Summer With Purpose: Apologetics Camp For Students
Why are so many students deconstructing their faith after they graduate high school or embracing progressive ideas on gender, identity, justice, salvation and the nature of God & the Bible?
One key issue could be that, according to Barna, only 4% of those professing to be Christians in Gen Z have a Biblical Worldview. Furthermore, most people's worldview is solidified by the time they are 13 years old. Thus, it is imperative that we intentionally start discipling the next generation in a Biblical worldview when they are very young.
Sadly, there are very few Biblical Worldview/apologetics summer camps that have space for 9-12 year olds. Ironically, this is the age that we need to get more serious about being intentional on biblical worldview formation!
What's more, despite the shocking stat above with Gen Z, there is still a stigma with apologetics amongst teens that it's mainly for the "intellectual" or nerdy high schooler kid who "enjoys that kind of thing."
Could that mentality be partly to blame for our current stats in Gen Z?
If we truly delight in the truth and desire to defend it and expose falsehoods (Ephesians 5:11), then in the words of my seminary professor, Dr. Timothy Paul Jones, "brothers and sisters, we are all apologists now."
Every Christian is not called to be a scholar-apologist, but since we are "truth-loving" people (Psalm 119:160; John 8:31-32; 14:6; 1 Corinthians 13:6), we must engage in the truth of a Biblical Worldview.
Thus, EVERY summer camp, bible class, or Christian event (explicitly or not) is making a case (apologetics) for the Christian Worldview.
The question then becomes this: in light of the perilous times we live in (1 Chronicles 12;32) and the weightiness of God's inspired and inerrant Word and its demands upon our life & the glorious gospel of grace.... does this camp, church service, Christian event, etc. rightly divide the word of truth and honor its author (2 Timothy 2:15)? Does it equip the saints (Ephesians 4:11-13) to always be ready to give a hope that is within them (1 Peter 3:15)?
There are many wonderful Christians camps out there that are doing exactly this. Praise God for that! However, sadly, you may not be able to answer in the affirmative for some Christian camps. Either way, I hope and pray that you will consider sending your kids to a Christian camp that is faithful to provide an atmosphere for consistent exposure to Biblical Truth and Godly relationships!
Truth & Godly Relationships are what make a Christian camp fruitful (Galatians 5:22-23)!
First we must first define what a Biblical Worldview is. It is lining up your thinking with the purpose and nature of life, reality, morality, your job, relationships, etc. with God's World as our ultimate standard (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
You see everything through the lens of Scripture when you have a Biblical Worldview.
Every genuine disciple of Christ will grow in having a more Biblical worldview because their thoughts will become more and more shaped by God's holy, pure and perfect word (Luke 6:40; Philippians 1:6) as they are sanctified.
Second, lets define discipleship: It is modeling what it means to take captive every thought to the word of God (Psalm 119:9-11; Matthew 28:18-20), through teaching them to submit all of their life to the commands of the Lord Jesus, serving together, modeling Christlike living (1 John 2:6; 1 Corinthians 11:1), and showing others how to be a disciple who makes disciples of Jesus (2 Timothy 2:2). A follower of Jesus multiplies himself by making disciples who in turn invest in the lives of others in a Christ-like fashion.
Reactive or Proactive discipleship?
Sadly, many parents and students don't intentionally engage with Christian apologetics & robust plan for growth in a Biblical worldview (defense of the Biblical worldview & how it applies to all of life) until they are much older or instead start out of a "reaction" to hearing contrary ideas than what they have previously been taught from a Biblical perspective.
The reality is that EVERYONE is always engaging with apologetics when they are young. Every child from a young age learns various reasons why they should trust their parents (an apologetic of sorts), why they shouldn't touch the stove, why they should trust God and his Word, etc. Note that even unbeliever parents train their kids in "who" or "what" to trust as the purpose of life. Many may say that it's to "follow your heart" or "be kind to others."
Yet it's still an apologetic for what matters.
Consequently, to aid in parents & youth pastors and their goal to disciple the next generation to know and Love the Lord, Engage Truth Ministries is inviting students (ages 9-18) across the U.S. the join them for their second annual Engage Truth Summer camp, June 23-28th at Aspendale near Cloudcroft, New Mexico.
Their theme this year is going to tackle issues like gospel clarity, doubt, deconstruction, identity, Biblical marriage vs. the secular definition/LGBT, Biblical justice vs. social justice and more.
Their Mid-High School Students will be diving into how to think Biblically about all of our hot topics in our culture right now.
Engage Truth Ministries wants students to remain Faithful to the Lord as they live as a "holy priesthood" in our dark world (1 Peter 2:9). That's why their camp theme is "Faithfully Different."
Their camp pre-teen curriculum will be using Elizabeth Urbanowicz's Foundation Worldview "Comparative Worldview" Curriculum.
Don't miss out on this amazing Worldview Forming week!
If you are interested, please sign up as soon as possible to secure your spot!
Click here or on the link below to sign up:
https://www.engageapologetics.com/post/engage-truth-summer-camp-2024
