Next Friday, April 5 is our 2019 Day Camp.  Our curriculum this year takes us on a journey through Scripture, “Discovering Jesus from Eternity Past to Eternity Future”.  The registrations are coming in and I’m surprised by how many names I do not recognize.  How exciting!!  Potentially we will have the privilege of introducing these kids to that eternally wonderful person of Jesus Christ!  

As I was preparing for the Day Camp this week, I was reflecting back on the many kids outreach programs that I have been a part of over the span of my lifetime. How they have changed! When I was a child, VBS was a 2-week affair, attended by hundreds of kids (this in a church whose total average attendance on Sunday morning was about 250).  Homer Schwindt was our Director.  Homer was a farmer.  He was a busy farmer.  And yet, every July, Homer took two weeks of prime work hours, and he devoted them to the kids of our community.  I now know that it took countless hours before the VBS for him to have everything in place so that all of us kids could march (literally) into the church each morning to the song, “We’re Marching to Zion” (I’m almost convinced that when Homer went home to Zion to meet his Lord, that song was being sung by the angel choir…I hope so!).  Why did Homer devote so many hours that he really couldn’t afford to lose to reaching us kids with the message of God’s redeeming grace?  Because he knew that what he truly couldn’t afford to lose were the kids that God brought his way.  Homer keenly desired to see each and every one of us in Heaven one day, so he gave his all, year after year, to do all that he could to further God’s Kingdom. Kids were valuable!  God redeemed kids!  Homer was certain of this.  And so, he willingly, joyfully gave what he could not afford to give up (his time) to gain what he was not willing lose (the eternal soul of a child).

Next week, a faithful team of CBC volunteers will be sharing that same message of God’s redeeming love with a new generation of kids.  What has changed over the last 50 years is that many from this new generation will never have heard of Jesus Christ as anything other than a swear word.  They know nothing of the amazing love and sacrifice that took Jesus from Heaven to the cross and back again – all to redeem a rebellious world!

Would you pray for us? The task we have would be too great were it not that the Holy Spirit will be taking our efforts and using them in the hearts of these kids.  We need you to pray for us, that we would represent this eternal Jesus well.  We need you to pray for the kids, that the Holy Spirit would prepare their hearts and would help them to understand what we are teaching   May God be glorified by all that is said and done!  Some year I may just have our kids march in to “We’re Marching to Zion”, just to remember Homer and his consuming desire to see kids in Zion.