The Secondhand Work of Inspiration Hills
Camp's Impact Through Guest Groups
Within ministry as a whole, much of the work that gets done goes unnoticed. This is incredibly true in camp ministry, specifically the ministry of Inspiration Hills. The clean dishes, spotless bathrooms, long nights, well-maintained grounds, and safety trainings. These things aren’t the most glamorous parts of ministry, but they lay the foundation for great impact.
However, much of that impact and the fruit of our labor we will not be able to see until the other side of eternity. But sometimes, in the Lord’s kindness, we get just a taste of that fruit.
Recently, we have been blessed to hear about camp’s impact on people.
As a parachurch ministry, we exist to serve the local church. Sometimes that looks like having youth attend as campers; other times, it looks like being a refuge for church leaders; and other times, we host church retreats where we simply provide a space for groups to come to know and grow in Christ. This instance was one of those times.
A youth group had rented the lower level of Eagle Crest for a quick 24-hour retreat, which is pretty routine for us. Get the beds ready, clean the common area, greet them, give them the keys, and then we are hands off unless needed. We don’t usually get to hear about what happens there. But at this retreat, there was a young gal who had not grown up in the church, had never opened the Bible, and had only come because one of her friends invited her.
That weekend, she opened the bible for the first time. She was surrounded by believers, and since that weekend, she has been regularly attending the youth group that organized the retreat. Recently, we received word that she is seeking to get baptized, publicly professing her faith in Christ.
Another church leader had recently contacted us with another God-sighting. The church has been working with some individuals as they are in the process of joining. As part of that, the church leaders were able to hear the stories of those individuals, how they came to know the Lord, and how He is working in their lives. Each of these individuals, unprompted, shared that Inspiration Hills was integral to their faith story and growth. The church graciously shared that news with us.
What great encouragement to hear! God IS working! What a privilege it is to provide this space for people to come to know and grow in Christ.
And I think it is an encouragement to all of us as believers. As we all live on a mission for God, it’s hard to see that what we do makes a difference. But it matters. God is intentional and never lets anything go to waste. In fact, somehow He uses all things for His glory and our good, including the everyday faithfulness of believers, the work that happens here at camp, simple youth retreats, and the work of a growing church.
Take heart, even in a dark world, the Light of the world is moving.
Soli Deo Gloria
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