E-mails. A necessary means of communication and an incredibly time-consuming task for most ministers. Maybe even drudgery.
Buried in the inbox this morning, without bells, whistles, or even that annoying little red exclamation point marking an “urgent message,” was the following report from David Melber, president of Crossings Ministries:
2010 2011
Total Campers 8,699 9,444
Salvation Decisions 478 583
Call to Ministry 490 593
Missions Offering $105,946 $108,692
By percentage our greatest growth rate is in salvation decisions.
Registrations each respective year: August 3, 2010 – 7,168, at the close of today August 1, we will pass 9,000 registered for 2012.
Thanks for your support.
In typical Melber fashion, just the facts. Excuse me, President Melber, while I take a moment to celebrate the incredible ministry you and your staff are doing here in Kentucky.
That was 583 teens professing a commitment of their lives to Christ, 593 teens indicating they are ready to join God on mission, and a six figure missions offering from what was supposed to be Coke and Popsicle money!!!
I know, I know, not every teenager who makes a commitment at camp follows through. And not every teen who says they are going into the ministry ends up serving as a pastor or missionary.
Does that mean we shouldn’t be excited, pumped, thrilled that God is stirring the hearts of hundreds of kids each year at our Kentucky Baptist camps? Of course we should be! While a few kids might have been following the lead of a friend or simply trying to process their first spiritual experience ever, most surely were following the leading of the Holy Spirit and are making genuine commitments to Christ. But even with those who found themselves doing something else, thank God for how He is using that friend or that first spiritual experience to begin to introduce Himself to a lost boy or girl who so desperately needs Christ.
To give perspective about what God is doing, consider that, in 2005, Crossings hosted 3,024 campers, there were 164 salvation commitments, 73 indicated a call to ministry, and the missions offering was $43,470. In six years, the number of campers and salvation commitments has increased more than 300 percent, while the number of those who are committing to ministry is up over 800 percent. WOW!!! And in “these hard economic times,” when “kids now days only think only of themselves,” those kids’ missions offering has increased by more than 200 percent. WOWEE!!!
And let me add, my son’s best friend professed salvation at Crossings this summer. PRAISE THE LORD!!!
Keep up the good work President Melber! And keep up the good work Kentucky Baptists because you made more than $364,000 available to Crossings through the Cooperative Program this year.
Anyone want to join me in offering kudos to the Crossings’ staff or sharing about the experience you or your youth group had at camp this summer? Hit the comments section. As for me, I think I’ll check my inbox again and see what other news of the Kingdom might be hiding in there.
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