Beside the Stream

Corners of the Field Campaign Begins

Imagine if any child could attend a week of camp, regardless of their ability to pay. Imagine if young people struggling with their identity, longing to be loved, faced with huge peer pressure or thoughts of self-injury could come face-to-face with a loving God who has a plan for their lives. Imagine that you could play a role in helping them experience the best week of their lives!

In the book of Leviticus, farmers were commanded not to harvest to the edges, or corners, of their fields, but to leave that grain for the poor to come and be fed. Through our “Corners of the Field” effort, we hope to provide a camp experience for impoverished children and teens who otherwise would be unable to go and be fed spiritually.

• On average, young people spend 3.5 minutes in meaningful conversation with their parents each week. (Source: www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html)
• Youth aged 8-18 spend an average of 7.5 hours a day using entertainment media.
(Source: www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/problem.html)
• Children play outside an average of four minutes a day.
(Source: www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/8010.pdf)

A week at camp provides a chance to break away from the pressures of their daily routine and the forces that so easily distract them from what’s really important. In a caring camp environment, full of fun and adventure, students are able to explore the big issues of life and catch a vision for their long-term future. For many, camp is a long-shot dream—their families may have trouble even putting food on the table. These children deserve to experience camp and learn about God’s great love for them. Will you help? Will you send a child to camp at Streamside?

Please give to our “Corners of the Field” effort. We’ll work to give a deserving child the best week of their life because you care. You can give online at http://streamside.org/donate.php

2012 SLT’s Chosen

A new team of SLT members have just been prayfully selected. 24 teens, most who have been introduced to Streamside as campers, applied for this free camper program. It was a difficult decision to select the 12 who will be joining us for 6 weeks this summer. For some this will be a first work experience as they learn to be on time, get along with a supervisor and take pride in their assignments. Others will establish spiritual disciplines such as personal devotions and journaling for the first time. All will have lifelong memories of relationships built with both peers and the 4 SLT counselors who will teach, lead and guide them through the experience.

We welcome Christine, Da’Rhonda, Amber, B-Ja’Neece, Calah, Desiree, Brandon, Greg, Travis, Marquan, Sideeq and Matthew to Streamside this summer and pray that the experience will firmly establish them by the streams of God’s Word so they can survive, grow and prosper wherever they are planted.

We are excited about the possibilites for each of them, because we have seen significant spiritual fruit from previous years. In fact, 5 of this summer’s adult staff at one time were apart of the SLT program!

Great and Marvelous Signs

The Sunday evening neighborhood Bible study at Streamside has been taking a fresh look at the Gospel of John. One of the obvious truths we are seeing over and over again is that Jesus was unmistakenly claiming that He was God. In John 5:31-47, Jesus lists the following as evidence…1) His own claims, 2) the testimony of John the Baptist, 3) His teachings and miracles, 4) The Father Himself, 5) OT scripture and 6) Moses. We find out in John 6 that the miraculous signs He did were convincing many people to at least follow Him and for some like Peter in John 6:68-69 to believe Jesus was the Messiah and accept His authority as Lord. We need to keep in mind that Jesus did not do miraculous signs like feeding the 5,000 (John 6) or healing the lame man (John 5) solely to meet their physical needs, but to demonstrate His authority and stimulate belief.

In the same way God is more interested in the spiritual condition of us and those around us than in our health, wealth, comfort and happiness. While we have seen God provide for our physical and material needs in amazing ways, we realize that spiritual needs are always the priority. This understanding helps us to keep a proper perspective when we do not see God work in the way we were hoping. May God continue to work in all of our lives in a way that will be a sign to others of who He is and draw people to a relationship with Him as He continues to provide for us in all areas of life.

For awhile now we have realized that our signage at Streamside was not very clear either in helping our guests find us or in communicating what our ministry is all about. We are waiting the arrival of a lit sign containing our new logo. We are eager to have it installed to help groups arriving on Friday nights to find us, let those in the area know we are here and communicate our ministry of introducing men, women and children to the “streams” of God’s Word so they can survive, grow and prosper wherever they are planted.

Our sign has been nominated by the manufacturer for their sign of the month. You can help us win this honor and cash prize of $250 by liking our sign on their facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10150649844072890&set=a.10150621357467890.383010.299167322889&type=1&theater

Arise: Growing Leadership

http://streamside.org/arise.php

Streamside is committed to seeing a younger generation of believers “arise” to leadership and effectiveness in Christian ministry. This commitment is expressed in our official ministry vision, begins with the SLT camper program, continues with the CIT program, is enhanced through ministry teams among our summer staff and culminates with internship opportunities.

SLT stands for Service and Leadership Training. Each summer 12 teens join us for all 6 weeks of camp where they receive intense discipleship, a first work experience and an introduction to service and leadership. CIT’s (Counselors in Training) are summer staff members that team up with adult counselors to supervise and minister to the campers.

We have seen numerous campers serve as SLT’s, transition to CIT’s and then become effective adult counselors. The impact goes well beyond camp as they apply lessons learned at camp to their own lives back home - sometimes overcoming difficult home and neighborhood environments to make tremendous steps in employment, church involvement, college attendance and family life.

Leadership development does not stop when a former camper becomes a counselor. Each person who joins our team is viewed as someone to pour into as they serve at Streamside. Summer staff members each join a team where their individual giftedness and calling in life can be nurtured as they serve along side experienced staff and are given opportunities to grow and develop.

If someone expresses the desire to explore a future in Christian camp ministry, we have a customized internship program that gives them training and experience in all areas of camp ministry. A relationship with a local rescue mission allows us to extend this opportunity to men who are graduating in the area of food service.

I hope to share more with you about these programs as Streamside “continues to develop and implement leadership development for teens, college students and internationals through intentional training, service experiences and discipleship.”

Send that Child!

We are convinced of the amazing value of Christian camping (see 1/3/12 blog). You have identified children and teens around you who need something fun, something different, something challenging or something life changing (see 1/10/12 blog). We are assembling a team of college students, internationals and teens in leadership training (see 1/30/12 blog) and are talking to volunteers who want to spend “The Week” (see 2/16/12 blog). Now it is time for you to send that child!

Send your child. Send your grandchild. Send the neighbor’s child. Send a group of children from your ministry or church. By sending them, you will unleash the “Power of Camp” (see 2/27/12 blog) in their lives. To help you send that child, in addition to our already reasonable price, we are offering…

Streamside Camperships
Christian Ministry Discounts
Angel Tree Scholarships for children with incarcerated parents
Early Bird and Multiple Child Family Discounts

Visit our website to learn more about these scholarships and discounts…
http://streamside.org/campDiscounts.php

Don’t have or know a child? Send one anyway by providing a Streamside Campership…http://streamside.org/donate.php