This summer will be my fourth summer working CentriKid and my first summer directing a CentriKid team. As I’ve been preparing for camp I’ve experienced an interesting combination of the familiarity of CentriKid, the excitement in knowing that the summer is rapidly approaching, and a fresh look at camp as I’m beginning this new position.
As with any new experience, uncertainty, nervousness and fear have crept into my thoughts from time to time as I’ve thought about my role for this summer. I will be leading a team of 31 other staffers as we minister to thousands of campers and adults who will be attending CentriKid Camps this summer. This excites me and makes me nervous all at the same time! I know that this is something I have prepared for and continue preparing for each day, but it still seems like such a large task.
As I was reading through Scripture the other day, I found these two verses:
“When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
1 Corinthians 2:1-2
In these verses, Paul didn’t seek to impress people with his eloquence or superior wisdom, but instead “resolved to know nothing else…except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Paul knew that nothing else mattered, so he resolved to know nothing else! In today’s world, it’s hard to focus on one thing for any large amount of time, but the word “resolved” means to make a determined, definite and earnest decision. This summer, I am resolving to know nothing else except Jesus Christ and will be challenging my team of staffers to do the same. As we work camp, we will be striving to abandon it all to ensure that nothing else is left except our pursuit of knowing Christ more and telling others about Him each day.
Being the Director of a CentriKid Camps team involves doing a lot of different jobs, but my ultimate role is to make disciples and to serve churches in your mission of making disciples. I want to be like Paul and be able to say to my team at the end of the summer that, while I was with them, I resolved to know nothing else except for Jesus Christ and him crucified. However, this pursuit isn’t something that should stop once August 2nd rolls around and camp ends. Join me in resolving to abandon it all every single day. If we do so, I believe we’ll see God’s glory in ways that will leave us in awe of the One who abandoned literally everything so that we might live.