A Youth Retreat: Holiness
by Darryl Fitzwater
The first youth camp/retreat by Church of the Ascension (Kearneysville, WV) was July 13 - 15. Adam Ridgeway, Family Ministries Director at Ascension, coordinated the event. The Rev. Mike Koppola, who is planting Christ the Redeemer-Dillsburg, brought four of their students.
A total of 19 students participated in the camp. One student, unchurched, said he wants to join the youth group and "be part of the church." Others were asking about the next event so they can go ahead and plan to attend. One student remarked, "We spent time getting closer to God." We could not ask for a better response.
The days began with Morning Prayer and Eucharist. There were focused teaching workshops along with lots of activities, games, and fire-house style camp food. There were evening services with worship, preaching, and special prayer. With a laser-tag event getting canceled because of terrible storms, the teens were able to spend more time interacting with each other and less on their social media devices.
The theme for the youth camp was “Holiness.” For three days, 19 students gathered to learn about the Lord Jesus and how to know God. One key insight for them was the struggle they had in hiking up to Maryland Heights, which overlooks Harpers Ferry. The different teachers referred back to this event for the students by reminding them that once they got to the top, the view was worth all the sweat! So it is when one seeks the Lord and a holy life.
The Rev. Darryl Fitzwater is the Rector of Church of the Ascension, Kearneysville, WV.
