Skipstone Staff..... On My Heart Today

Well we are only a few hours away from the end of our first week of summer camp at Skipstone. Best I can tell, it's been a great week....

God has blessed us again this year with a great summer staff, both veterans and a few "rookies, who have done an outstanding job serving so far. They survived a week of staff training, ending with playing "survivor". We blindfolded them, drove them thirty miles out into the country, and dropped them off in the middle of a 30 acre riverfront property with only the bare necessities to make it through the night. I must say.... I was pretty impressed at how they handled themselves! Please lift up these young college students this summer. Pray for safety, strength, and most importantly for God to do a great work IN them, and THROUGH them as they serve.

God has really given our Camp Director, Rachel Cole, extra grace and strength to have to deal with moving out of her current home, while waiting to close on a new home, right in the middle of the busiest weeks of her year. Please lift Rachel up as she takes this important life step. She has diligently sought God's guidance for a new home, but has had several bumps in the road in regards to closing. I know that she would appreciate knowing that a lot of folks are praying for her as she walks through this. Drop her an email at rachelcole@bellsouth.net and let her know that you are lifting her up this summer!

Our "Camp Discovery" day camp is off to a great start, and will have more campers this season than ever before. Kelley Buckalew, who directs Camp Discovery, is doing a great job again this year. She has an amazing staff that are forever "marching" the day campers from one activity to the next all day long. Please lift Kelley and her staff up as you pray. Pray for strength for them.... they are outside in the heat for much of the day and we are off to a very hot summer so far!

Our new day "Rockbridge" day camp in Sandy Springs is up and running and they have just completed their second week of camp. It's exciting for us to see God continuing to open up new doors of opportunity to minister and serve. Our Rockbridge director, Chip Cofer, has done a great job, both with the camp and with doing some staff training with our summer staff. Please lift Chip and his staff up as they serve the children of the Atlanta area this summer.

Although school is out, our principal, Randy Freeman, Shondi, and others are continuing to work on plans for next year. It's very exciting to have two years behind us now and go into our third school year with a lot more "intentional" planning and programming. Please pray for Randy and Shondi as they prepare for the upcoming school year. Pray for wisdom, unbridled creativity, patience to work through the numerous details, and for rest and renewal for all of our staff and teachers this summer.

Glenn Polk, our Facilities Director, is making a transition into a new role at Skipstone. He will continue to help us with the oversight of our facilities, but will also be helping us with fire safety, insurance regulations and compliance, master site planning and development, risk management, and other important areas that we need to grow in as we move forward. Please pray for Glenn as he assumes some new responsibilities.

Pray for these great people who are also serving at Skipstone this summer....

Geoffrey - as he drives the bus for all of our camps (he likes the new ride!)

Sabrina and Clay - as they coordinate all of the food orders and schedule our cooking staff (and especially pray for our cooks... it's over 100 degrees in the kitchen on an average day - every one of these ladies and men are amazing!)

April & Tommy - as they lifeguard at the pool and the waterslide

Becca, Maddy and Kenzie - as they lead the recreation activities

Chase - as he does the grunt work for me while my back is all out of whack

Mrs. Carolyn - the only real superhero at Skipstone (I really think she might be a closet superhero)!

There are so many people who serve the Lord through this ministry, and they are on my heart and mind this morning. It's an incredible thought to me that these servants of God would choose to invest their lives here. I am overwhelmed at the sacrificial service of each of these people. My prayer is that God would bless them each beyond measure for the investment that they are making in His kingdom through the ministry of Skipstone.

I was reading a devotion by Max Lucado this morning and I thought is was appropriate for our staff today...

God is Cheering for You
by Max Lucado

If your God is Mighty enough to ignite the sun, could it be that He is mighty enough to light your path?

God is for you. Not “may be,” not “has been,” not “was,” not “would be,” but “God is!” He is for you. Today. At this hour. At this minute. As you read this sentence. No need to wait in line or come back tomorrow. He is with you. He could not be closer than he is at this second. His loyalty won’t increase if you are better nor lessen if you are worse. He is for you.

God is for you. Turn to the sidelines; that’s God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that’s God applauding your steps. Listen for him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He’ll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He’s picking you up. God is for you.

God is for you. Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car, your name would be on his bumper. If there’s a tree in heaven, he’s carved your name in the bark. We know he has a tattoo, and we know what it says. “I have written your name on my hand,” he declares "Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me." - Isaiah 49:16

Whatever It Takes,
Chip