By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
For the past decade, the Buckeye Border Fellowship of Christian Athletes has hosted its own leadership camp.
There were 120 middle and high school students taking part in the sold out weeklong gathering at Camp Michindoh in Hillsdale, Michigan, from July 19 through 23.
“We started the camp ten years ago knowing that as adults, we may lose our opportunity and ability to get into the public schools to help students with faith and moral issues,” said FCA Area Director Rex Stump.
The purpose of the camp, with the theme, “All Glory Belongs to God,” was to build student leadership according to Stump.
“If I can’t get into the school, we better have kids in the school knowing what they’re doing and sharing the faith,” said Stump. “That’s when it all started.”
In ten years, the leadership camp has exceeded the expectations, not just including student leadership, but generating a generation of youth.
Along with 24 college-aged chaperones and 14 staff members, the students were ready to become leaders. As the week progressed, every camper at the camp made a spiritual decision.
Six students gave their lives to Jesus Christ for the first time, 82 students recommitted their lives to Christ, and over 30 students not only recommitted their lives to Christ, but they felt God calling them to do something specifically for Him.
“They (students) were just excited about their faith and making the right decisions about it,” pointed out Stump, who has been involved in FCA for the last 21 years.
Stump would add that kids today now deal with mental health and spiritual issues. “I think COVID really drew that out,” mentioned Stump.
“People discovered five years ago that isolating kids was the wrong thing, and I’m sure that’s debatable. We discovered now we have these kids who don’t know how to handle depression, suicide issues, discouragement, anger. All these issues that they’re dealing with stem from the heart.”
This was one of the many areas stressed during camp; the kids discovered how to find answers for help. Stump credited the teamwork between the camp and campus ministries which sort of complements each other.
“We’ve seen more kids from our area who want to come to camp, and we sold out a month early this year,” said Stump. “It’s become a thing that – where kids are signing up and they’re signing up quicker than before, bringing their friends.”
Besides sharing the faith with other students, the camp also featured numerous activities such as climbing walls and high ropes.
Not only did the campers compete in activities, but they also learned how to live their faith at home and school.
“The more exciting thing is what they do when they get home,” commented Stump. “These kids are taking what they’re learning at camp and bringing it back home to their campus.”
One of the prime examples learned is when student-athletes gather after a contest for prayer.
“I’ll never forget the time when Archbold and Wauseon had renewed their boys basketball rivalry on the court,” said Stump.
“Both teams circled up at midcourt with intermingling cheerleaders joining them, and they grabbed each other’s hands and prayed. It defused the negative emotion. Nobody wants to lose, and that’s part of the competition.”
The camp was highlighted by the appearance of Nobles Darby, who is currently the team chaplain of the Cleveland Browns and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Our main thrust is we want to equip these kids and empower them to come home and to be able to know how to open up the bible, to pray, to read, and lead their own campus bible study,” commented Stump. “We try to train these kids to do these things.”