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]

IMPACTING LIVES | Team 10

A while back there were a couple guys who had a bright idea: What if we tried to get a big number of people to commit to give ten dollars a month to Whisper Mountain? What an impact that could make! Anybody can give ten dollars!

We know there are exceptions to the “anybody” but we thought it was brillant! So we began what is now called Team 10. Team 10 is a growing crowd of people wanting to be a part of making a real difference by standing with us in Proclaiming Christ to teens. The team backs us in prayer and gives $10 a month to help us grow and expand the vision of the ministry! The team essentially helps more people find and know Jesus!

Watch this super short video:

(if unable to view video, click here)

Would you want to be part of this dynamic team of people partnering with us to make an eternal impact in this generation of people?

Get signed up here! We can’t thank you enough for partnering with us!

Thank you so much to all of you who have joined the team already! We are super excited you’ve come aboard!

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.

the thread remains

Both wonderful and dreadful is the coming and going of many amazing people in our camp world. Getting to know, hear the stories of, be challenged by such diverse people always puts me in awe of how God works intimately and intricately with His people, for His people and through His people. A tapestry of beauty. More than thirty years ago, Marty and Patti met Dennis and Corrie Stone at college. Time carried on, paths went different ways, and life got busy as it always does. They kept in sparse contact over the years, until last year when the Stones (who are both teachers) wondered if they could come serve with us for the summer. Corrie became our cook (bless her!) (this summer's kitchen crew!)

and Dennis became our help in grounds & general maintenance! (this summer's maintenance crew)

I think I speak for us all when I say that they blessed our socks off as we served with them and got to (re)know them! As this summer approached we were excited to hear they wanted to give their time and energy for the month of June! You know those people that you can pick right back up where you left off, as if you never said goodbye? Like they are part of the family? That's how it is with the Stones.  We laughed with them, struggled with them, shared our world with them! Not too challenging to feel at home with them! What is dreadful about feeling at home with people is the saying goodbye. Today we said goodbye to these most humble, fun and generous people! 
But all wrapped up in the dreadful is the wonderful! In their going they have left us to soak up the love they shared, hearts to make God famous, encouragement through having watched them pour themselves out with no thought to themselves. They have left that scarlet thread that never really leaves our tapestries, but continues to weave us together in the family of God until that day when we never say goodbye again!