Counselor/Camper Interviews 2018
Posted by phil
Posted in Boys, News | Tagged Adventure, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Campers, Discipleship, Ridgercest Summer Camps | Leave a reply
“Adventure at Home” by Preston Morris
Posted by sam
I love camp’s mission: Impacting Lives for God’s glory through discipleship and adventure. It is incredible to think about that idea being lived out summer to summer, for almost one hundred years- the Lord has built up men through generations at Camp Ridgecrest. 2017 was no different. Serving the mighty Arapaho tribe stands as one of the most impactful experiences of my life. Yes, we boogied through spicy hoedowns, acted like dads, and celebrated Bob Ross. More importantly, campers asked their counselors about what being a man of God looks like. Young men stepped forward and gave their lives to Jesus in front of their camp family. We formed and solidified brotherly relationships that will last us more than a lifetime.
This summer, I heard so many campers express something along the lines of, “Man, I wish the real world was like camp.” They talked about how much easier it would be to thrive at home if they had a community of men, and more spaces for Jesus like those we so joyfully embrace at Ridgecrest. I want to challenge that thinking. I think that camp is the real world. Living in community, having spaces for Jesus, challenging each other and ourselves daily- that is what we have been called to in Christ. So instead of saying, “I wish the real world was like camp,” I think we should be saying, “Hey, let’s make my home world more like Camp Ridgecrest.” I deeply believe that discipleship and adventure can happen every day at home, but you have to fight for it! Many of us have experienced life change at camp, so let’s take that to our friends. Why not take a hike with some school friends and ask them what they think about Jesus? Why not start playing two square in your neighborhood and using your time in line to build brotherly relationships with your neighbors? Why not organize your own Battle for Middle Earth in your cul-de-sac, and have mom grab some popsicles to top off the night?
Right now I live in Texas, but I am traveling to college campuses all across the country to equip men to be strong followers of Jesus on their campus. In a lot of these interactions, I bring up camp – I explain how Ridgecrest models discipleship and adventure, and I encourage men to seek those things in their lives on campus. In a sense, I am bringing the camp world, the real world, to the culture of college campuses. I encourage you to act similarly. This is what men do. Instead of only taking from experiences, we grow up, and we give or lead into the experiences of others. So, brother, if you are missing quiet time at camp, wake up early and make that space for yourself. If you miss the devotions from your cabin, see if your church has small groups, and plug into that community. If you miss your counselors or your TL, find an older guy in your community who you know is following Jesus, and ask him to invest in your life. All of these great things we love about camp feed something deeper within us: adventure. John Eldridge says, “Adventure, with all its requisite danger and wildness, is a deeply spiritual longing written into the soul of man.” That longing you have for adventure, the longing that is fulfilled every time you come to Ridgecrest, North Carolina, seeks to be fed right where you are. Feed it.
L.O.L. – Lots of Love,
Chief Esteemed Grizzly
Posted in Echoes From Final Fire | Tagged Adventure, Arapaho, Back Home, Camp Ridgecrest, Christian, Discipleship, Preston Morris, summer camp | Leave a reply