of His time, as well as a perfect illustration for the disciples. They still hadn’t grasped that the only way to share in His blessings would be to confess total weakness and dependence upon Him.

• How would you compare your faith in Christ to the dependence of a child?

• What would it take for you to have childlike faith, remaining completely dependent on Him?

• Why is it important that Christians realize that redemption isn’t dependent upon them keeping rules or being good, instead they must totally rely on Jesus?

RESPOND

• Do you remember when you first realized your need for Jesus? Journal about your experience.

• In your journal, list a few areas of your life you struggle to give over to Jesus. Pray and ask God to show you how to live completely dependent upon Him.

• For further study on dependence on God read Proverbs 3:5; Jeremiah 17:7-8; and Philippians 4:19.

BEHIND THE STORY

In Jesus’ time, parents often took their children to see the Rabbi so he could lay his hands on the children and bless them. However, children were often seen as insignificant, so it is possible
that the disciples were trying to protect Jesus’ time when they turned the children away.

THE POINT

We must come to Christ like children, knowing we are utterly dependent upon Him for salvation.


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If I would’ve been a camper

Posted by Sharon

 

I came to camp the day after I graduated from High School as a JET (Jr. Counselor). I remember earlier in my Senior year of High School I was trying to figure out what I wanted to study in college and where I wanted to go. I had two strong desires. One was to be a Marine Mammal Biologist. I seriously wanted to go to school on the beach somewhere and study marine mammals, like manatees, dolphins, whales, etc. As I was looking at schools, I realized that’s not the direction the Lord wanted me to go. My other desire was to work in camping ministry. I loved volunteering with my youth group and I loved the mountains and the outdoors. I had one problem though. I had never worked at a summer camp. So I started googling my options. I knew I wanted to be close to Greenville, SC, my home. Asheville seemed like the best location. I applied to The Cove Camp because of a connection there but they had already filled their positions. Then I found Camp Crestridge. I eventually was hired and made the trek up to camp after graduation.

What some of you don’t know is that this was COMPLETELY out of my comfort zone. I had never left home and gone to a place where I knew almost no one. I had never spent that much time away from home in a place I had never been to. I was very nervous. I was shy, I had a hard time putting myself out there and meeting new people. But thankfully the camp staff saw beyond that and gave me a chance. Something else you probably don’t know about me is that as I was growing up, if I left my parents for more than a couple days, I would literally make myself sick because I missed them. I wanted to be in the safety of my own home. So going to camp my first summer was a HUGE step for me. It was the best thing to prepare me for college and the rest of my life. The Lord knew what He was doing!

That was a life-changing summer. I worked with the Choctaw campers. We had some fun times in Choctaw 4, lots of laughter, times to talk about Jesus, dance parties, etc. I also worked with an amazing group of staff. We supported and loved each other and wanted to lead our campers well. Thankfully, the Lord allowed me to be fully present and not focus on missing home!

I’ve always thought, “What would I have been like as a camper? Would I have been able to handle it? Would I have enjoyed it?” I do think I would have struggled with missing home. I think I would have been visiting the Infirmary quite a bit saying I didn’t feel well and needed to go home. I would have tried to say I came down with a stomach bug. But I would have loved all the activities. I would have loved making new friends from places I had never been before. I would have loved having counselors who wanted to spend time with me and loved me.

Campers are brave! It takes a lot of courage to come to camp. But those who make that decision probably don’t realize the incredible impact it will have on their future. They may not see how it’s instilling confidence and independence. They may not see how it’s allowing them to try new things, to see if they like a hobby that could turn into a future career. They may not see how much growth comes from pushing themselves to complete a challenge. It would have been very hard for me to stay at camp, away from my family, but I wonder how it would have shaped me. Thankfully the Lord used other experiences to grow me into the woman I am today. He used and is using my time on staff to continue to draw me closer to Him and impact lives for His glory. I’m thankful that God has placed me at such a special place called Camp Crestridge!


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