By Lonnie Wilkey
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
Children worship during a Journey Camp held this summer at Carson Baptist Conference Center in Carson Springs.
NEWPORT — Donna Blaydes has been either bringing children to Journey Camp sponsored by the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board or served on the camp staff since 2011.
Now, as a children’s ministry specialist for the TBMB, she has directed the camps for the past five years. The last of the three Journey Camps (a three-day camp) ended on June 29 at Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center in Newport.
Two camps (a three-day and a five-day camp) were held earlier in June at Linden Valley Baptist Conference Center in Linden. Together, the three camps attracted 645 children in first through sixth grades and church sponsors.
Donna Blaydes
While the TBMB has sponsored camps for children for decades, Journey Camp has evolved over the years and its primary focus is helping the children grow closer to God (discipleship), Blaydes said. “This year our focus was pursuing God through a relationship with Jesus, Bible study, prayer, worship and service,” she added.
Traditionally, Blaydes said, many of the children who come to Journey Camp have already accepted Christ, but not all of them have. That is why she “is unapologetic about sharing the gospel in an age appropriate manner without high pressure.”
The gospel is intertwined in the sessions as children learn more about having a relationship with Jesus, she said. This year, 14 children made professions of faith at the three camps.
Sessions are geared toward helping the children “learn what being a Christ-like follower looks like after they accept Christ,” Blaydes said. “We want to see them grow in their faith and walk with Christ,” she added.
Avarion Markus of Hopewell Baptist Church, Parsons, proudly displays a fish he caught in the Buffalo River at Linden Valley Baptist Conference Center.
The children’s ministry leader observed that kids between 7 and 13 are more open to the gospel. “These are the prime years that we can help lay that foundation while they are open to the gospel,” she said
Churches are encouraged to bring children as a group with their sponsors and, in some cases, the pastor attends with the kids as well, Blaydes said.
This is a time when the leaders and pastors can laugh with the kids and develop relationships that will continue when they return home, she said. Church leaders do not have to worry about a program or planning activities. Everything is done with camp staff, she said.
Pastor Charlie Wills of New Home Baptist Church, Baxter, has been bringing kids from his church to Journey Camp for 10 years. This year, he served as camp pastor for the five-day camp at Linden Valley.
“We really like the three-day camp for younger kids and first time campers because the camp is fast moving and that helps to avoid them being homesick. I believe the Journey Camp experience, whether three days or five days, is a wonderful opportunity for kids to focus on their faith without the distractions of daily life,” Wills said.
“It is also an important opportunity for leaders who invest in their students at their home church to get to know them better and foster a more discipleship-based relationship,” Wills added.
The pastor also observed that he has seen many kids, from our church and other attending churches, make life-changing decisions at camp.
“My wife, Shelly, and I love to attend these camps and those like it for many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is that we did not have this opportunity when we were growing up since neither of our churches had a camp ministry and we want our church kids to have this amazing opportunity,” Wills said.
He is appreciative of the congregation at New Home Baptist for “being very supportive of Journey Camp and making a way for many kids to attend who otherwise would not get the chance. I am truly grateful that our church supports the camp ministry.
“I don’t think people realize how important their Golden Offering contribution is to the state of Tennessee and the mission work that needs to happen,” Wills continued.
“Our church has a better understanding of how valuable our partnership with the TBC is because of our involvement with camp. We look forward to camp every year and so do our kids! I appreciate all the work Donna Blaydes does in putting these camps together and I hope to be a part of the TBC camp ministries for many years to come.”
Glenn Metts, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, Seymour, brought a group of kids and sponsors from his congregation for the first time this year. “This was our first time, but it won’t be our last,” he pledged.
“We want to make this a part of our summer schedule every year. Before we left the parking lot to head home, our children were asking us to bring them back next year. It is very evident that a lot of love and prayer is poured into the planning and preparation for camp. It’s about relationships, making memories and pointing children to Jesus,” Metts said.
Metts said he would encourage every pastor to take their church’s children to Journey Camp and to go with them. “I wouldn’t take anything for the time I had building relationships with my kids. The sweetest moment for me actually came the morning after we returned from camp. I received a phone call from one of our kids. He proceeded to tell me that he trusted in Jesus as his Savior at camp. Those are the best calls ever,” he said.
Metts noted that the boy’s mom was one of the chaperones. During one of the worship services, he indicated to his mom he wanted to talk to her about trusting Christ. She was able to lead him to Jesus immediately after the service when the other children were playing. That my friend, is what Journey Camp is about!”
