Nazarene Theological Seminary

The sign read, “Youth Front Camp South” and it took an hour or so to finally arrive there. In the parking lot we encountered the typical over stuffed church van with suitcases that weighed more than the person carrying it. However, there was something different about this camp that wasn’t so typical. Down in the lake there was a blob but if you went into one of the open fields you would find the ATV’s and if you crossed the road you could play the disc golf courses (i.e. the third best sport to table tennis and BASEBALL).   If that wasn’t enough you could take out your aggression through paint ball or express your adventurous side through the massive water slide or the million other things to do but, there was more.

Each day started in a corporate morning prayer acknowledging God’s grace present in every moment.  Then, we had breakfast together followed by a morning story. After the story we had group time in which we reflected on what the week was teaching us.  We would head up to the tabernacle after group time where we would have afternoon prayer, centering our priorities on why we had gathered, to grow and give glory to God.  In the evenings the camp provided experiences for the students to feel with their senses what the camp was trying to teach. It seemed that every moment had a purpose and each minute was intentional.  There was something deeper that Youth Front was trying to teach.

 By the end of the week what was unique was more than just the fun events or even the worship times, it was the order in which we construct our time. We were learning that there is acertain rhythm that Christians follow, an alternative dance to a song being sung over us. We wake up and give thanks, we eat and share our life, we encourage one another, we worship as a body, we experience with each other and we grow together.  This rhythm was more than just a beat waiting to fade after a weekit was an alternative to living a life in a vacuum or in a machine.  If anything I learned that this camp wasn’t about the event, it was about the rhythm. Learning this rhythm is like planting a seed that takes years to grow but if you care after it, it will blossom into something beautiful.  What happened at Youth Front South was more than just one good sermon or a host of fun events it was learning how to be Christian in a world that has abused the discipline.