Preacha Chick's Camp Report

Kansas Naz Kid's Camp 2008 was AWESOME! I think the pastors and leadership team had MORE fun than the kids did! :) This picture is of the back of my shirt with my new nickname, "Preacha Chick." I went by "Pastor Kwisty" since my arrival on the Kansas District but one of the teen counselors could not remember my name and asked another pastor, "Where is that preacher chick?" Some assumed I would be angry about it but I thought it was funny and laughed. I think this nick name is going to stick.

The chapel services were God inspired... and my favorite memories of camp happened about 45 minutes before chapel. Where the 3 camp speakers, Matt Wells (Chedda), Dewayne Horner (Sloppy Joe), and myself (Kwisty) would come together and petition to the Father on behalf of whomever was speaking that chapel. Those moments before God are my most precious memories... for it was in each other's presence that we were able to look into the face of God and feel God's love and value for us, through our experience of the other.

In the very first chapel service Dewayne and I preached tag team and it was amazing. It was probably one of the hardest things either of us had to do since we had to stay true to our transition lines so the next person knew when to sit and when to stand to preach again. We prayed all day, that God would help us to be one voice, the Lord's voice, instead of two very different voices. I think God answered that prayer and it was one of the coolest things ever. God used our differences to hit a variety of learning styles. It was a really fun way to kick off camp.

The next time I preached, I went on stage by myself but the other two speakers might as well have stood with me simply because of our responsibility and involvement in each other's preaching. Just before this sermon, two of my kids found out they had to go home because of lice. They cried and I was hurting for them. It was heartbreaking and sad they had to go home. So back stage, as I was getting ready to go up and preach the Word, the other two speakers stood next to me, quite literally holding me up and encouraging me. It was like the story where Moses needed his arms held up... as these other speakers were holding up my arms to go out to preach the Word.

When I went out on stage I think God took over and spoke through me. I talked about the mountain top experiences of camp being sweet... and how each person needed to be willing to give up what they want for what God wants. The reason mountain top experiences, where we encounter the Holy One, are sweet is because it is not about what we GET or HAVE. It is about giving up getting and having. When we encounter the Holy One we give up what we want, for what God wants. I read from scripture and showed how the disciples were a model for us of the self-sacrifice God asks to follow Christ as they gave up their boat, their fish to eat, their fish to sell, and even their families to follow Christ.

The very next chapel, Dewayne was to preach about humility and God was asking him to preach something other than his notes. He wrestled for awhile, praying and petitioning to God in front of the kids. And ask he spoke a message (different then he prepared), I heard God say... "Hey, Christy. It's me, God. Yeah. I'm going to need you to give up your sermon too." I about freaked out... "DO YOU KNOW ME GOD? I mean, I am organized. I've had this sermon DONE, researched, and ready for like 2 months." And God said, "Give it up."

So that evening, I had Dewayne sit on one of the set's prop rocks next to me and I said... "Last night I preached to you about giving up what you want for what God wants and this morning, we got to see someone we know and love do that right before our eyes. " The kids clapped, excited to see Sloppy Joe doing what God asked him to do. And then I told them how God asked me to give up my sermon and how hard it was for me. And then I said, "After I thought about it some more, I realized that Sloppy Joe and I wanted to preach and speak to you ABOUT humility and servanthood and God said, 'No.' Don't you see... I want you to SHOW them by giving up your sermons." And so with sensitivity to what God was doing, beyond our best plans... Dewayne, Matt, and I watched as God called several kids into the ministry, kids were sanctified as they gave up everything, and God worked on kids, adults, and teens alike that night.

It was that night at camp, we handed out white cards and I said to the kids, "Write on this sheet, what God is asking you to give up. Is God asking you to give up fighting a call into the ministry? Write it down. Is God asking you to give your whole life? Write it down." Then we had them bring their white cards to the front, laying them before the Lord. One little boy walked up to me and held up his white card. It read, "My Life."

God was doing something awesome at camp... and we were all so excited to be a part of it. The three of us had prayed together before chapel, "God do whatever, use us. We give you all we are and all we hope to be" and then we were blown away as we watched God do whatever because it was more than we could have ever done ourselves. We were able to show the kids that God can quite literally make you more than you could ever make yourself.


The final Junior Camp sermon was another tag team sermon... but Dewayne was so funny with his song of lament about the end of camp, I could not pull it together to speak. I laughed and laughed, trying to compose myself to just speak that ONE transition line. I couldn't do it. The whole entire chapel was laughing and laughing. Before that chapel, the three of us had prayed... God, show us how to preach about community. And God said, "watch as I SHOW them community through you all." That chapel was so fun. The kids are still talking about it. If you want to see pictures of that chapel see http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=45780&l=b0a70&id=679255776 Look for the pictures where I'm wearing a white shirt.

The other pictures on that link are of the incredible Cindiana Stones set! It was like preaching from a movie set, it was so amazing. You will also see the logo designed by Dewayne Horner and some pictures I snapped of the leadership team doing early prep work.

I think all of the leadership team cried when camp was really over, the set was torn down, and the water cart was returned. We spent 7 months planning and investing in camp and it was over. But the community we now have with each other, the things God did in the lives of all of us, will last forever. We (adults and kids) have left kids camp ready to actually GO BE THE UPSIDE DOWN KINGDOM. But we are finding as many excuses as possible to get together and love on each other in person too! :)

We enjoyed working together so much that if you ever need a speaker or know someone who needs a speaker, you may be able to convince our preaching team to take our God inspired fun on the road. :)