God Still Moves

See You Around the Campfire

God Still Moves

A couple of weeks ago, Cannon and I loaded up and headed to Kids Camp with First Baptist Church McMinnville.

I was serving as a counselor, and Cannon was a camper. His cabin was right next to mine, and he was staying with his counselor, Ryan.

Now, full disclosure: my body spent most of the week reminding me that I'm apparently too old to be a camp counselor and that there's probably a reason I'm a director as my career. I managed to survive exactly one week of being a counselor before deciding that was enough proof. The kids had energy for days. I had ibuprofen and determination.

Somewhere around the first day, Cannon informed me that Ryan was cooler than me.

Not once.

Not twice.

Several times.

Apparently, camp gave him a little extra confidence.

Truth be told, he had a great week. Ryan did an incredible job with the boys in his cabin, and it was fun watching Cannon enjoy camp from a camper's perspective while I got to experience it as a counselor.

Like every camp, the week wasn't perfect. There were distractions. There were schedule changes. There were moments that didn't go exactly as planned. If you've ever worked a week of camp, you know that's just part of it.

But here's what I keep thinking about:

God showed up.

In the middle of all the noise, the laughter, the games, and everything else that comes with a week of camp, God was working.

The worship services were powerful. Kids were engaged. Leaders were pouring into students. Conversations started happening that wouldn't have happened anywhere else.

And then we saw something amazing.

Three kids gave their lives to Christ.

One student rededicated their life to the Lord.

I can still picture the worship service. The room was full of kids, leaders, and volunteers worshiping together. There were tears. There were hugs. There were prayers.

And there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

As I stood there, I couldn't help but think about all the people who say camp isn't as important as it used to be.

I disagree.

Camp still matters.

There is something special about getting away from the normal routines of life and creating space to hear from God. For a few days, phones become less important. Schedules slow down. Friendships grow deeper. Kids listen. Leaders invest. And God often does some of His best work.

I've spent a lot of years around camps, retreats, and conference centers. I've seen thousands of campers come and go.

And after all these years, one thing remains true:

God still moves.

Sometimes it's through a worship service.

Sometimes it's through a conversation in a cabin.

Sometimes it's around a campfire.

But He is still changing lives.

I'm thankful I got to spend the week with Cannon, even if he still thinks Ryan is cooler than me.

And I'm thankful for the reminder that camp is more than games and activities.

It's a place where lives are changed.

See you around the campfire,

Travis Johnson