This summer, we had the awesome opportunity to go to Student Life with our middle school students and MFuge with our high schoolers.
Student Life is a summer program designed to teach students God’s Word and help them understand what it means to be a follower of Christ.
Each morning, we engaged in worship, a message and interactive stage games. After that, we broke up into small groups, led by our adult volunteers. During the day, our students spent time at Rec, where they had fun participating in the big competition and learning about teamwork. At the end of the day, we worshiped some more, listened to another message, and debriefed with our whole church group.
On several occasions, our students were impacted and decided to put their faith at the forefront of their lives. The conversations, teachings, fellowship and community were just a few things at Student Life that made an impact on these students – and will for years to come.
Seeing our middle schoolers grow in their spiritual maturity and relate to others better while having a great time was everything we could have wanted for them as a church body.
By the end of our stay, no group at the campground in Leesburg showed more enthusiasm than Northland. Our students volunteered every day to participate in the stage games with a vigor that comes only from a middle schooler, even going so far as to have their faces covered in yogurt en route to a victory for our group.
Our participation in all activities multiplied as our students’ energy overflowed into hilarious small groups, fierce competitions and wild gatherings back in our rooms, filled with soda and popcorn. From hesitation stepping off the bus into something new to hesitation stepping back on the bus and leaving a great experience behind them, our middle schoolers definitely experienced a lot of Jesus and a lot of fun!
“Welcome to Fuge!” – the overly joyful statement the high school campers are greeted with as they step off the bus – has grown to mean a lot more to us. The welcoming and loving spirit behind those words came to define our days in Nashville, Tennessee, for that camp.
Our high school students were fully engaged each day. They participated in Bible studies combined with other churches, teaching them to lead other Christians in a pursuit of Christ. They served in the community, learning to work and be intentional in their actions and conversations as they aided in community centers, businesses and much more.
Then, at the end of each day, we gathered together as a church for free time, worship, a message and a church group devotional, where we unpacked the day, its ups, downs and everything God has taught us in it.
The hybrid aspect of a summer church program with missions is a powerful way to equip students in their journey of sharing their faith. They get poured into and then have the opportunity to go out into the community and actively live out their faith, teach what they have learned and share their stories with the communities in which they serve.
Some of our students felt nervous going into this camp, but by the middle of the week, their boldness and intentionality were evident and powerful. Hearing the students not want to leave MFuge so they could continue pouring into the community was incredible. We are so excited for these high school students to continue growing in their faith and spiritual maturity.
