Mt. Tirzah, Robbinsville Locals, Community Baptist | Summer 2016

For our last week of our tenth summer, we enjoyed welcoming three smaller groups together into one big happy family!  Mt. Tirzah, Community Baptist and some local Robbinsville teens meshed together so well, we had a hard time knowing who was with what group!

The week meant different things to different people, but in the end (we pray) it meant an encounter with God and His love. Whether they enjoyed getting away from their home lives, hanging with people they enjoy or experiencing fun and adventure, these teens were given a week of intentional connection from their leaders and our staff, the truth from God’s Word and a place to pause and hear some quiet.

We loved spending this historical week in Whisper Mountain’s history with you everybody! Thank you for coming to spend your camp week with us! You are a great crowd of people!

Keep God’s vantage point in mind in all you pursue! Whisper Mountain loves you!

Awesomeness Takes the Stage >> Erin

The final 2016 Summer Staffer is on the Awesomeness Takes the Stage today! Welcome Erin, if you will!

(Just to clarify the picture above — Erin was eating one of those delicious cookie stick things at the Dork Ball we have to kick off the summer! Sooooo, there’s that.)

As I feel like I have written throughout our whole Awesomeness Takes the Stage posts this summer, Erin was first a camper!

Holy smokes we have gotten to see Erin grow up! For around eight or so years, she has somehow been a part of Whisper Mountain! Being a local to Robbinsville, she has spent a lot of time with us through school or local community events, as a summer camper, and as a volunteer whenever we had need!

Seeing Erin go from sort of quiet and in the background to Lead Guide has been nothing short of God’s gracious and beautiful work in her life. He has clearly become her greatest joy in life which has made her confident to do what He keeps calling her to.

Seeing her exchange the brokenness in her life for the yolk of God’s peace and healing has been inspiring! He is shaping her into a virtuous woman who willingly carries the burdens of others so they too can know God’s freeing peace and ocean of love.

Watching her lead worship, teach and connect with campers makes us feel like proud parents in awe of the woman she is becoming. We couldn’t be more thankful for her being a part of our Whisper Mountain family for so long or more excited to see her growing as a strong leader for God’s glory!

Thank you Erin for serving with us this summer and being willing to be stretched through your role as Lead Guide! You have led well! We love you!

5 Stones Middle School | Summer 2016

We simply didn’t get enough of Five Stones Church last week with the high schoolers so they went ahead and sent over their middle schoolers this week!

The first half of the week was the girls! The second half of the week was the boys! What?! Wild and crazy, and we hope and pray, Christ filled!

While the activities remained mostly the same for both halves of the week (yes, two weeks of camp smooshed into one!), their content was able to be specially catered for the beauties and the warriors and how to become that with Jesus at the center!

We were thrilled that half of the BeYOUtiful in Christ ministry was able to join us for the girls portion of the week! (You should check them out if you’re interested in custom events for girls!)

After more than twenty years in youth ministry, their youth pastor, Daryl Sutherland, is moving into the outreach position within their church (something that he’s been actively doing even as a youth pastor!) We are thankful his last youth camp was with us and we pray God’s blessing as he transitions into this new role of ministry!

Thank you 5 Stones Middle Schoolers for coming to camp at Whisper Mountain! We’ve enjoyed you this week!

(see their instagram file of pictures here!)

Five Stones Church — High School | Summer 2016

Last week we enjoyed Five Stone Church’s High School crowd at Whisper Mountain! These Charlotte teens brought excitement and friendship along with them!

They run their week a little different than the other groups through the summer, so although their schedule feels a little more fast and furious, they enjoyed the best of camp before week’s end!

We saw a couple teens give their lives to Jesus (you’re hottin’ and hollerin’ right?!!!) and many more find breakthrough in places they felt captive! Jesus makes us new, He frees us and changes everything for the better! These High Schoolers experienced Him in some personal ways this week!

Their leaders love them well, make all things fun and help lead the way to deeper walks with Him!

Five Stones High Schoolers, thank you for coming and spending a week with us! May you continue to chase after all things Jesus!

(Find the instagram file for #summitatwm2016 here! High school and middle school weeks are both included!)

Relevance Community at Camp Summer 2016

Last week we enjoyed the company of Relevance Community — a mission work team from Florida! They have come for the past few years to make a difference serving in our Robbinsville community! The nursing home loves them as they sing and talk with the residents; the elderly in need of yard work help or minor outdoor house improvements can’t thank them enough; those unable to climb stairs any longer appreciate the ramps that have been built for them; those at our local thrift store appreciate the added hands making their work lighter; those all around town appreciate the bright light that comes to town when Relevance shows up!

We also got to celebrate the lives of 5 fantastic people throughout the week! We are used to 1 or 2 parties in a camp week — but 5?!!! That was fun!

This year we added in a small sliver of the camp life at the end of their work week! They enjoyed tubing at Deep Creek and team building on the low ropes course!

Their attitudes are some of the best I’ve seen in the teen world. Something about serving others develops such a joy and contentment in life! Inspiring for all of us watching!

Relevance, thank you for spending a week with us this summer! Keep serving Jesus and loving each other well! 

See more of their pictures from the week in their WM hashtag folder on Instagram!

Summer 2015 >> Hilton Head

We said farewell to Hilton Head a couple weeks ago, but neglected to share them with you here on the blog! So meet the (mostly girl) crowd of the Hilton Head teens:

They were crazy and fun and completely enjoyable to be with! But really it was pretty awesome to end our summer with people as sincere and in pursuit of Jesus as they are! Teens came to know the Lord for the first time, grew in their current walk with the Him and found encouragement for the next step in their journey whether it is college, high school or whatever!

Hilton Head, we are thankful for how God worked out your coming to us this summer and we are excited for the things He is doing in and through you! Keep letting Him color your world with His presence! Whisper Mountain loves you!

More pictures from their week can be found on our Facebook page or using their hashtag on instagram!

Author >> Cassi || Photo Creds: Tom, Kinsley, Cassi

Summer 2015 >> 5 Stones High School

A couple weeks ago we had part two of the Five Stones Crowd from the Charlotte Area (see part one here!)! They are a dynamic bunch of people!

These are just a few highlights from their week captured by the iPhone!

Much like their church’s first round of camp, they indulged in the crazy, fun and gross throughout the week! One thing that was kinda awesome was having a part of their group go finish a work project in our community that the Gateway Group wasn’t able to finish! Talk about the body of Christ pulling together! It’s a beautiful thing!

We saw nine people receive Christ, one a leader, another a spanish speaking foreign exchange student! Getting to see God work in such personal ways, intricately timing the crossing of certain paths and times just never gets old and serves to build our faith and trust in Him in greater ways! You guys, GOD IS INCREDIBLE! Dwell on that, would ya?!

We had a great week with you Fives Stones High Schoolers! Keep pursuing Christ!

See more on the Five Stones insta feed or the WM Insta feed!

Summer 2015 Begins

Summer 2015 is off to a grand start as we’ve welcomed in most of our staff and pressed into the business of getting to know each other and build that unique community found here at Whisper Mountain!

Although our staff is slightly smaller than past summers, we are thrilled with each person who has committed to serving with us! We will be introducing you to each one throughout the next few weeks!

Teens — get yourselves ready for a Christ-filled week of camp and some fun and memorable moments made with some incredibly dynamic and loving people!

We are all set to PROCLAIM CHRIST!

(also — these horns are the perfect blend of fun and obnoxious!)

one thing trumps the fun

Hello dear campers!

As I sit here nostalgic of camp life, sifting through the 2014 summer staff photo disc (similar to the ones you all were able to receive from your own youth groups), I’m reminded of why we were all sent to Whisper Mountain this past summer.

Yes, the relationships that were created and bonds that were formed among the staff are indescribably vital to all summer staff’s lives, and it is an understatement to say it is a remarkable blessing to be able to call on each other in time of prayer or in time of praise; however, we were there this summer FOR YOU. Yes, YOU. I’ll tell you why.

The Great Commission: Matthew 28: 18-20 says, “And Jesus came and said to them [his disciples], ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

So YES- did we have the TIME OF OUR LIVES hanging out with you on the field, challenging you on the low/high ropes courses, tubing with you down Deep Creek, and welting you with paintballs? ABSOLUTELY. However, there’s one “YUGE” thing that trumps all of those incredible, unforgettable memories, and that’s seeing your lives surrender to our Father.

God called the summer staff to Whisper Mountain this summer to make disciples from those who came in our paths. We led small group times, cabin times, prayer times, worship, nightly messages- we TREASURE those moments of camp because each one signifies you growing one step closer to Him and one step further from the world. You were/are our disciples in Jesus’ name.

Simply put, a disciple is someone who follows Jesus. Guess what? Matthew 28 says that Jesus told HIS disciples to go make disciples- and that’s what we are doing! Whisper Mountain staff (disciples) desire to build relationships with you campers (disciples) so we can help your relationship with the Lord grow stronger in hopes that you will invest your time and prayer and love into others’ lives (disciples?) so THEY can grow their walk with the Lord.

We are disciples growing disciples. We are followers of Jesus Christ growing followers of Jesus Christ. That’s the Lord’s commission, command, URGE for us.

In upcoming blog posts, I’ll be posting some discipleship tips and suggestions as to
how to go about obeying our Savior in His Great Commission to His followers.

Love you all! Thanks for reading!
In Christ, becoming
Chelsea Starr

|Author >> Chelsea| ^^ |Photography >> Jamie + Cassi| ^^ |Featured Groups >> Comm.Bapt + Hilton Head|

January in Pictures [2014]

[the following pictures are a combo of iphone + camera to highlight our month for you!]

Ringing in the New Year | Celebrating Snow | Hearing God's whisper
Hiring New Staff Member Manny | "Seeing" Kyle

Marketing WM | Welcoming First Campers of 2014
Sunshine + Palm Trees for 2 Staffers | Staying Warm

Togetherness | Unending Work | Slippery Driveways
Winter Crazies | Pecking Crows Problem | Sharing Work with Friends

January has already brought some hiccups, frustrations and stress, but strewn throughout all of that are the moments of delight, togetherness, and purposeful living. Whisper Mountain is in full gear prepping for our summer program, expanding and improving our facilities, and filling the calendar with many people coming to escape their noise and encounter God's whisper! We are thrilled!

Have you planned a getaway to Whisper Mountain yet? Now's a great time to gather some people and make some plans! We would delight in serving you!