By Stephanie Ziebarth, Barnabas Ministry Coordinator
Yesterday I had a very encouraging meeting with my supervisor, Nate Marshall. I was telling him about calls I received from parents who attended a previous 4.12 informational meeting. These mothers were deeply moved by the experience they and their children had attending the meeting. “How amazing is it, Nate,” I asked, “that we get to participate in this ministry—where even informational meetings have a significant impact?!” Nate wholeheartedly agreed.
This time of year, we have lots of informational meetings for the 4.12 Leadership Training Program. The first are for returning students—to update them on any changes to the program and to encourage them to return for another year, as well as answer questions, etc. It appears most students are reapplying this year (they may participate for up to five years).
The second group of meetings is for students (and their parents) who are interested in joining the program at Joy El Camps & Retreats. We offer three of these, and we always look at the group of eager faces with joy, anticipating that we will be getting to know many of these students really well in years to come.
I asked students who attended an informational meeting what made them interested in the program. The answers were along the lines of:
- “I have wanted to be a junior counselor for as long as I’ve been a camper.”
- “I really want to grow in my faith and be around other students who want to grow in their faith.”
- “I really respect my junior counselor so I thought I’d check this out.”
During the meetings, attendees naturally hear about what they would commit to by joining the program. They also hear the benefits of joining the program, testimonies from current and past students, and the significance of the program to this Pennsylvania Christian camp.
Please pray for these students as they consider joining this life-changing program. Pray for prospective students as they seek mentors to apply for the program with them. And praise God for the spiritual growth that can be generated through an informational meeting.
The next 4.12 informational meetings for prospective students are Thursday, July 26 and Thursday, August 2, at 6:15 PM. Please RSVP to [email protected].
Learn more about the program here
Hear testimonies from recent 4.12 graduates here
Joy El Camps and Retreats is a Christian camps in Pennsylvania and retreats in PA and we are retreat centers in PA since 1974. Our focus on making disciples is seen in Bible Adventure and the 4.12 Leadership Training Program.
