My Original Home In The Woods Site At Camp

I'm sitting at the fire bowl where my group met the very first year I came to Camp Adventure. That was a long time ago.

Because I've been serving Christ at Camp Adventure for so many years, a reporter interviewed me last month and asked, "Why?"  Here is the article she wrote after that interview.

“Granger Community Church continues a legacy at Camp Adventure”
     Senior Pastor Mark Beeson in his 35th year of camp ministry
                                                                                   -  By Kim Rupp

A week at Camp Adventure will change your life. Just ask Mark Beeson. When he was in sixth grade, Mark attended Camp Adventure. It was there he dedicated his life to Christ and received his call to ministry. “That clarified the trajectory of my life from that moment on,” Mark said.

Today, Mark serves as Senior Pastor of Granger Community Church (GCC), one of the country’s fastest-growing churches. In 1986, Mark and his wife Sheila started GCC in their living room with only ten attendees. Today, GCC attendance exceeds 5,000 each weekend at their facility in Granger, Ind., near South Bend.

Since that initial week at Camp Adventure, Mark has been no stranger to the camp in Pierceton, Ind. He has attended Camp Adventure every summer for at least one week during the past 35 years.

Camp Adventure is part of Impact 2818, the camping ministry of the North Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. The ministry makes disciples for Jesus Christ by creating short-term communities in which persons experience the Christian faith.

Mark continues to return to Camp Adventure because of the part it plays in his ministry at GCC. The atmosphere at camp mirrors the church’s mission to help people take their next step toward Christ together. “One of the great advantages of camp in our church context is the carryover benefit of relationships,” Mark said. Students are able to develop relationships with their counselors and other campers and return home with those who shared their experience and can keep them accountable.

“Camp gives a safety rope that is tied tight to the young Christians,” Mark said. “When they get home from camp, and camp is a part of the local church ministry, they don’t fall very far before their friends and counselors see they’re slipping and rush to the rescue.”

When a church is involved in camping ministry, it facilitates the ongoing success of the camper’s walk of faith and the continued growth of the local church ministry. “If the local church is not involved with the conference camping program, then a kid can fall a long way before anyone notices, because no one was there when they made their commitment,” Mark said.

To encourage community growth, GCC brings counselors from their church to facilitate the camp programs. The directors understand each counselor’s strengths and discern where each individual would fit best. “At GCC, we know there are certain people who have very specific gifting,” said D. C. Curry, Director of Student Ministries at GCC. “What we do is try to find every single place to plug them into the areas they’re gifted.”

Selecting counselors is not an easy task. This year, approximately 90 individuals applied for counselor positions, but only 48 were selected for the two weeks of camp. “The counselors who do get selected to participate in the camp are top-notch, sold-out, high capacity individuals,” Mark said. “They are the kind of people that you would love for your (child) to grow up and be like. They have integrity, great faith and servant hearts.”

Camp gives the counselors more than an opportunity to pour into the lives of the students. It allows them to develop their leadership skills. “I believe that our camping program is building some of the greatest leaders for the church as it empowers young people to be counselors,” Mark said.

The directors realize that junior high students are at a crucial point in their lives. That is one of the reasons why they chose Camp Adventure. “(Camp Adventure) intersects the lives of young people at the very point in time when they are making pivotal, life changing, future-impacting decisions,” Mark said.

“What we want is a place for kids to connect with Christ and take a step of faith; connect with counselors who will inspire and lead them courageously, wisely and well; build memories of significant spiritual encounters; and build community that goes home with them,” Mark said.

GCC facilitates two identical weeks of programming at Camp Adventure. The first week was June 16-21 and the second runs July 7-12. Seventy-five campers attended camp the first week and 137 registered for the July session.

“Camp is really the hub of the wheel that our ministry revolves around,” D.C. said. After the week of camp, GCC offers opportunities for students to stay connected once they return home. GCC provides numerous summer events for students. They also offer an all-church baptism in the fall and Bible studies throughout the year.

After 35 years at Camp Adventure, something keeps bringing Mark back. Discover it for yourself.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-2 -  "Honor and enjoy your Creator while you're still young, Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes, before your vision dims and the world blurs And the winter years keep you close to the fire."

Comments

[Doug Morrow]

Mark --

I was pleased to see the great work being doing this week with you and your team. God is truly active. Thanks for the blog...Doug

[Steve Miller]

Christian Camp can have as big an impact on a young life as a year of classes at church. Both of our sons grew up attending camp, then served as junior faculty and eventually both spent a season at Michiana Christian Service Camp as summer staff. I am confident that Jason still has a picture of him baptizing a 5th grader at MCSC. Jason was junior faculty that week and that experience helped to shape his future. Deb and I served as Deans for First Chance Camp (one day for the really young ones!) for several years and I served on the camp board for many years. I don't think it's any accident that many who have committed their life to ministry went to camp.

I will always treasure our years at MCSC and encourage friends to send their children to camp. It is a life changing experience.