Category: Junior High 1

Yesterday, Junior High 1 came to a close. It was a wonderful week filled with Mario Kart races, a Gamerthon, and even a movie night on the beach! Even as a staff member, this week was a blast!

One of the coolest things about the week were the messages. Speaker and co-dean, Dan Ulrich, perfectly matched video game ideas to real life.

The first thing that happens in video games is that you’ve got to choose your character. In Mario Party, for example, you could be Princess Peach, Yoshi, or Toad, and so on. In life, we get to choose our character, too. In our actions and the words we speak, and even the friends we hang around, we’re choosing who we want to be daily. We’ve got to remember to choose Christ. Just like a second player in a game can help or hinder you in the pursuit of your goal, your friends can either challenge or encourage you in your walk with Christ.

Have you ever played a game that you just couldn’t beat? For me, that’s Pacman. As much as I want to beat the game, I know that at some point, I’m going to get stuck and the game will end. Sometimes, when we’re “stuck on a level”, we have to go back to our strategy guide. Through prayer and reading your bible, you can begin to listen to what God is calling you to do.

The game is never over. When you’re a follower of Christ, you have an extra life. You get to spend eternity in heaven. Jesus wants to give us extra life, and we’ve just got to respond to Him.

With another camp in the books, I’m excited to see what God has in store for the staff and campers here for Middler Camp this week!

It’s only been twenty four hours, but so far, Jr. High 1 is shaping up to be an incredible week!

This year, our theme is “Press Start”, and from the moment you step into the Tabernacle, you feel as if you’re inside your own little arcade game. In case you haven’t guessed, we’re focusing on classic video games! From night games to planned recs, and even class names, everything’s themed around classic games like Mario Cart, Donkey Kong, and many others. There’s even a real life version of Pokémon Go happening all over the grounds this week. The campers are running around looking for index cards with Pokémon, and once they catch them, they can ‘challenge’ other campers at the Dining Hall during meals to take over the Gym. Pretty cool, right?

Despite some hot and stormy weather, the grounds was bustling with activity today! From Ultimate Frisbee in the lake, to rounds and rounds (and rounds) of Gaga Ball, to catching Pokémon, we sure had a wonderful first day to start off camp!

In video games, before you can actually begin playing, you’ve got to press start to move forward. Last night, Dan Ulrich, who is one of our co-Deans and evangelist this week, reminded the campers that life is sort of like a video game. In order for us to work and play, we’ve got to press start, too. God’s going to work and move in the lives of campers this week, but only if they’re willing to Press Start and let Him work. You know what happens when we let God work inside of our lives? Philippians 3:16 states, “For I am confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” God doesn’t stop moving, working, and living in us. Sometimes, we lose the game. We get broken down and lose lives, and sometimes, we don’t win the game. But you know what? God’s always there, waiting with another round, waiting for you to press that button.
If we are ready for God to move, He will. Sometimes, we’ve just got to remember to Press Start!