Youth Camp

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

This book is dedicated to my amazing church family at Break Forth Bible Church. I love you guys!

Chapter 1

Everyone turn to 1 Corinthians 13: 4–8 in your Bibles, said Lilly, the youth pastor at Oil of Joy Bible Church. We’ve been discussing love, and these verses explain it. Can anyone tell me what you know about love?

Seventeen-year-old Garrett raised his hand. He always had to comment on the sermon. Like, it’s a feeling you have for someone. I would know that, cuz I get all the ladies. Everyone laughed. He didn’t even try to be funny, and most of his comments were ridiculous; but coming from Garrett, you just had to laugh.

I’m sure you do, Garrett, Lilly said, but what is love?

Trinity, who had just started coming to Oil of Joy Bible Church, raised her hand. She was a very religious girl who didn’t think that people should laugh in church. She thought this was all a joke to them. In 1 Corinthians it says that love is patient and so on, Trinity answered precisely.

Wow, you didn’t even look in your Bible. Good job! Lilly gave her a little round of applause.

Garrett joined in, clapping loudly and shouting, Go, Trinity!—which didn’t amuse her at all. She just sat up in her seat and crossed her arms. Whoa, sorry, he apologized. I didn’t mean to get you mad.

Trinity gave him a dirty look and rolled her eyes.

Okay, I will now read 1 Corinthians 13: 4–8; here it goes. I will find it in five, four, three, two, one. Dang it, that didn’t work. As Lilly searched in her Bible, the teens chanted Lilly! Lilly! Lilly! over and over until she found the verses. Yes! she exclaimed finally. Okay. ‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.’

When Lilly was finished, all the teenagers clapped for her. Thank you, thank you very much, Lilly joked. She then decided to ask some questions to see if anyone was actually paying attention. Okay, tell me one thing that love is.

Hands went up throughout the room.

Some of the teenagers got a chance to say one thing that love was, as described in the Bible. Lilly’s sermons were always very good. She would let the teens comment and tell what they were thinking. She would also get them involved by doing skits or playing games that were related to the topic they were discussing. Lilly was a great youth pastor; the teens loved her. There was no doubt that she was called to minister to this age group.

After service, they could play games, which was everyone’s favorite thing about youth group. Lilly then realized she had forgotten to tell them something.

Guys, can I have your attention for a second? she asked politely.

Yup! Garrett shouted from across the room.

Thank you, Garrett. I forgot to tell you that youth camp is coming up. This youth group will be the only one on the ranch, so you’ll get to know each other better and have some fun with Christian friends. But you can bring as many friends as you want, so I guess it won’t just be you guys there.

Woo! everyone cheered. Youth camp was so much fun, and everyone had had a blast the previous year. The camp was located at a huge Wyoming ranch in the middle of nowhere , and the teens had loved it. They’d played capture-the-flag and dodgeball and other amazing games. They had slept in two huge tents that could each hold at least twenty people. One was for the girls, and one for the boys. Most girls brought air mattresses, though, because they didn’t want grass all over their sleeping bags, and also because sleeping on the ground was just plain disgusting. Camp wasn’t like a regular camp. There wasn’t any hiking or making crafts out of natural resources—nothing like that. It was just a way to get the teens together; hanging out with other Christians could make a huge impact on their lives.

Lilly went on. Here is a list of stuff you can and can’t bring. Girls, no mini-shorts or tank tops. Guys, no baggy pants; there will be no underwear showing.

Dang! Garrett joked.

And don’t bring any electronics. None! We want to embrace nature, children. They will be taken away if you’re caught with them. No alcohol or drugs at the ranch. You’ll be kicked out right away if you’re caught with any of that. I’m sure none of you would bring stuff like that, though, so we won’t have to worry about it. Just be ready to have some fun!

Woo! they cheered once again.

Trinity raised her hand.

Yes, Trinity? Lilly asked, sounding a little annoyed.

Will there be showers and bathrooms? Because no way am I going for four days without a shower. The other teens rolled their eyes.

Lilly giggled. Yes, Trinity, there will be showers and bathrooms. Don’t worry.

Trinity let out a sigh of relief.

It was then time to have some fun. Some of the teens played video games, while others just hung out or ate at the concession stand. Church was a great hangout for the teens to come to; it would keep them out of trouble and also give them a chance to learn about God. They usually brought their friends along as well. It was awesome to see more and more teenagers pile in on Wednesday nights, and most came on Sundays too. Lilly knew her sermons were affecting the youth in a positive way. She was glad to know that there were more Christian teens in this town.

***

Some of the teenagers at this church were very different from each other.

First off, there was Sheridan. Fifteen-year-old Sheridan had blue eyes and light blond hair. She was very pretty and a strong Christian. She didn’t care what people thought of her. If they thought she was weird because she was a Christian, that was their problem, not hers. She and her brothers, Garrett and Colton, had been going to Oil of Joy ever since they were little, and church seemed like their second home. Everybody at this church knew the Paulson family and loved them. Sheridan didn’t consider herself popular at school. Although she was a great girl with an amazing personality, others didn’t want to hang out with her because she was known as the Christian.

Then there was Trinity. She had bright green eyes and curly, light-brown hair that was always left down to fall perfectly upon her shoulders. Trinity had moved from Pennsylvania to Wyoming only three weeks earlier and had already acquired many enemies at Oil of Joy. For a thirteen-year-old-girl, she was a total snob who thought she was better than everyone else. Trinity was indeed a Christian and loved God very much. She was actually extremely religious. She knew all the books of the Bible in order, and answered questions perfectly. The thing with Trinity, though, was that she thought too highly of herself. If people weren’t Christians or didn’t know what was in some random chapter in the Bible, she considered them lower than herself. Her father had been a pastor back in Pennsylvania, so she thought people should look up to her because of that. Even though Trinity was like this, she loved to listen to Lilly. She thought Lilly was the greatest pastor ever; she always told the best jokes. Although Trinity stayed cool about it and didn’t laugh, she was definitely laughing on the inside.

After that, there was Garrett. He had short brown hair and blue eyes. Garrett could make you laugh at any joke, even ones that weren’t funny; anything was hilarious coming from him. Even though Garrett joked around in church, he did take it seriously. He was a strong Christian and loved God very much. His sister was Sheridan, and he also had a little brother named Colton. Garrett was going to be a senior this year. It would be his last year at camp, so he wanted to make it last. Garrett wasn’t the most popular guy at school. He had a small group of friends, but he was okay with that. His life wasn’t based on what other people thought of him. Instead, he focused on God’s opinion. Garrett didn’t compromise what he believed in order to fit in with his classmates. After senior year Garrett would be attending a Christian college and hopefully begin his career as a pastor. Ever since Garrett was a little boy he had dreamed of beginning his own church.

Brooke was a very popular girl at school and at church. She was beautiful with long, dark brown hair. Her gorgeous smile could brighten anyone’s day. She had deep dark brown eyes, and her little nose looked like it was fake because it was so perfect. Brooke was a Christian, but she really didn’t act like one. She just went to church because her parents made her go and because of the games they played afterward. Brooke had a little brother and sister who followed in her footsteps. Her life was focused mostly on her. She could care less about the people around her. Brooke loved to go to camp; it was the most amazing place to go in the summer, even though it was only a four day experience. Brooke had been going to church ever since she was a child so she wasn’t used to anything else. She didn’t think that church could help or change someone. She thought it was just a place that people went and nothing more than that.

Walker was the fake Christian. He had never actually received Jesus into his heart because his friends would think he was weird and also because he thought Christians were no fun at all. All they could do was be perfect all the time, or so he thought, and they never took any chances. He did love church, though; Lilly was really fun to listen to. Walker was big on competition, so the games they played after service were right up his alley. Camp was a blast!. He had only gone to camp a couple times, but what he remembered best were the fun games and extreme competitions. He could get away from all the trouble and his bad friends, and spend time with some true Christians. Pastor Ryan treated Walker like a son. He knew that Walker was in with a bad group of guys and needed help, so he would sometimes take him golfing or fishing, things like that. Walker did like Pastor Ryan’s attention, but it was a little embarrassing to be hanging out with his pastor. If his friends saw him, what would they say?

Several more teens attended Oil of Joy Church regularly, but these specific teenagers were about to experience a camp that would change their lives forever.

Chapter 2

No way! I am not going! Jocelyn screamed at her mom.

Jocelyn’s mother, Clarice, stared at her daughter with a frown plastered upon her dark face. Jocelyn Noel, we are going to church. It will help us get over your stepdad leaving us,

Are you serious? Haven’t you listened to me this whole time? I’m glad he left us! You can’t keep holding on. He will never come back, and I’m happy about that. Jocelyn defended.

I’m sorry that you feel this way, but you are going—no matter what.

"What does Jacquelyn think of this?