The youth of today are not the future of the church, our pastor often reminds us: they are the church of today. Our youth pastor feels likewise, adding that he believes they are the most fervent, on-fire Christ-followers in America.
Earlier this month, our student ministry team helped our middle and high school students participate in the Never the Same (NTS) Camp at Houghton University in southwestern New York. We all spent a week worshipping the Lord, growing in their faith and understanding, and enjoying some good-natured (but fervent) team competitions.
NTS is a national organization that began in Indiana in 2000, and they have been eagerly celebrating their 25th anniversary this summer at all their camps. “NTS Camp is an environment that creates space for students to connect to God, to a network of support from their local church, and to a caring adult small group leader from their Youth ministry,” states their website, https://ntscamp.com/. It was interesting to see themes, images and video clips from their many years of helping students grow in their faith.
This year saw the biggest turnout yet at Houghton University (https://www.houghton.edu) for Never the Same Camp, with 924 students from 25 churches attending (kudos to the organizers for getting creative enough to fit everyone in).
- Tuesday night’s message focused on healing (physical/medical, emotional/mental, and relational/social), and many students went on stage to be prayed for and encouraged personally.
- On Wednesday, 102 students made first-time commitments to Christ, and another 335 recommitted their lives in some way.
- Thursday night’s message emphasized serving in vocational ministry, and 165 students accepted such a call, trusting God to reveal the details of that call in the days, months, or years ahead.
- Our church (Crosswinds Wesleyan Church in Canandaigua, NY) brought about 45 students, of whom 6 made first-time commitments, 31 recommitted, and 5 embraced calls to ministry. Additionally, at least one parent also made a first-time commitment in response to news that her daughter had.
This was my second year going to camp with our church’s student ministry, which I have helped with on Wednesdays since 2020. I love being part of a ministry that helps teens—including Billy and (until she graduated last year) Karen, and that helps us contribute to our home church, which has so faithfully encouraged and supported us in our missionary service. I was also glad to have a little more time with a few of the boys from my small group who have just graduated.
As part of my contribution to our team’s NTS efforts, I delivered about 650 photos, trying to make sure each day that the church had some to share with the parents and other members of the congregation who pray for or otherwise support our teens.
Because the camp had so many people this year, I was assigned a room amid a different church’s leaders and students. I was very touched that the kids “adopted” me as “the guy who might have it” and was very happy to minister to them by sharing tape, spoons, garbage bags, batteries, cold sodas, and photographs. One student, Alex, sat with me for about an hour as I edited photos, asking very intelligent questions about cameras and photography. It was the sort of conversation I always enjoyed having when I was a teacher.
In every generation, some people complain about “kids these days,” but we should rather remember that Jesus doesn’t see them—or us—as only faults and failings but as His beloved children, delighting in our hearts turned toward Him and our efforts to better understand, serve, and worship Him despite our faults and failings.
Team Competitions
Although we were all there for Christ, the churches got divided into four teams (Blue Crew, Gold Rush, Green Machine, and Red Bull) and competed throughout the week in creatively unusual games, culminating with the cheer routine. Students developed the routines, taught them to their teammates, and practiced together all week.
Learning, working and rejoicing together
Throughout the week, we youth group leaders discussed plans and updates, presented messages to the students, and facilitated Bible study and reflection. We also had lots of fun together.
The Lord directs our steps…
Near the end of the final afternoon, the students took communion and matched up to wash each other’s feet, following Christ’s example.
The Lord directs our steps…
I always love taking a picture of someone who enjoys having their picture taken, and a few students from other churches and teams asked me to take theirs, too. While holding my camera up high to get a wide-angle view of the dance party, this girl noticed and posed right into the lens. “Clearly, she wants this photo,” I thought while editing photos later that night, but all I had to go by was her red team wristband. So the next day, I asked some red team students if they recognized her; they did and told me which church they thought she was there with. After asking a few more red team students for that church, one pointed me to some swings across the quad. Two leaders were talking, so I asked one if he could help deliver a couple pictures to one of their kids; once the photos loaded onto his phone, he exclaimed, “That’s my daughter!” How cool that God helped me get the photos not only to a kid who would appreciate it but also to a father who was excited to tell his wife about God doing that.
Please pray:
- for the students to continue to grow in faith, understanding and application through the months and years ahead.
- for NTS and Houghton University to continue thriving and helping students.
- for the churches and youth group leaders to be blessed and encouraged.
- for friendly competitions and rivalries never to distract from the true Focus of our faith.
The Heffron Family 