Summer 2022 | New City High School

New City High Schoolers were eager to get off the bus and start their week of camp! Our staff met their energy and upped that ante to help make last week’s camp week completely wonderful in many ways. Those who didn’t want to come at the start told us they were so glad they had come by the end.

Many of last week’s campers have been coming since middle school began. Seeing these campers grow from year to year has been a privilege because we get to see glimpses of their process and God working throughout this vital season in their lives. Someone that may have been super difficult to work with has found their stride now and offers much to the community. Someone who may struggle with deep, dark things has taken baby steps forward and taken some new ground. Those with questions, wrestling with hard things, or floundering in their faith have discovered a newness in their walk with Christ. There’s something special about having intentional connections with those who come to us.

Here are a few things campers said about their week at Whisper Mountain Camp:
“Staff is very encouraging , funny, supportive, good with all ages, and LOVE riddles. Each leader is an inspiration to someone at camp.“

“I feel incredibly loved when I’m here.“

“I have been struggling to pray and now I am again.“

“I felt very cared for and it was such a genuine environment.“

“The highlight of my week was community.”

Thanks for coming New City! We hope you continue to be children of light back home!

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Author & Photography | Cassi

A Contest for Creatives

We know there are many creative people in our Whisper Mountain Community and we want to feature them! We want to give others a chance to practice sharing the gifts God has given them! And we want to allow these gifts to speak to and encourage others! What a better way to get this rolling than by holding a contest? Did we mention there are prizes involved?

Contestants:

We are looking for graphic design, photography, painting, or drawing/sketching artwork from any who are middle school – college aged.

The winners will be given the opportunity to have their art featured across our social media platforms but also made into products that would be sold in our camp store (with artist spotlight!) this coming summer!

Guidelines:

• The artwork must capture Whisper Mountain Camp’s tagline “Escape the Noise. Encounter the Whisper.”

• All submissions will be shared on our social media platforms (unless deemed inappropriate by our staff).

• All credit and links to the artist will be shared (we will have you sign a form granting us permission to use your art both on our platforms and in our camp store).

• The winner is chosen through a voting system through all our social media avenues.

• All submissions must be received digitally by January 15, 2022.
• Email submissions to Cassi @ WhisperMountain . org

IF YOU ARE A CREATIVE: Be Brave and Submit!
IF YOU KNOW A CREATIVE: Spread the Word and Encourage Them to be Brave and Submit!

Prizes:

Depending on the number of submissions, we may have winners in each of the art types listed above, but for now we are planning on selecting the top three creatives (selected from the social media polls) to receive a prize:

1. Third Place: $50
2. Second Place: $100
3. First Place: $250

Questions/Comments:

If you have any questions or concerns, please direct them to Cassi @ WhisperMountain . org

We are really excited to see the beautiful creativity from our community! Please help spread the word for us! Be looking for the artist features in February!

Summer Camp 2019 | Shiloh’s Enclave Students

When we encounter God’s Word and glimpse even a sliver of the holiness of God, we don’t walk away the same. We saw the teens from Shiloh Baptist in Tennessee walk away different than when they came!

They were a fun group from a church that is just getting on its feet! The commitment and sincere care from their leaders is a beautiful thing to behold. We hope the teens know what a gift that is!

Teens getting in the quiet with Jesus has been a recurring highlight of many campers throughout the summer so far. There’s just nothing like an encounter with the personal God!

Watching this group grow in unity, rallying each other on and caring for each other was encouraging to see. There are always the moments where that isn’t the case, but the overall end is unity! That’s something to celebrate!

Thank you for spending the week with us Enclave Students! We absolutely loved having you and look forward to welcoming you again as the Lord allows! Chase Jesus above all else!

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Author | Cassi       Photography| Adrienne

 

Let The Games Begin

First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Chloe, I am one of the staff members here at Whisper Mountain Youth Camp. I have been asked to tell you about what has happened so far in the staff training week. Yes, I know, it sounds boring, but you may find interest in what you read.

Well, it’s that time of year again. Kids start rolling in for a week of fun, food, and most importantly God. Staff training started almost a week ago and already I have learned so much, and have made a lot of new, very supportive, friends that have helped me push myself to limits I didn’t know I could go. Every morning, after breakfast, we have a devotional and we discuss the days activities, we then go from there and begin our day.

Two days ago, part of our training was coming up with games for the campers, and a very popular game is Bazooka Ball. It’s like paint ball but without the paint. We also did archery, we were taught to teach the campers how to hold the arrows when walking around with them, how to properly hold the bow, and the best way to try to get a bulls-eye. When the staff had first arrived we played a lot of name games which we will teach the campers when they get here.

On behalf of the entire staff, I think it’s safe to say that we are all excited about the upcoming summer.

[Author: Chloe Headings | Photo Creds: Casey Bell, Cassi Werner]

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!

 

Summer 2016 Volunteers

We couldn’t do what we do here at Whisper Mountain Camp without people serving alongside us. We also can’t thank those enough who spent their time, talent, vacations and energy to come serve with us this summer! These quick snapshots don’t do justice to what these people did to help us this summer, but here’s a try at helping you see some of the faces of our volunteers!

Some served all summer, some two weeks, most one week! For the big and small things they did — we trust God to bless them for their hearts in serving Him!

Thank you, Aaron, Jamie, Bay, Bruce, Brooke, Lori, Dave, Foster, Virginia, Gary, Nancy, Dave, Nancy, Kaleigh, Selah, Lexi, Mitchell, Traci, Parker, Susan, Chuck, Tara, Olivia, Emily, Bernie and Tayman. We appreciate all the ways you helped Whisper Mountain proclaim Christ this summer! 

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!

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!

 

Collision Youth | Summer 2016

Last week we enjoyed the Collision teens from The Pointe Church! They seemed to enjoy a fun-filled, Jesus-centered week that their awesome youth pastor planned for them!

Thank you for coming to Whisper Mountain this summer, Collision! Keep being relentless!

And Justin, keep leading well!

(find more of their instagram pictures here!)