Envision the room full of campers and leaders, all singing together. Imagine the stillness of the Holy Spirit and the camp speaker enthusiastically telling you that God has a purpose for your life.
As you step out of the sanctuary, you are met by the crisp, summer-evening air and the excited voices of campers as they make their way to the snack shack to fill up on candy and burgers, much to the angst of their cabin leaders.
What you feel is exactly what thousands of campers attending Foursquare camps across the country this summer will experience. Do you remember the first time you attended a camp? Where were you when the Lord called you to ministry?
Surprisingly, a majority of Foursquare leaders will say they were called at camp. For decades, campers and even leaders have found their passion and calling at a campground around the country. We pray that for decades to come this will continue to happen.
In 2017, Foursquare camps saw nearly 17,000 campers have the opportunity to encounter God. Out of those 17,000, a little over 6,700 of them committed or rededicated their lives to Christ. Another 3,000 were called to a life of ministry or discipleship.
In a world full of constant pressure, camp offers a serene environment where your average 15 year old can laugh till their stomach hurts and enjoy fellowship with those around them. As leaders and staff around the country plan for camps, our main goal is to give our campers something they have never experienced. A place to feel safe, to be themselves, and to find the Lord in a way they may not get in their everyday lives.
Camps aren’t just a week of paintball, greasy foods and water fights, but of spiritual warfare, tearing down of walls, casting out lies of the enemy and restoring broken hearts. Every part of our camps—from activities, services and free time—has one key component: lives changed.
This summer, The Foursquare Church will host over 60 summer camps. All of our human strength, effort and willpower will go into making these camps better than the last, but all of that is for nothing unless we are seeking the Lord continually for this next generation.
In 2017, Foursquare camps saw nearly 17,000 campers have the opportunity to encounter God. Out of those 17,000, a little over 6,700 of them committed or rededicated their lives to Christ. Another 3,000 were called to a life of ministry or discipleship.
It is our job to stand in the gap and lift them up in prayer. These are our future leaders, who will someday serve as pastors, community leaders, even government leaders. They are depending on us. Our prayers can save their lives, truly.
We as NextGen leaders in Foursquare ask that you stand in the gap with us. Pray with us and for us. Pray for a heart for NextGen, for a passion to see their lives changed. Pray for a passion to mentor, lead and raise up a David generation.
We ask that you bring those memories and callings from your camp experiences to the forefront of your mind. Remember what is was like to be surrounded by your friends, new and old, and sing songs of praise together. Remember what is was like when the Lord tugged at your heart to take a leap of faith. Even remember the times you kept your leader up way too late and say a prayer for them, too!
Camp changes lives. Prayer changes lives. As our summer begins and camps are happening around the country, we ask that you join us in interceding for NextGen.
Here are five specific ways you can pray for our summer camps:
- Pray for safety over all campers, leaders and staff.
- Pray that students would make Spirit-led decisions that would change the course of their lives forever.
- Pray for an increase in salvations.
- Pray for a move of the Holy Spirit.
- Pray that God would be glorified in every relationship and circumstance.
