Wrapping it up

We are neck deep in camp season 2012, I love camp!

I thought it would be fun to open the window and let you see a little bit of camp life, especially if you haven’t been there for while.

20120609-075312.jpg

We had an interesting situation in which I was asked to be the camp pastor for one camp on a Monday through Friday and another that started Friday night through Tuesday.

The only problem was, they were 11 hours apart. So, I asked the second camp to schedule with me if we could try something different.

As a video driven multi site church pastor, I asked if we could make the Friday morning finale session a video sermon.

I know it was an odd request for a children’s camp, but I think it came off really well. The added benefit is that it produced a video I can share with you!

I hope you enjoy, this is a little glimpse into the last morning session of CrossSeekers children’s camp 2012.

By the way, you have to imagine me running around that campground with my tripod and camcorder. Then laying on a camp bed producing and editing.

Good times, good times…

SALT & LIGHT from Andy Addis on Vimeo.

Fear Not…

Fear is a funny thing. Some of it is good for you. God gave it to you as a way to protect yourself.

For example, when you’re walking down the street and massive pit bull with foam dripping from its mouth comes running at you, your typical response isn’t, “Nice, puppy!”

It’s fear… run, kick, scream. That’s a good thing.

However, the vast majority of our fears aren’t pit bulls. They aren’t collies, or even kittens. Truth is a good chunk of our fears are like that noise in the basement we  imagine is a serial killer whose been hiding there all day and is waiting until 3:46 AM because of some sick ritualistic obsession of his to come in and pounce on my entire family!

When actually it’s just the sump pump.

I’ve got some potentially scary days ahead and I just wanted to offer you this children’s camp moment as a reminder to Fear Not.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Now, watch the video below! Continue reading “Fear Not…”

An Open letter to Kathy

This is an open letter to my wife on our 15th wedding anniversay. She means more to me than words can say…

Dear Kathy,

On our 15th wedding anniversary, I find that today is an example like so many days in the last 15 years that show an inexplicable love and devotion that I neither deserve nor understand. But, nonetheless, it’s this relationship with you that I treasure more than almost anything in my world.100_2777
For the last 15 years I have been a youth pastor and/or camp speaker with a July wedding anniversary. So, only once or twice in our years together have we actually spent these precious camp dates together. When we did, they were days shared with others, like today.
Today, for our 15th wedding anniversary you drove yourself and our boys all the way to central Texas to spend 3 days with me and about 700 third through sixth graders. Then on this big day you celebrated by:

• getting up early
• packing for two boys, a husband and yourself
• doing most of the heavy lifting because my head was hurting again
• listening to me preach for the 1 billionth time
• working the product table and making change out of campers wet lake water money
• driving a second car 8.5 hours home
• making your anniversary dinner a burger, fries and peanut buster parfait from Dairy Queen at a truck stop in nowhere Oklahoma
• finally, making the late night unload at the church of all the tech equipment and junk we’d been hauling

Most impressive of all Mrs. Addis was the fact that everytime I saw you today you smiled and hugged and looked for a kiss. Even though many others would whine and complain about their lot in life, you showed joy and love.
It was a day you could rightfully claim as your own, even if you had given up so many others. Surely, the 15th should be special. But, you put your God, your husband and the cause before yourself.
You’ve never looked more beautiful to me. Continue reading “An Open letter to Kathy”

Growing up, Graduating & Chuck

  

I write this blog to you from the corner of the snack shop at YouthFront Camp in Edgerton, Ks. I’ve had the privilege of being the camp pastor here for the last four years and it’s starting to feel like a second home.

 

They have great facilities, an excellent staff and some of the most unique programs I have every seen. But, probably the most ringing endorsement comes from my boys Noah and Nathan who say this is their “most favorite camp ever”, which is a huge statement because my boys… they’ve seen lot of camp.

 

When I ask what their favorite part is, it’s hard for them to decide:

  • Is it the paramilitary game NIGHTSTRIKE played late at night when they cut all the lights at camp
  • Is it the grossly enormous free standing water slide that has a 30 second drop
  • Is it the 50s Pool Party, the Renaissance fair, the camp-wide shaving cream war, the daily HYPE sessions of dancing, goofy games and indoor dodgeball
  • Is it the all access free pass they get to the snack shop as the camp pastor’s kids (I think this might be it, but that’s just me)

 

Whatever it is, I love doing this camp, because my kids love it so much. And, this camp is really unusual because of its facilities and programming.

 

However, there is one thing that makes this camp identical to the hundreds of other camps I have been to over the years… the kiddos. Continue reading “Growing up, Graduating & Chuck”