Youth Creation Festival Trip
by Sara Johnson & Monica Whitmer
A group of 22 teens and adult volunteers from Church of the Holy Spirit in Leesburg, VA set up camp in Shirleysburg, PA from June 30-July 3 for Creation Festival. Creation Festival is an annual event where groups and families can camp and listen to 5 days of Christian bands and speakers.
We had the joy to listen to familiar bands, such as The Newsboys, Bethel Music, and Zach Williams, as well as dozens of others. Music ranged from heavy metal to folk so there was something for everyone! As a group we did devotionals entitled “Ignite the Fire”, and we looked at scriptures that showed fire as a metaphor for God’s presence, God’s purification, God’s protection and God’s power. We endured extreme heat, middle of the night storms, and all the bugs and joys that go along with camping! It was an absolute blast to hang out with our amazing teens. They are among the finest people I know. -Sara
I was honored to be asked to help in the Prayer Center this year during Creation Fest. I had caught COVID before the festival and was unsure I would be able to go because my symptoms seemed to drag on and on. Finally, 3 days before I was to leave, I heard the Lord say to me, “Monica, if you are supposed to go pray for people to be healed and saved, shouldn’t you fully believe I can heal you from COVID?” So, I stood on faith and belief and the Lord did heal me for the trip!
The number of volunteers was down this year, there was only seven of us working the whole time. For me that meant from nine in the morning at the Fringe Stage until 11 p.m. at the main stage. It was an absolute blast, as usual. I met so many people from all walks a life asking for prayer for so many things.
We had multiple altar calls with people giving their lives to the Lord for the first time, to those rededicating their lives to Christ. For example, Friday night, 33 people gave their lives to Christ for the first time and 183 people rededicated their lives to Christ! Part of the prayer team’s job at Creation is to lead those people in the prayer to accept the Lord into their heart and pray for them.
Before going, I had prayed for “divine appointments” from God and boy did He deliver! He always seemed to have me in the right place at the right time to pray for people. So many times, I heard people say the Lord told them to go to the Prayer Center right then for prayer!
Towards the end of my time at Creation Fest my feet and legs started swelling from the heat. By the last day I had a hard time getting around, yet I refused to stop working in the Prayer Center. I knew God had healed me for this trip, I knew God had me there to pray for people so that is what I was going to do.
That last day, while everyone was down at the Baptisms, an entire youth group walked in for prayer. While I was talking to them and praying for them, I was able to lead six of them into giving their lives to the Lord, but it does not stop there, I told them what they need to be doing in their every day walk to stay with the Lord and progress in their relationship with Him. So even though I was unable to do more than write certificates for some of the Baptisms, I was able to progress His Kingdom by His divine appointments.
One of the most precious divine appointments was towards the end of the last day. I didn’t want to give up and leave because of the swelling, I wanted to continue to pray. As a young lady walked in I hobbled over to her in bare feet (because my feet were too swollen at that point for my shoes) The Lord had a lady come in that was eleven days clean from meth. I got to speak into her life, suggest help, make her understand you can not overcome on your own, you need community and helped pray for her. The Lord had told her to come to the Prayer Center then, and I know it was so I could talk to her and pray for her. To me, this was more precious than gold or jewels. That was my experience at Creation Fest this year. - Monica Whitmer
Sarah Johnson is the Youth Director at Church of the Holy Spirit, Leesburg, VA. Monica Whitmer is the Healing Administrator and Rector’s Assistant at Holy Spirit, Leesburg, VA.