Florida Baptist youth spent a week of fun and discipleship at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center for the annual Super Summer camp July 9-13.
“Super Summer Florida 2018 was a very powerful spiritual week with a clear Gospel focus. The engagement of leadership from the 30 plus churches was incredible. The highlight of the week was the fifty plus students who were saved,” said Tommy Green, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention.
Thirty churches sent their 6th-12th-grade students totaling more than 700 individuals. Pre-registration for Super Summer 2019 is already up to 400. Churches reported 52 first time salvation decisions for Christ during worship, small group Bible studies and church group time and 109 students recommitted their lives to Christ.
Carlos Finale, youth pastor at Iglesia Bautista Northside in Hialeah, was overjoyed with the effect Super Summer had on the youth that he leads.
“God used the preachers to bring back two of our most rebellious youth,” he said adding that those two particular boys said they needed and wanted to come to church more and learn more about God.
Laura Storm, volunteer youth leader at Turning Point Baptist Church in Newberry, brought five girls to camp, three of which made salvation decisions for Christ, reported Billy Young, Next Generation Ministries lead catalyst.
“Camp provides a safe place for youth away from their comfort zone and with their peers whom they can bare their souls to because they share a faith and similar experiences,” said Storm.
Young was excited about the Florida Baptist church participation at Super Summer.
“Super Summer Florida is a student ministry camp for Florida Baptists, by Florida Baptists; it exists to serve Florida Baptist churches and to come alongside churches and supplement the work the local churches are already doing,” he said.
Green preached the afternoon worship services and helped Young lead the adult leader meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.
“The quality of every feature of Super Summer reflected the level of prayer, planning, and preparation that preceded the event,” said Green.
Other special speakers at the camp included Eddie Gilley and Nathan Schneider of the Baptist Collegiate Ministries at University of Florida and University of South Florida respectively.
“[Gilley and Schneider] came to Super Summer on Wednesday to speak to our 62 college freshmen about college ministry,” said Young, helping them make the jump into college life while still tethered to Christ.
Super Summer 2019 will be July 8-12 at Lake Yale.
By Keila Diaz, Florida Baptist Convention, July 23, 2018