Pray For Our Christian Youth Camp

For the last ten years or so Kabwata Baptist Church has been holding a conference for young adults in July and a camp for teenagers in December. Thus, as I write this blog post, our youth camp has just begun. It will be running until Monday 12^th December with a final morning message before the kids go home.

The banner outside the KBC premises announcing the coming camp

The period of preparation had its own demands. I very well remember when this camp started. We had about 35 young people whom we took out for camp that December. The night we were setting up tents (its was a real camp!), it rained cats and dogs. We were all wet and hungry by the time the tents were up and so campfire was also a time to hang ourselves up to dry. We feared we had lost the enthusiasm of the kids. Wrong! To our amazement, it was this first night that proved the highlight for the campers when they later testified about the camp.

The four camp leaders introducing themselves to the campers

Okay, I began saying that the period of preparations had its own demands. That camp that began with 35 young people has grown. This year we are anticipating 1,000 of them to show up. The camp has become the destination of choice for many young people in our sister churches and neighbourhood once they have survived the rigours of studying for end-of-year school tests and exams.

George Sitali, one of our elders, reading out "The Riot Act"--the camp rules

In order to make the event economical for the young people who are coming, KBC members had to make financial pledges towards the running of the camp. Then we needed a whole lot of soldiers to do the registration, ensure discipline, cook and serve food, lead meetings, handle small group devotions and Bible studies, help with one-on-one counselling, lead various sporting activities, etc. About 80 church members volunteered for this task and underwent training at the hands of one of our regular youth camp preachers, Pastor Saidi Chishimba.

Mwindula Mbewe preaching the camp's keynote address

Yesterday, the camp began. We already had about 600 young people in. Usually, the numbers peak on Saturday. It was good to see the enthusiasm in the young people as they looked forward to a weekend together. The theme for this year’s camp is “2 Heaven With U” (if you don’t understand that, you probably do not qualify to be at this camp). Mwindula Mbewe preached the keynote address. It was good to hear his preaching. My heart always yearns to see young people on fire for Christ. I also cry to God that he would save many youths during the camp.

The campers listening intently to the keynote address on the first night

Due to the huge numbers of young people in attendance, the camp has been divided into three groups during the day. A different preacher will handle each of these groups. Pastors Saidi Chishimba (from Faith Baptist Church, Kitwe), Choolwe Mwetwa (from Central Baptist Church, Chingola), and Isaac Makashinyi (from Emmasdale Baptist Church, Lusaka) are the preachers who are labouring in the Word among the young people this year. We also have other speakers who will be handling many seminars in the afternoons, dealing with various youth-related topics. The evening meetings are combined sessions.

Part of the congregation on the first night--pray for their salvation!

This camp is meant to be a spiritual “combined harvester”. We long to see lives saved at an early age. In the past, we have had our prayers answered but we do not take this for granted. We have known mercy drops but we are longing for showers of blessings. So, if you are a Christian and have read this blog post, I beseech you to take a moment to remember this camp in prayer. During the period leading up to the camp, we have already experienced some attacks from the Evil One. Pray that his efforts will be thwarted and that God will use this camp to bring many young people to himself in repentance and faith. Thank you!