Holy Spirit Story: Church Camp (with Brad Dush)

HEAR Acts 1:8 (NIV) "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” CONSIDER Today our Holy Spirit story comes from Brad Dush! Brad is the pastor at Fairfax Methodist Church in Southeast Missouri and has been serving churches throughout rural Missouri since 1999. He is a husband, a father, and loves building community. In this story you'll hear how the Holy Spirit surprised him during an unexpected invitation to serve at church camp. Below, you can read the story in his own words, and, if you listen, you will hear it in his own voice.  My wife Christin and I were each impacted by church camp as youth growing up in the church. This impact compelled us to continue to be a part of the camping ministry in the early years of marriage. We initially worked together, helping to lead the junior high/high school camp I grew up attending. After a few years, the site director of the facility asked us to prayerfully consider leading a middle school camp as there was a need, and he felt we could make the transition. We were reluctant and concerned about the maturity level of middle schoolers, but we said yes. We enjoyed this move to middle school students more than we had anticipated. Even though they were not as mature as high schoolers, life was a little simpler for them in many ways. After a few years, the site director asked us to consider making the switch to an older elementary age group. We thought long and hard about this move and spent a great deal of time in prayer. No matter how I reasoned it, it was not a good move. How could students this young take camp seriously enough? After consideration, I let the site director know we were uncomfortable with older elementary students in a camp setting. He pleaded with us to reconsider; he said he felt led by God to ask us to do it. After going back to God in prayer, we said yes once again. Looking back now, I think I was ok with saying yes to prove the site director wrong. I believed that a camp with students that age would not be well attended or be worth our time spiritually. Now I see how arrogant of me that was. However, as a thirty-something know-it-all, I was confident in my assessment because many of the most powerful and Spirit-filled experiences of my life and ministry had occurred as an older youth at either church camp or a Chrysalis/Emmaus weekend. I thought that older elementary kids were incapable of going “deep” enough into the Word to have the same kind of transformative experiences. I am so glad I was utterly mistaken. We had one of the most amazing weeks at camp with those kids. They might not have had the maturity older kids had, but they wanted to learn and have fun as they grew. It was incredible to see their eyes get big as they learned how much God loved them and how Jesus gave them his life. On the final evening vespers, I felt the leading of the Lord to have Communion, so we put the plan into motion for us to share in the sacrament. While serving the Lord’s Supper, I got lost in the moment and didn’t look much past the elements and those receiving. Once everyone had come through to receive, I looked up, and the only people sitting on the benches in front of me were the counselors; the campers had disappeared! I immediately felt a chill and panicked about where they had all gone. I envisioned difficult phone calls trying to explain to the parents how I had lost their kids. Then I noticed the look on the faces of the counselors; they were tear-filled and awestruck. They were intently looking past me toward the lake. I turned to see what was captivating them, and what I saw will never leave me. Those third, fourth, and fifth grade students were all kneeling, laying hands on each other, and praying at the cross that overlooked the lake. I couldn’t believe my eyes! Looking back, I’m embarrassed that I almost said no to directing the camp because I was sure these young children wouldn’t go deep enough for me to spend my precious time on them. Instead, they ministered to me in the most powerful way possible. The Holy Spirit showed up and did what only the Holy Spirit does! I will always be thankful I said yes. It is so powerful how when you say yes to God, God shows up and, in this case, showed off! PRAY Holy Spirit, thank you for how you lead us. Today, we come before you and give you our "yes" to the all the invitations you have for us. Help keep our hearts open and tender toward your promptings and invitations. Come crashing in against the ways we can be arrogant and think we know better! We re-submit our plans to you and thank you for the adventure you have us on.