Name: Sarah Lee [insert joke about cakes or pies here]
Hometown: Pitman, NJ
Family: I am very happily married to a fellow long-time Delanco-camper named Jack. We have a 2 1/2 year old son, also named Jack, and soon will have a baby girl, Alison (due April 6th).
Years attending camp: 16
Positions you’ve held at camp: Counselor, Lifeguard/Maintenance (summer staff), Dean of Women, Teacher, Evangelist
Occupation: Director of Children, Youth & Families at St. Peter’s UMC in Ocean City, NJ
Education: B.A. Theology (Eastern University, St. Davids, PA), M.A. Theology (Wesley Biblical Seminary, Jackson, MS)
Favorite camp meal: Sloppy joe. Yes, really.
Favorite camp snack: Corn dogs (with mustard). Again, yes, really.
Elevator testimony: I accepted Christ at a summer camp in Maryland when I was 10 years old. God has been at work doing amazing things in my life ever since. (Oh, and a lot of those amazing things originate with Delanco Camp, where God did a lot of refining work in my life!)
How did you first hear about Delanco Camp and why did you start coming?
A friend invited me when I was in middle school. It took me a couple of years to really love camp, but it was inevitable. Delanco is a place set apart by God and for His work, and He has been faithful to do good work in my heart over many camps and retreats out in those pretty pine barrens on Lake Agape.
Why is Delanco Camp important to you?
Delanco is committed to sharing the gospel and transforming lives. It’s a place where my life has been transformed, where I’ve made lifelong friendships, and where I’ve seen many man and women, boys and girls called on to new heights as they journey with God. Many of the most godly men and women I’ve ever known have spiritual roots at Delanco Camp. Any place that is about God’s work in such an evident way is an important place to me because it is rare, beautiful and God-ordained. It is an important place to me because it is clear that it is an important place to God.
What do you see as the value of a summer camp ministry in today’s day and age?
Summer camp ministry is valuable today for many of the same reasons it has always been. When kids take time away from the outside world to come and meet with friends and with God, God is able to talk to their hearts in new and fresh ways. How rare in this day in age is it for a teenager to set aside a week to listen to the good news about Jesus – all that He has done for us and all that He is willing and able to do? Students also have the opportunity through summer camp ministry to be reminded that they are not alone in their walk with God; they have the opportunity to meet mentors and peers who have full and abundant lives in Christ. These weeks of ministry serve many times as special seasons set apart for spiritual growth for our children and youth that will impact lives forever – summer camp ministry is invaluable.
What is one of your fondest memories of being out at camp?
I have always had such a good time serving Christ out at camp, but one of my fondest memories is of a particular practical joke that the summer staff played on me. We used to work really hard, and sometimes after the campers were back in the dorms, we’d play little (but harmless!) jokes on each other. The year that the movie The Blair Witch Project came out, we made a spoof video called the “Delanco Witch Project.” I thought I was leading the spoof, walking in to the woods at night with my video camera and some staff members trailing behind, all of us pretending to be scared. Little did I know, the rest of the staff was stealthily hiding out by the dumpster, waiting to jump out and scare me. Mission accomplished. They jumped. I screamed and dropped the camera. And we played the video over and over again (for Jr. High campers, for Teen Campers, for the staff) – we all laughed (at me) for the rest of the summer. Ahh, the memories.
What goals do you have or things would you like to see happen while you are serving on the board?
I’d like to see camp gain many new friends who are passionate about Camp’s mission and ministry. The work God does at Delanco Camp is invaluable and eternal. I’d love to see new youth and adults drawn to the amazing things that God is doing in and through Delanco Camp. I’d like to see these friends in the form of campers, financial supporters, and others who I believe God is calling to give of their time and talent.
