“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” -Psalm 100:5
One of my favorite things about Camp Meeting is that it is family camp! There is nothing more incredible than watching several generations gather together and worship in the Tabernacle. And this weekend we have over sixty kids, from newborns to teenagers!
It’s also pretty amazing to meet people who have been coming to camp for fifty or more years, and then to see so many families who have stepped onto the grounds for the first time!
The one thing that I know is true about Delanco, whether it’s a second home to you or your first time out, it’s a holy place. In it’s 51 years at Lake Agape, Delanco Camp changes lives of children and adults alike. Today, I sat down on the red alter pads in the Tabernacle and thought about how many life-altering decisions take place at that alter each and every year. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people have met Christ kneeling down on those sandy alter pads.
Last night, Delanco Camp President Mike Bill visited the grounds for our Annual Camp Dinner. During the service, he shared that July 2nd was a very important day for him. 25 years ago on July 2nd, he accepted Christ for the first time. He even pointed to the exact spot on the alter rail where he was saved.
That’s something that I’ve learned the past few summers. For so many, myself included, the alter rail at Delanco is a pillar of our life stories. When those who’ve been saved at camp share their testimony, like Mike Bill, they are able to point to the exact spot on the alter their lives changed forever.
You see, the alter rail in the Tabernacle has been a huge part of my own story. Back in 2003, during my first Junior Camp, I was saved at the third post from the right. I don’t remember much about that week, like who the speaker was, the games we played, the snacks we ate, or even the name of the counselor that prayed with me. But I do remember, thirteen years later, the exact spot where I first dedicated my life to Christ.
That’s the beauty of Delanco Camp. When you step on the grounds, Delanco becomes a part of your story. In fact, you also become a part of camps never-ending story. It’s been 51 years since we moved to Lake Agape, and camp has been changing hundreds of lives each and every summer. And it will continue to change the lives of students, volunteers, and families decades from now.
I am proud that Delanco is a pillar of my own story and so many others. Even more, I am a part of the never-ending story of Delanco: there is power in the blood of Jesus, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Especially at that old, splintered alter rail.
