The following memory from last year's camp meeting was shared by David A. Fernández II, a member of the Grand Blanc (Michigan) Company.
"As I sit and reminisce over last summer, I can’t help but think about camp meeting. Its impact on many of my friends and me has not diminished. We were invited to daily grow closer to Jesus.
"Last summer, God put together a wonderful team of dedicated pastors who gladly sacrificed part of their summer to serve the Lord in the teen tent. They will never know the extent of the blessings the Holy Spirit poured out from their messages. Most of us came with doubts about what we would get out of coming to the meetings or even more importantly, doubts about our salvation. Thanks be to God, He clearly worked in our lives that week, drawing us much closer to Jesus than we had been before. The gift of salvation was logically explained, and now it is 'so simple—it’s the gospel,' said Nathan Renner, one of the pastors. We learned why rejecting the world completely in every way, shape, and form is crucial if we want to understand Jesus’ sacrifice.
"'Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing, and perfect will' (Roman 12:2 NIV). We all must respond to this text when we are tempted to listen, read, or watch something Jesus never would.
"It was such a blessing for lots of us to discover there are more real Seventh-day Adventist Christian teenagers out there than we knew. Most of the kids in the teen tent were there for a reason: they were seeking God with all their hearts. 'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart' (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV).
"Some who had questions have had them answered. Some still have questions, but with newly bolstered faith received at camp meeting, they are now trusting God will reveal His answers to them in His own time. After our camp meeting experience last summer, renewed and blooming Christian young people are just beginning a wonderful walk with Jesus, as they eagerly wait for the coming of the Lord. 'Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him'" (Matthew 29:42, 44 NIV).
I invite you to come to one of the Michigan Conference camp meetings this summer and experience the blessings God has waiting for you.
Hispanic Camp Meeting: May 26–28, Camp Au Sable, Grayling, Michigan
Ivan Omaña and Evelyn Omaña are guest speakers for Hispanic Camp Meeting. To register, phone Lorena Flowers at (269) 449-1394; or send e-mail to: Lorenaf@andrews.edu.
Cedar Lake Camp Meeting: June 16–24, Great Lakes Adventist Academy, Cedar Lake, Michigan
Main speakers for the Cedar Lake Camp Meeting include:
David Asscherick, Troy Church associate pastor and ARISE (A Resource Institute for Soulwinning and Evangelism) director
Doug Batchelor, Amazing Facts Ministries president and speaker
Jay Gallimore, Michigan Conference president
Elaine Kennedy, adjunct professor of Geology at Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas
Quentin Purvis, Lansing Church pastor and District Seven superintendent
Danny Shelton, Three Angels Broadcasting Network president
Visit www.misda.org to download a camp meeting schedule or to register online; or call Ruth Bradfield at: (269) 565-0663.
Upper Peninsula Camp Meeting: July 28–30, Camp Sagola, Sagola, Michigan
Peter Neri, Indiana Conference vice president and ministerial director, will be the speaker.
For information, call Kevin Miller at (906) 639-2440.
Jay Gallimore is the Michigan Conference president.
