CGF/YF Winter Camp 2015

Youth Fellowship and City Gospel Fellowship joined forces this year to have a camp. I don't know why we don't do this more often because it was seriously the best weekend so far this year! 

I open with this funny photo of Will, Ting and Esther. 

The theme of our camp was "Portrait of a Fruit Bearing Christian" and the messages were given by Pastor Mathews. Our theme verse was from John 15:8,
  "Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." 

I loved our theme song as well which was Walk worthy of the Lord. I think the camp committee did a great job this year and overall the fellowship was sweet and I could see so many people growing in the knowledge and grace of the Lord. I wasn't part of the committee this year but I was a co-leader of one of the groups. We were the Peaceful Pears and we managed to win the overall running weekend competition in games ^^ #peacefulpearsprevail. Quite honestly I'm the absolute worst at being peaceful while a sports competition is on. My competitive spirit was ablaze and guns were fired during the ridiculously heated sports "king of the hill" arvo. It was great to play with all the kids and see the older young adults from CGF play so eagerly haha~ 

I got to stay in a cabin with the YF girls which was really fun. Camps are such great times for bonding and seeing new quirky sides to people :) I was really tired the first night because I just packed up all my stuff from Traralgon the night before and practically rushed my packing for the camp. We had a camp fire the first night which was unexpectedly favourable because the next day it rained. After the camp fire I was dead tired and went to bed with a big headache. However as I was lying in bed, it was so encouraging to hear the girls outside in the common area gather for QT. 

The next night I was determined to finish the Sunday school songbook from Bear Fruit Project: kindness. There was still a lot of decorating to do, so I was up till 3am finishing it off with the help of lots of the girls. I got so hungry that a few of us went to the guys common room to eat mee goreng.  Many of the other people were playing games in the dining area that night and I managed to take a photo~ wheeee

We had four messages over the weekend. We learned about the true image, lifestyle, fellowship and ministry of a Fruit Bearing Christian. The third and fourth messages on fellowship and ministry really spoke to me. Christian fellowship shouldn't be focused upon light before love. The key verse for me was 1 John 6 - 7, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."  

The epistle of 1 John is all about love. But I learned that the first chapter talks about walking in the light before even launching into love. 

As a leader, if I go to fellowship and gather with darkness and sin in my heart, I cannot shine the light of Christ to example before others. If we all gather in darkness without repenting of sins, how can any of us effectively change each others lives for Christ? If we gather and deny we have sin, we are liars and the truth is not in us. Before fellowship can be full of the love of Christ, we must all walk in the light, which means having a close relationship with God.

The fourth message of the ministry of a fruit bearing Christian was also impacting. Pastor mentioned the testimony of Onesiphorus from 2 Tim 1:16. He is a person I never knew in the bible though I must have read his name many times before. Paul praises him for diligently seeking him in prison and refreshing him with kindness. It's from his example that Paul exhorts Timothy to do likewise (2 Tim 2:1). This small account really spoke to me because every ministry whether "great" or "small" is seen by God and blessed. Our call is to be diligent and serve others with kindness, not seeking to gratify ourselves but rather to give glory to God. 

This camp was also our last with Hui Xian *cries* before she goes back to Singapore to work. 

 

Overall thanks be to God for the wonderful weekend camp! If only it was longer!