Each summer, local middle school, high school and college students gather at Tyler Hall on the campus of East Carolina University to serve their community through Camp Connect. When Camp Connect started in 2012, the vision was to provide an opportunity for church members to connect with the student body and the student body to connect with the local community. In 2015, Covenant Church joined with Salem UMC, Discovery Church, and St. James UMC to serve together.
A typical day at Camp Connect begins with an early morning quiet time, where students spend time alone with God. The Scripture for the day is introduced, and students have a chance to read and meditate on the Scripture through guided commentaries and questions. After breakfast, students disperse to projects and worksites. Students have lunch at their project site, where they break into small groups to discuss the Scripture passage for the day. After the work day, students return to the dorm for a quick shower, dinner and then they go to St. James UMC for an evening worship service and message. The worship is followed by free time and then lights out. The next day, they do it all again!
Testimonies from Camp Connect:
- Even though camp ended on Thursday, there was a group of students that returned to the Third Street Community Center on Friday in order to spend more time with the children there. One of the leaders commented: “We had kids with a lot of hurt, and Camp Connect made them feel like Rock Stars.”
- A VBS leader remarked, “The Students are so passionate and energetic about Jesus…they have truly been a part of the fruitfulness of this week.”
- A pastor at Edwards Chapel said it was so encouraging to have so many young people excited about spending time with the children in his church; it was fun to watch the parents show up and participate in all of the activities right alongside of their children.
- A Greenville police officer told us that it was so impactful watching students have a positive impact on the community through their participation in all of the activities and projects.
There are so many kingdom stories that continue to flow out of Camp Connect. Visit www.mycampconnect.com to view all the stories, videos and pictures from this God-honoring week.