Discipleship Cookies
Making disciples is not like microwave popcorn. You can’t just take a pre-packaged recipe, close the door and tap a preset button to get results. No, making disciples is more like baking cookies from scratch. It takes time, care, and attention. To be honest, the more love you put into it, the better the results.
Discipleship is a big part of what we do here at SMCC. In fact, it’s in our mission statement which says, “it is our aim to…help campers respond in faith to the call of God on their lives and then nurture their faith and fellowship in Christ Jesus so that they may mature into responsible citizens of God’s Kingdom.”
This takes place with our regular summer campers every year, but it goes well beyond that. We have a leadership training and mentoring program in place for older campers who have displayed excellent potential and desire for growth in their relationship with the Lord. These teens come to SMCC for one day of interactive leadership training. Then, they are paired with a highly qualified staff member who mentors them during a week or more of camp, giving them practical, hands-on leadership experience in volunteer service.
In addition to this, we are very intentional about discipling our summer staff members. These college-age young adults spend nine days in leadership training before camp ever starts. During camp, we meet with them every morning to continue teaching, training, and praying with them throughout the summer. The spiritual growth and development we see in them over the course of the summer is astounding. Many of them end up going into full-time ministry as pastors, missionaries, and teachers. In fact, there are alumni of SMCC all over the world today, serving the Lord in ministry.
Each part of this discipleship process is important. Going back to the cookie-baking analogy, we could have all the perfect ingredients in place, but we still need an oven to provide the environment for change. Camp is the oven; the Lord is the heat. Our staff, volunteers, and supporters work in partnership with the Holy Spirit to make possible this oven called South Mountain Christian Camp. The Lord works powerfully in this environment to bring life-long growth and change.
The end result is better than fresh-baked cookies.
If you would like to partner with South Mountain Christian Camp in making disciples, you can do so through the Donate button below, or you can mail a donation to PO Box 9, Bostic NC 28018.
A Free Gift for You
I would love to send you a free, autographed copy of my book, Footsteps of Faith. This ministry autobiography shares some incredible stories of God's hand at work in my life, at South Mountain Christian Camp, and in the lives of our campers. To receive your free copy, place your order through the link below. No purchase is required. Donations are deeply appreciated.
