MALACHI, TRUETT, & CHRISTIAN SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES
From July 11th - 14th, 10 students and 5 chaperones joined our sister churches in the West for the 2025 Youth Camp. They gathered together in the mountains of AZ for a time of worship, teaching, games, and lip-sync battles, all to the glory of God!
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING!
Our youth came back with stories of God’s goodness. This past Sunday, students, Malachi Early and Truett Houlton, and youth leader, Christian Davis, shared with us. Read Malachi and Christian’s testimonies and be encouraged that God is at work among the next generation.
Malachi:
Before going to camp, I expected God to move—I just didn’t know when or how. I’ve been to camp before, and every time, God has met me where I was. But this time felt different. I came in feeling discouraged and carrying a lot of shame. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but deep down, I still hoped God would speak to me. At first, I was frustrated that my dad didn’t let me bring my phone. But once I got there, I realized how much I’d been using my phone and music to distract myself from things I didn’t want to face. Without it, I was able to focus more on God and actually connect with people around me.
God showed me two big themes during the weekend: acceptance and sacrifice. First, acceptance. I’ve always felt like I had to act a certain way to be accepted—at school or even at church. I was afraid that if I was just myself, I’d be judged or left out. So I stayed quiet. But at camp, God reminded me that I don’t need to earn anyone’s approval. He already accepts me and loves me exactly as I am.
Second, sacrifice. Giving up my phone ended up being one of the best parts of camp. Without all the distractions, I felt more connected to God and more present with everyone around me. One devotional talked about how music shapes the way we think and view the world, and it really convicted me. I realized that a lot of the music I was listening to was pulling me away from God. That’s when it hit me—music had become a stumbling block. So for me, the real sacrifice wasn’t just giving up my phone—it was giving up music. But I know I’m letting go of it for something better: a closer, stronger relationship with God.
Camp reminded me that even in hard seasons, God still shows up. He reminded me that I don’t have to prove myself to anyone. He already accepts me, loves me, and wants me near Him. I left camp feeling more focused, encouraged, and ready to grow.
Christian:
If you had told me 5 years ago that I was going to be a counselor at a youth camp, I probably would have laughed in your face. I never thought I’d feel my feet burning in my shoes under the Arizona sun, I never thought I’d listen to screaming goats for 5 straight minutes, and I certainly never thought I’d be hearing our very own Truman Severson give a eulogy for a dead bird. Beautiful, by the way. Well, sometimes God likes to play jokes on us...and they’re way better and way more satisfying than any we could come up with ourselves.
Because what I saw, and experienced, was life changing. God gathered dedicated parents, young adults, organizers, planners, chefs, talented game makers, pastors, musicians, all with one focused goal... to show your growing teens what a life lived in service to Christ can be. They met like- minded peers and leaders who were playing games, singing, pouring their hearts out, and comforting one another in the midst of life’s darkness. This youth camp solidified what I had already begun to see in the teen book club here at Cross of Grace. Your teens are putting off their childhood... and they are becoming brothers and sisters in Christ. Praise God.
When I was their age, I was watching TV and pretending to be doing school whenever my mom walked into the room. I would NEVER have walked into a lecture to hear how to be careful that the music I listen to glorify the Lord...or why being part of a local church is important...or what a healthy dating life looks like for young Christian men and women. Your children did these very things, and not just that, they asked incredible questions, made friends, and gave glory to God for it all. Can you imagine? Thank you, every single one of you in this room, for raising such caring and God-fearing teenagers. I went to this camp praying to God that I could affect these young people in some profound way...but as we stood there during the worship session, and the Spirit of God came upon us, and all of us as a youth group prayed for one another, laid hands on one another...it was God that affected me through them...and my prayers became “Lord…get me out of the way.”
Teens. Thank you. Thank you for digging in, for showing great friendship to one another, for letting me be a part of your life. It’s a privilege and an honor to walk away from this experience knowing that the torch of the gospel is being placed into your hands. It may seem dumb...coming to a book club about every other week...going to a 4 day camp in the hottest mountain you’ve ever been on...but it’s not. This is what life is truly about. And I can’t wait for next year.”
Praise the Lord!
