Camp.

Five years ago I sat in church and was asked a simple question by my pastor, "What are you doing with your summer?" He told us that an open summer was a gift, a gift that we wouldn't ever have again in our lives and then he challenged us to use it for the sake of the Gospel.

But where should I go?

China? The United Kingdom? Honduras?

You see, the summer previous my college ministry had sent students to all of those places and many more. When I thought of using my summer for the sake of the Gospel, I thought of Foreign Missions, not camp.

Camp. The word itself invoked images in my mind of lakes with blobs, bunk beds, and Tony Perkins(side note: if you dont get this reference, please watch the movie Heavyweights, you'll thank me later). But, in my life at that point it also invoked images of rec games, bible study, worship, and community. I had gone to Fuge from the time I was able(7th Grade) until I graduated High School. I loved it, and I thought the staffers were just the coolest thing ever. But more important than that was that camp had a huge impact on my relationship with Jesus.

So, I decided that I would take a step out and apply to work for Fuge. I knew that I would never be as cool as the staffers that I had interacted with over the years, but maybe I could impact the students I came into contact with like they had impacted me. Little did I know that taking the step to apply would be one of the most life-altering decisions I had made up to that point.

I was hired and proceeded to work four summers for Fuge. Two in Nashville and two in my hometown of Mobile. All four summers were incredibly different and all four of them were absolutely incredible. They were exhausting, challenging, and downright hard at times. But in the end, I look back on all of them with fondness, not willing to trade any of them for anything else.

A huge reason I wouldn't trade them for anything else is because of the people that are in my life because of it. At a quick glance I see that six out of the last ten text message conversations in my phone are with camp friends. Many of them I don't even think of as 'camp friends' any more. They have been there for me through the ups and downs of life the past few years and have encouraged and challenged me not to just do the right thing, but do what scripture calls me to.

If I told you the basic facts, you may not think camp is worth the trouble.

You'll work sixteen hour days and make about $4 an hour.
You'll live in a college dorm room and wait in long lines to eat cafeteria food.
You'll spend hours outside in the heat of the summer.
You'll work and live in close quarters with 20+ other people

I'd be lying if I told you that none of that was rough. But I'd also be lying if I told you I regretted even a second of my four summers.

After my fourth summer of Fuge, I decided that a change was needed in my life for the next summer. It wasn't because I didn't love Fuge or even because I thought another camp was better. It was simply because I was comfortable at Fuge and thought stepping outside of my comfort zone would make me more effective. So, I applied, interviewed, and was hired by Student Life for the 2014 Summer.

Student Life has its differences from Fuge to be sure. We traveled from location to location, with me driving a 26' Penske Truck while most of our staff rode in 15-Passenger vans. I had an entire production staff to lead: 3 Technicians, 3 Actors, and a Production Assistant. But ultimately, camp is camp and the reasons my summer was so phenomenol were much the same.

So, if you have a passion for students, a passion to equip leaders, a great work ethic, and love to make lifelong friendships then I would strongly encourage you to visit Lifeway.com/Fuge or StudentLife.com/about-us/employment and apply to work next summer.

Urgency

Lately I have been re-examining my motives behind the things I do. So over the course of the next few weeks, I will be posting what I learn about my motives and how they need to be changed to line up with what the Bible teaches. The first of these is simply my motive behind desiring my non-believing friends and family members to come to know Christ like I do.

Why do you desire others come to know Christ?

And I know the Sunday School answer: because it glorifies God.

But is that TRULY my motive? Do I just say that because I know its the right answer, but really have a different motive? Unfortunately, if I'm honest, the answer to that last question is a resounding yes. I've found myself in the past few months not seeking to see other accept Christ for the glory of God, but for the glory of Michael. I've found myself wanting others to think more highly of me because of me 'leading people to Christ'. And to put it simply, that being my motive is dead wrong.

And while my motive should not be my own glory and should be to bring Glory to God, my motive should also be for the sake of the people in my life who do not know Christ. I am currently reading Francis Chan's, "Erasing Hell". In that book Francis asks if we really believe in Hell as a real place and from that question it made me think about if I really do believe it, then why do I not act with more urgency with non-believers in my life. And if you are not a follower of Christ reading this and I have not taken time to share with you the love of Christ, I am truly sorry.

I am changing my motives away from selfish ones into a motive that is way more concerned about the eternal destiny of my loved ones than how highly people think of me.