Building Community

Every summer I get to enjoy watching a community form almost from the ground up as our new summer staff team arrives. People from around the country are here this summer with the hopes of having fun, growing in their own lives and pouring out by proclaiming Christ to teens.

We have welcomed people from different backgrounds and families, having had many diverse experiences and in different places spiritually. But all this different helps make up a strong team as each person adds their own strength. I get excited seeing the process play out all summer long! A process allowing room for failure and struggle. A process producing growth as Christ remains central.

All that to say, what an encouragement for you and for me as the body of Christ to continue welcoming in all the people different from us, in different places in their walks with God, with a different approach to things than we might have. We need to pull in together as a team to stay on mission with Proclaiming Christ to a world hungering for Him.

Go Team Jesus!

We look forward to continuing to share with you bits and pieces of our summer camp season! Keep checking back.

Have a great day, friend

[Author + Photo Creds: Cassi Werner]

One lie we tell ourselves

We are stronger when we are together. We tell ourselves that’s not the truth, we fight hard to make that not true, but it is. When we finally give in to the reality that we aren’t fully our best without others, we finally start becoming all we were meant to be!

Needing others doesn’t mean we are weak, it means we are operating as God intended — in community! Community is just what the Whisper Mountain Summer Staff have been building!

Learning to trust and being trustworthy, braving below the surface level, connecting with others where they are, leading and being willing to be lead — this is the stuff of community!

Whether the leap into community feels like the scariest thing on earth or the easiest, don’t stop building into others and allowing others to build into you.

The rewards are worth the effort. You’ll be the best you yet!

 

A Whisper Mountain Story >> Ramsey Propp

One of the biggest perks of camp ministry is getting to experience turning points in people’s faith journey and pieces of the story God is writing in their lives. With each glimpse of the story, we are always brought to the same conclusion: God’s amazing love and personal pursuit of people astounds us. He holds nothing back to personally bring people to the place of knowing Him and walking them to the place of making Him known.

Ramsey Propp has been a part of our Full-Time Staff for over five years. Watch this video to hear a brief telling of his story and the next chapter God is leading him toward!

(if unable to view the video, click here)

We are thankful to have been a small part of his journey, and we praise God again for His faithfulness in the lives of His people! Ramsey, we will miss you!

Craftivities at Whisper Mountain

Who wants to come CREATE with us on November 14?!

Treat yourself to a day of crafting + conversation and get inspired for some DIY gifting for the upcoming holiday season! We will be completing three crafts that would be gift worthy for the specials in your life, as well as offering some gift wrapping inspiration because we all know presentation is everything!

Day Price includes all supplies, lunch + snacks: $50.
Weekend Price includes all supplies, lunch + snacks on Saturday & breakfast Saturday + Sunday mornings: $75

Spots are limited and filling so make sure to gather a friend or a favorite family member to join in the fun!

Email Cassi@WhisperMountain.org to reserve your spot!

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!)

Contagious Exuberlation

Hey dear friends!

I come to you with pure excitement in sharing my love of discipleship with you all! That’s the theme of today’s post: (holy cow happy + heaped to overflowing =) EXUBERLATION.

Have you ever been so excited and overjoyed about something that you just HAD to share it with people that you love? Maybe it was receiving an A on an exam that you studied hours for. Or maybe it was getting that job that you’ve been praying and hoping for. Did you get a puppy?! Possibly you finally had a day filled with rays of sunshine when it seemed like nothing but storm clouds have been following you around for days. In those moments when you feel like you’re jumping out of your skin with exhilaration (for some, it’ll look more composed by wearing a bright, lit-up smile; others like me, a physical jump and spin-around is something you can’t help but do) you just can’t deny the feeling of sharing it with someone. It’s in our nature- we’re meant to connect with people!

When’s the last time you shared your excitement and love for Jesus with someone? In God’s Word, John, an honored man who was actually able to spend time with Jesus, writes in his letter, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete” – 1 John 1:3-4.

WOW. John was saying that he is so pumped up about Jesus that he wants to share what he has seen and heard about Jesus Christ in order to fulfill his feeling of excitement and joy about Him (WE could say John had a case of EXUBERLATION!)

This is the premise of discipleship, friends, beautifully said by Pastor Francis Chan: “It’s one person, so in love with God, and when that one person starts obeying the things of God they start seeing life change-They can’t help but start telling their friends about it.”

In other words, GET EXCITED about your relationship with Jesus, about what He has been doing in your life, and simply, what He did for you on the cross. SHARE what he has been doing with your friends. In doing this, you are spreading and speaking the glorious gospel that He desires us to share. You are growing followers of Jesus. You are making disciples.

So now I’ll leave you with a similar question: When’s the next time you’re going to share your excitement (exuberlation) and love for Jesus with someone?

|Author >> Chelsea| ^^ |Photography >> Jamie + Cassi| ^^ |Featured Katangello Models >> Eli Goodpaster, Frank Cline, Ethan Ramsey, Chaz Whaley, Kinsley, Tori Moody|

3 ways to keep the flame bright

Hey young people!!

By now most of you are back to school and in a normal routine. I want to wish each and every one of you a great school year! As I have also returned to school myself there is one question I keep asking: how do I keep the fire or the “camp high” going?

Personally, it’s very easy to get busy with schoolwork + friends that I slowly but surely allow my flame to dwindle. When you don’t spend every day in an atmosphere where you are constantly surrounded by fellow Christians who want the same exact thing as you, it is easy to allow your flame from camp to be extinguished.

If this is you right now, does it make you any less of a Christian? Absolutely, NOT!! Jesus loves you right where you are at this very second. He doesn’t love some future or better version of yourself more than He loves you now. Jesus loves you as if you were the only person He created. The crazy thing is that He does that for ALL of us.

So with that in mind I want to offer 3 ways to help keep your flame burning bright for Jesus.

1)   Community - Community in the Christian life is vital. When God made Adam he saw he was lonely and needed a companion so he created Eve. We were made for companionship and community!! Otherwise, God would have left Adam to hang out with all the animals.

If you are not in a small group or some sort of gathering where you can go and just do life with other people, I would personally offer that you find one. If there isn’t one at your church and you want this, you can always start your own! Go for it!! God loves when His people gather together to talk about life and Him.

2)   Listen to the Word - If you go to church weekly but you find yourself wanting to hear more of the word, that’s GREAT! I like to get Podcasts of some well-known pastors and listen to what they have to say. This is a great tool to utilize.

3)   GET in the Word – Daily quiet + alone time with God is the most crucial and fundamental part to keep your fire burning bright. Just like you did at camp. It doesn’t mean you have to get up at 4 am and spend 3 hours praying and reading. If 30 minutes is all you can seem to do right now, that’s awesome! I promise you God LOVES those 30 minutes He gets to hang out with His Beloved child. 

I love you all!
In Christ,

Seth McClure

|Author >> Seth| ^^ |Photography >> Jamie + Charley| ^^ |Featured Groups >> 5 Stones Middle School + Hilton Head + Gateway|

the skinny on togetherness!

When people pull together for a common purpose amazing things happen. I'm sure you can think of examples of this in your life. As those in ministry, we are often given realities of this through the many who choose to get involved at WM. Most recently, Whisper Mountain has experienced this through the generous hearts of those who hosted us at the GIC Conference down in Florida. 

<photo by RP>

<photo by Shaun>

The connections with people always tend to refresh and encourage us as staff. The platform to share the WM story brings the vision to life for the listener but again in our hearts. Seeing hearts stirred by God's presence with us through the work HE does at WM stirs our excitement to keep walking forward in our service! 

{photo by hope}

The excitement and vision meets the road when these same people want to do all they can (together) to help meet the practical needs of the ministry or decide to come leave their footprints on the soil of the mountain in the days ahead. 

{photo by Shaun}

A Christian school raised thousands of dollars in one week to benefit Whisper Mountain. A community of 30 adults was able to pool funds to purchase "big tag" items to better equip us in our work, also thousands of dollars! (More on these after they've arrived in Robbinsville!)

Only through the coming together of many were we able to receive blessing upon blessing upon blessing. God's economy always pulls us together. We feel humbled. We feel blessed. We feel encouraged. And that's an understatement.

Christmas in May

After being at the GIC Conference in February, one special group of people had a heart to help WM in whatever way they could. With the list of our household and pantry needs in hand, this group of people filled a car full (and then some) of practical needs (like TP!) and sent Driver Bob to bless us. Feels like Christmas in May!

Being missionary staff means we don't always know how we will be provided for, though we are confident God does provide! We've seen Him, on countless occasions, give toward our needs often using complete strangers. From tennis shoes and flip flops (in just the right sizes!) to Wendy's or Ingles gift cards to the bigger things like vehicles, we get taken care of…in His timeline! He does it through both the oblivious and the intentional people alike.

 If you are awaiting God's provision, don't lose heart. He sees your need and is in process! If you are stressing about a need, stop twirling in anxious circles, lay your burden down in the hands of a trustworthy God, and rest! He's going to rock your socks off!

building more than a deck

With these guys at camp all week, we've been able to build the deck up by the cabins. Campers will now have a place to sit and relax (other than the bathhouse porch!!), meet in small groups, and more during their stay with us.

Don and Richard (and their wives whom you shall meet soon!) have done more than just help build the deck. They have blessed us with their fellowship and spirit-filled service! One of my favorite parts of camp ministry is the relationships that are built, the constant connecting and reconnecting with people who share the heart of finding God and volunteer their time, energy, skill, and finances investing with us to that end! (even if it puts me in the kitchen too often:)!!!) God's economy is all about community! And a Whisper Mountain community is being built with many, many people!

(for those who may wonder…pickets and seating still need to be added!)

We are glad you are a part of our community in your own little way!