By the time you read this, a lot of Northside will have left the building. This weekend a couple hundred Christians are going to be together at the Rock Springs Ranch in Junction City. It’s been a long-standing (see the title of this article) tradition that a generation of Northsiders have enjoyed. There will be fellowship, fun, food, devotionals, Bible classes, worship and body building.
Not everyone can go every year of course. That would just be crazy! But, as I consider it, every year we’ve been able to attend, I’m struck over and over by a simple thought. Family Camp is probably a lot closer to what the original church was like in the very beginning. You see they didn’t have church buildings back then. Church wasn’t something you attended as much as it was something you were. It was a part of your life. It was a people instead of a place.
Read Acts 2 and see if you don’t see the similarities to our annual gathering at Rock Springs:
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (Bible classes, devotionals and worship) and to the fellowship (Family Olympics, Nash Splash, horse riding, volleyball, archery, rifles, canoeing, swimming, cabin games, etc.), to the breaking of bread (Sometimes this is literally the case with the cafeteria rolls!) and to prayer (dedicated prayer sessions). Everyone was filled with awe (free babysitting!), and many wonders and miraculous signs (talent..er…variety show?!) were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common (Life is communal at Family Camp!)…Every day (true campers stay ALL weekend long) they continued to meet together in the temple courts (Council Circle). They broke bread (and sno-cones, s’mores, popcorn, Cheez-its, Doritos, Oreos and host of foods you shouldn’t eat but do. It’s not a weekend for counting points.) in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts (there’s a whole lot of joy in cabins and around the meal tables), praising God (Heritage Auditorium and the old country church singing) and enjoying the favor of all the people (the final sharing devotional).
If you’re going to Family Camp this year, I look forward to being with you…especially if you’re a first timer. If you’re not going to Family Camp this year, we’ll miss you and hope to see you in the future. And if you’ve never been to Family Camp, I really hope you’ll make plans to attend soon.