Our Ten Year Staff Reunion

Labor Day weekend was quite the weekend as we celebrated ten years of ministry! We were thankful to share the day with a few locals, a few board members and spouses and about half of our over-the-years summer staff! I’m not sure how the others felt, but remembering God’s faithfulness — His big and sometimes quiet work in, around and for us — goes a long ways to encourage our walking right now!

Sharing laughter with our staff over the memories and retelling of favorite camp stories was completely delightful! Hearing Shaun’s well composed “poem” of all the campisms from over the years was perfectly hilarious and memorable! Reconnecting, though it wasn’t enough time, was refreshing as we caught a glimpse of how far God has brought each of us on our journeys, as varied and different as they all are!

I’m amazed how something like summer camp can gather such different people together to walk in the same direction in ways that benefit all of us but glorify God above all! The Whisper Mountain Family is made up of some pretty stellar people, and it just keeps growing as we welcome in special someones of past staff and as we continue to be faithful to Proclaiming Christ through camp ministry in the years to come!

Summer Staff, keep proclaiming Christ where you are! You are beautiful people that have helped make Whisper Mountain effective on any level! We love you and can’t wait for next time!

Thank you to all of you who have been a part of our ministry in some way over this past decade! We have seen God together, haven’t we? May He continue to be real and in our midst, for His glory alone!

 

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!

Awesomeness Takes the Stage >> Seth

You may not know it yet, but Seth is PRETTY awesome — welcome him to the Awesomeness Takes the Stage today, will ya?!?!

Like so many staff before him, Seth was first a camper.

Watching him grow from camper to Lead Guide has been a pretty awesome thing to see. Seth’s leadership, this summer especially, has been a gift to Whisper Mountain, but also to those under him, whether they realize it or not! The humility he leads with, the sponge-like desire to continue to develop and grow, the willingness to do the hard thing if it’s the right thing are just a few of the ways we’ve seen him flourish.

Of course, every leader gets his face smeared in the mess of the thing he’s leading at some point along the way! While that can feel discouraging in the moment, in the long run, it’s just a few more rough edges shaved off the solid character being built! Seth has the proven character to show for it!

God has been leading, growing and prepping Seth for mission or pastoral ministry! His focus to follow God in this is quite frankly a refreshing thing to see! Leaders really are being raised to proclaim Christ to this generation. Doesn’t it sometimes feel too lost?! This right here, friends, is just one among many that God is calling forth to change the world for His glory! The reality that God is still actively working and moving through His people should be making us shout with joy and confidence in Him!

Seth, thank you for the years you’ve spent at Whisper Mountain Camp! It has been our pleasure to know you and be a very small part of your journey! May God continue to bless you and keep you as you continue to follow and Proclaim Him! We love you!

 

Awesomeness Takes the Stage >> Morgan

Morgan Goodson — friend, Guide, sassy commentator on life — is shining brightly today on the Awesomeness Takes the Stage!

Having first come as a camper, Morgan has now served as a Guide with us for two years! We have seen God at work in her life, stretching and challenging her, shaping her into the beautiful woman He’s created her to be. This journey, getting to see small glimpses of people’s becoming, is a favorite part of what we do here at Whisper Mountain.

For having such a quiet presence among the crowds, Morgans many faces are windows into her soul!! She’s equal parts sass and sweet, silly and serious! A lover of all things fun, Morgan enjoys being right there in the middle of the action! She has a sincere love for the campers that is expressed in the way she walks as a friend with them through the week.

We have seen Morgan continue to grow in confidence in her leadership skills as she continues to seek how God would have her spend her life! And we love how, even as she awaits God’s clear direction, she is pouring into others even beyond the summer camp season!

Morgan, thank you for serving with us this summer! We know God will continue to lead you and shape you as you continue to follow hard after Him!! And yay, Tegan likes you!!!! #lifegoals 😉

 

Awesomeness Takes the Stage >> Sam

Hey guys! Do you know Sam?!

If not, today’s your day to meet her as she’s the star on our Awesomeness Takes the Stage!

The things we love about Sam: Soccer Star (at CIU), outgoing personality making a person feel comfy with her, tender on the inside, fun on the out, hard working team player, and just down right enjoyable to hang with! Oh, and she loves Jesus!

She’s a friend you’d want to have in the tough times, but also that friend you’d wanna go have a carefree day with. She, like many before her, started her time with Whisper Mountain as a camper and has been a great first-time Guide for us!

She speaks her mind, but doesn’t allow differences to come between. She is a people girl after all! And Tegan loves her, which is saying a lot!! (nice photobomb from Kinsley!)

Her moods/exhaustion/struggles don’t hinder her from what needs to get done and in the end she’s always laughing! We like how God is shaping this girl for His glory and all the ways we’ve seen her grow this summer!

Sam, you may be tough on the outside, but we like how you’ve let your heart out while serving with us this summer! You’re beautiful! Thank you for being here!

Awesomeness Takes the Stage >> Natalie

Hey friends!!! Let’s welcome Natalie to our Awesomeness Takes the Stage today!

This is Natalie’s first year as a Guide with us, but she has come as a camper for the past couple years! With her heart of compassion and fun loving spirit, Natalie offers great friendship to those campers coming through our gates!

Her love for punk rock, ukuleles, photography and living au naturale make up only a small part of who she is! Natalie is a natural born leader who never takes ideas as her own without first discovering what she personally believes. It’s been a good thing to see how God continues to fine tune and shape her through her role as a Guide.

Natalie can be pretty funny and has all manner of little sayings or movie quotes…

We are thankful for her willingness to come serve with us this summer and offer the campers a little bit more of Jesus, Natalie-style!

Thank you, Natalie, for being willing to serve with us this summer! May you continue to follow God’s path for your life and allow Him to have every nook and cranny of your person! He’s got good plans for you! 

Awesomeness Takes the Stage >> CJ

You won’t find two alike of this guy! He’s one unique feller! And we kinda like him! Meet CJ on the Awesomeness Takes the Stage today!

He came as a camper several years ago and we couldn’t be more thankful he chose to serve with us as a Guide this summer! There are many faces to CJ. In short, he’s a coffee snob goofball who doesn’t wash his hair and who loves Jesus and wants others to know Him too!

He’s got quite a way of bringing people in and making them feel comfy and ready to laugh. He’s quite comfortable making people uncomfortable — which has its pros and cons! He pushes the mainstream ideas outside the box to make a person really consider his/her belief system. His ideas aren’t always agreed with, but that doesn’t keep him from spurring great discussions!

We’ve all been baffled by him many times over, but then again, it’s just CJ!!! While he is a true goofball, he knows when to get serious. When he sinks into the eternal and deep stuff, people seem to listen a little more. He has shared Jesus with words, craziness and with the love he willingly and openly shares with the people around him! His leadership is very appreciated, as is his heart to serve and proclaim Christ!

Thank you, CJ, for giving your summer to be part of our team! We wouldn’t be as strong without you, we wouldn’t laugh nearly as often, and Seth wouldn’t know what to do without all those cuddles (HAHAHAA)!

Awesomeness Takes the Stage >> Chaz

Chaz, the GIT with pizzazz! (It rhymed, folks, just go with it!) His initiative and sincere care are just two things I automatically think of when I think of Chaz! Every time I turn around, it seems I catch him seeing a need and meeting it!

Chaz has a good balance of responsibility and fun, which I believe is a great combo for life! Reliable but knows how to laugh, smart but lives in humility. Great combo, I say!

As a GIT (Guide In Training), there are jobs that aren’t fun or take him away from all that’s going on, but he always works with such a positive attitude! And we all know attitude is a leaking of the heart — speaking so much about a person!

His servant heart, sincere interest in others, and desire to keep growing and being shaped like Christ are what mark Chaz’s place here on our summer team!

Thank you for serving with us this summer, Chaz! Your influence on the teens coming through our gates is far reaching as you shine Jesus and exemplify godly manhood to them! We appreciate you!

Awesomeness Takes the Stage | Kinsley

Kinsley shared with us in her testimony that she has not always been happy about being a camp kid. Having to be at camp for every school break, all summer long, and a lot of weekends is tough! While her friends were off vacationing or doing nothing at home, she was often at camp serving or watching us serve! She continued to share in her story that God really grabbed her heart two years ago and last fall she felt the urge to apply to be a GIT (Guide In Training)! She wasn’t sure she wanted to do that, but wanting to follow God meant more to her, so she applied! We put her through the ringer, but she made the cut!

The community of love and friendship she has been swallowed by (among the summer staff) has been life changing for her over the past couple years! It’s a beautiful thing to behold!

Kinsley makes people feel welcome because she doesn’t have a problem being real! And she’ll likely find everything you say to be pretty hilarious!! Clumsy, goofy, filled with laughter — she’s a trip to hang with!

But she’s also on point when it comes to aiming to follow Jesus and live a life reflective of him. Her humility, desire to grow, willingness to do hard things and remain teachable are some of the qualities helping her to be shapable as a leader!

When life has been hard, Kinsley has chosen to hide herself in Christ. When people haven’t understood her or have misunderstood her, she has shown great humility in continuing to be Christlike. When she falls from where she’s striving to be, she is tenderhearted and yearns for God to have His way.

Kinsley has a heart for people and her willingness to get outside her comfort zone to reach them has been a gift to witness. We are pumped to have her part of our summer team!!

Thanks for serving with us Kinsley!

DISCLAIMER: This is all from a mother’s point of view, but you would find all this to be true of her too if you know her even a little!

 

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|