serve
& share
CAMP at Cobb pg. 14
New Day Camp, New Adventures!
ISSUE 1 | FALL 2016 SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
1
serve
Letter
& share
from the editor Back in December of 2015, I received a call informing me that I had been hired to work Winshape Camps for Communities in the summer of 2016. My life has been completely changed ever since. My summer was truly (as Winshape Camps says) THE SUMMER OF A LIFETIME. Throughout my time as an actor and team time leader, not only did I see myself grow in ways I have never imagined, but I also saw others grow together as a community through our ministry and partnership with the local church. Nearly 33 thousand campers heard the gospel and I personally had the chance to lead two of those special lives to Christ. I’ve never felt more alive in my life. I had a blast working camp and I am not the only one. Here at Southeastern, we are known to bring quite a large number in recruiting summer staff. As a result, we’ve seen lives changed and the glory of God through it all. Serve and Share is a platform to celebrate and reflect on exactly that. Through the perspective of your SEU community, you have the opportunity to discover what the Lord has done at camp this summer. In doing so, I hope that you will fall in love with the ministry yourself and maybe consider spending your summer of 2017 Winshape Camps with us! There are SO many stories that have been told. Who knows? Yours could be next. I hope that this year’s issue is a blessing to you and we’ll see you join the #WSCNation real soon. Thank you so much for reading and glory to God for all that he has done and will do in the days to come.
Grant Bell 2
SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
Editor-In-Chief: Grant Bell Lead Designer, Writer, & Photographer: Grant Bell Special Thanks to: Amanda Glenn Kurk Pyros Bethany Moore Michael Briggs David Parks Brianna Burt Aaron Collier The WSC Formers Published By: Chad Neuman
Serving Campers & Communities 4. A Skocean Story 6. #VOLSFORTHEWIN
in this issue
Sharing the Gospel & New Adventures
8. Summer Statistics 10 Counseling for Christ 14. Camp at Cobb 16. How to Ace Your WSC Interview SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
3
WINSHAPE CAMPS FOR GIRLS AT YOUNG HARRIS
SERVING CAMPERS
A Skocean Story Article by: Grant Bell The sole mission of Winshape Camps is to glorify God by creating experiences and that transform CAMPERS and families with the message of Jesus Christ. Amanda Glenn, graduate of Southeastern University and former summer staffer for Winshape Camps for Girls at Young Harris, had the privilege to witness this mission unfold in her summers as both a counselor and club leader. Yet, out of all of those summers she has served, the summer of 2016 seems to stand out above the rest. Specifically, on the seventh week of camp where the Lord showed her the power of prayer and the beauty of his light through a special young lady in the Skocean club. In this week of camp as Glenn and her team observed and took watch over this camper, their hearts were troubled to see her struggle due to her mental disability. Together as a team, they began to intercede on her behalf and asked the Lord to free her from the distress that held her back. Who they saw at the end of the week was a completely different girl. She was free and taken by the love and salvation of Jesus Christ. 4
SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
Photos by: Amanda Glenn “Out of nowhere, she came up and clung tight to me and said a genuine ‘thank you.’ Looking back at this short moment, I like to think that she was thanking me for the unconditional love shown to her and the persistent prayers made on her behalf,” said Glenn. The theme for this past summer came out of John 8:12, which says
“I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” This could not have been more evident after seeing God’s breakthrough in the Skocean club. A precious young lady was transformed and she will never be the same. Winshape staffers have the incredible privilege to embark on a beautiful adventure in ministry and “witness campers choose the light of life and leave the darkness behind.” While the counselors may be teaching them, the Lord is mighty, and he uses campers to teach staffers as well. They truly are the apple of our Father’s eye and an example to all of us. SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
5
WINSHAPE CAMPS FOR COMMUNITIES
#VOLSFORTHEWIN Article by: Grant Bell
Winshape Camps for Communities provides an unprecedented day camp experience that brings churches and organizations together to transform COMMUNITIES with the message of Jesus Christ. Within WSC for Communities, there are 10 colored teams of 28 staffers who travel to 9-10 cities for the entire summer. Of course, they cannot all put on camp alone, so that is where the local church comes in! It is all hands on deck as the communities come aboard to volunteer their time for a week to help put on an amazing week. In return, they have the same opportunity to see lives changed and relationships formed not only during camp, but all year round with the children they love. Kurk Pyros, junior at Southeastern University and former Winshape Camps for Communities summer staffer, was all in for what the summer had in store for him as the SWAT Alpha leader. 6
SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
SERVING COMMUNITIES
As leader of the SWAT Alpha team, Pyros was chosen to be a part of a special area of camp that is quite unpredictable. The WSC SWAT teams (Alpha and Bravo) are hired to travel to a large camp each week and become a part of the primary team’s ministry. Simply, they journey to wherever and accomplish whatever is needed at the location each week. Thus, Pyros had the privilege to meet all kinds of people from 10 different local churches. However, one volunteer has stuck close to his heart since he left Rocky Mount, VA on the fifth week of camp. The 16-year-old young lady’s father had recently passed away, and she served in Pyros’ team time (a small group bible study). No matter what happened during
the day, she would be in tears by the dismissal time and everyone involved prayed for her. However, by the grace of God, it only took three days for Pyros and everyone else to see something different in this special volunteer. “On gospel Wednesday, I saw her sitting with one camper who everyone struggled with, and
“IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE HER BE THERE FOR HIM,” SAID PYROS. Photos by: Kurk Pyros
& Bethany Moore Although no one knows exactly what happened between the volunteer and camper that day, Pyros knows for a fact that she had shared the gospel with him. She encouraged him to talk to his parents about the decision, and by the end of the week he had accepted Jesus Christ into his life and she seemed much happier. It is awesome stories like this that truly reflects and celebrates the heart of this incredible traveling day camp ministry. WSC For Communities genuinely cares about the local church, and they find it a privilege to support them as they become the hands and feet of Christ in their own backyard. SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
7
summerstatistics
8
SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
32,746 campers
2,130
salvations
33
states represented
688
summer staff SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
9
WINSHAPE CAMPS FOR BOYS AT CLEVELAND
Q & A
G N I L E S COUN T S I R H C FOR Article by: Grant Bell
Photos by: David Parks
10
SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
SHARING THE GOSPEL
While a summer at Winshape Camps is indeed the summer of a lifetime, it also has incredible potential to become apart of a special and pivotal season for many who walk with the Lord. Both campers and summer staffers have greatly been changed as the presence of God and his gospel was woven into every aspect of their experience with WSC. I had the pleasure to connect with Michael Briggs, junior at Southeastern University and former summer staffer for Winshape Camps for Boys in Cleveland, and discuss spiritual life and growth at camp. Not only for him personally, but for each and every individual that comes across the ministry each summer. GRANT: How is the gospel taught and delivered at WSC? MICHAEL: Winshape Camps teaches the amazing story of Jesus in such an awesome way for campers. They will tailor the way it is taught to the theme for the summer. Last summer, we got to see how Jesus is our light in the darkness of this world. The campers were taught what it looks like to follow Jesus and it was shown using fun stories from the Bible and funny skits as well. GRANT: Have you had the opportunity to personally lead a camper to Christ through these platforms? MICHAEL: As a counselor, we are taught that it is not our responsibility or even
ability to save campers, but instead we understand how blessed we are to be able to point these kids toward God and watch as he does the rest. I remember one of my campers after the gospel message one night told me that he had something very important and secret he wanted to tell me and he was very serious about saving it for our one on one time later. I was very excited about that and was curious what he would ask! When we sat down to talk about the gospel and the free gift of God he looked at me with a very serious face and told me “I know Santa clause is not real” and holding back laughter I continued to talk with him about this and he asked me if Jesus and this message was just another made up story that older people tell kids. I had never really thought about how lying about a magical gift bearing man for Christmas could really affect the validity of the gospel message for children! We had an amazing talk and I assured him that Jesus is the real deal and at the end of the night I got to watch as he chose to follow Jesus! GRANT: That’s incredible! I’m sure you must have seen a great deal of change in these campers. Anything specific or special? MICHAEL: Myself and the other counselors have had the opportunity to see campers drastically change while being with us at camp. Some of these kids do not have a strong family or many people to look up to back home, so getting to pour into them and be a strong leader
SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
11
throughout the week has had an awesome effect on certain campers for sure! When you add Jesus and the amazing teachings of the bible into the mix seeing some sort of change is almost inevitable! It is such an amazing motivator seeing those changes throughout the summer to keep going and never give up. GRANT: Like the campers, has your experience with WSC grown you in your own spiritual walk? MICHAEL: WSC has helped me grow in so many awesome ways. The experience camp gives you just by being responsible for campers alone is amazing. Being a counselor has really helped me understand God a little bit more just knowing what it is like to almost be a shepherd figure to these children. GRANT: Amen. What a special opportuni-
12
SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
ty it is indeed! In light of all that the summer has to offer, what has been your favorite aspect about the WSC ministry? MICHAEL: There are so many! If I had to choose one that I really enjoy it is simply how genuine it is. Winshape is not just seeking after more business or more money, but rather that actually have a strong passionate desire to pour into these kids and shape a generation of Christ loving people! They truly care and that is such a rare and amazing thing to find sometimes. It’s inspiring and such a blessing to hear the stories that come from staffers like Michael about how lives are being changed from the inside out and given to Christ. This is truly the heart of what WSC desires to do year round.
your dreams are finally coming true. Desserts are now served all day until 8pm.
SHARING NEW ES ADVENTUR
CAMP at Cobb Article & Photos by: Grant Bell Since the summer of 1987, the Lord has been faithful in making many dreams happen to better improve and strengthen the Winshape Camps ministry for generations to come. What started out as a ministry running only one camp for boys in Mount Berry, GA, is now one that runs eight camps for children of all ages both nationally and internationally. Next summer of 2017 Winshape Camps will launch their eighth and most recent day camp experience, Winshape Camps for Communities at Cobb. Brianna Burt, sophomore at Southeastern University, has the incredible privilege to serve as a k-counselor there and I had a chance to sit down with her and hear about her expectations for her first summer of a lifetime in Cobb County, GA. GRANT: Being that you have never worked 14
SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
for Winshape Camps before, what are your expectations for your job and ministry this summer? BRIANNA: Getting the phone call from Winshape was a dream come true, because I get to spend the summer growing relationships with kids and getting to know their hearts, as well as growing with other staff members. I can’t wait to see how many people get touched by the Lord and the impact that God will make through the people working at Winshape. GRANT: How does it feel to be a part of the starting ground for this new camp program? BRIANNA: What’s funny is that when I had applied to work for WSC, I was originally accepted as a worship
team member for Communities. However, due to my missions trip, I was not able to attend training for the position. Yet, I knew God was calling me to be a part of camp, and he made a way for me when I was offered a position at Cobb! When they first offered me the position, I was hesitant. I felt unsure about being new to WSC, but I knew that is where I am supposed to be. I’m so excited to be apart of something new and to see how it grows beyond our expectations. GRANT: In the midst of this new season, how do you see yourself growing personally and spiritually? BRIANNA: Going into Winshape, I am aware that I will have the opportunity to change hearts and lead others. However, I believe it is also certain that God is going to do things in my own heart through these kids at camp. I expect that the Lord will definitely push me far past what I consider my limits, and he will grow me in every area that I need. GRANT: Do you have any advice that you could share with students who are wanting to apply to work for camp, but are unsure about whether it is for them or not? BRIANNA:. I was unsure through the process, but after my interview I knew 100 percent that this is something God has called me to. Just
remember that God will sometimes present us with options. He wants us to choose, so don’t second guess yourself. If you feel the pull on your heart, just go for it and trust that God is going to use you for such great things at Winshape. During interviews; ask questions, pay attention to your heart, and keep praying about it. There are great things in store for camp at Cobb indeed. It’s exciting to see students like Brianna, who are both excited and equipped to carry out God’s calling on their life. They take this calling regardless of what new territories may come their way.
“Cobb County is 72% unchurched and our hearts are burdened for the people in this area. What would it look like to partner with churches and help them reach outside their own walls and into their community that desperately needs the Hope of Jesus Christ? Our prayer is that one way that would be accomplished is through WinShape Camps for Communities at Cobb!”
Aaron Collier Director WSCFC at Cobb
SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
15
how to
ACE
your
INTERVIEW
16
1. Dress to Impress
Statistics show - in the first 10 seconds of meeting a candidate, the interviewer makes a mental decision on whether you look right for the job. Make the best impression by wearing business casual!
2. Sell Yourself
Storytelling is storyselling! Everyone loves a good story and so does your interviewer. Make yourself stand out by rehearsing a few stories about how great a team player you are!
SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
3. Make Eye Contact 4. Be passionate
5. Come with QUestions
One of the most obvious mistakes interviewees make is with eye contact, and it costs a lot of people the opportunity of a job. Eye contact is simple. Make eye contact for about 40 to 60 percent of the time.
Every employer believes his or her company is special and unique and therefore wants to hire the best person for the job. Show your passion for the company and the opportunities offered!
Come prepared with questions before the interview and jot down any that come to mind throughout. By asking you show interest as well as business acumen, even if you do not get the reply you want they will respect you for asking the question.
P.S. Don’t forget to pray! Relax and trust what God has in store.
SERVE & SHARE | FALL 2016
17
come ALIVE
walk with PURPOSE
FIND your
WHY apply today! WorkAt Winshape.org
NEW YEAR, NEW ThEME
COMING SUMMER 2017