Dear Rose Park,
Last Thursday morning, after I dropped off Simon and Winnie to Calvary CAMP, I drove to Escape Ministries on 32nd Street to meet with their program director, AJ Westendorp. AJ and I have known each other since we were kids. We grew up together playing baseball at Maplewood Ball Diamonds. Prior to our meeting, I stood at the door and gave high-fives and fist-bumps to the 26 high school students who are participating in their job’s program; it was such a joy to spend those few minutes encouraging them as they headed out the door and prepared to begin their day.
The purpose of our meeting was to finalize details regarding Rose Park helping six middle-school students from Escape Ministries attend Camp Geneva this summer. For one reason or another, these students would not be able to attend Geneva without some form of outside help, so it has been a joy and privilege to get to know them and see the excitement build in their eyes as they prepare for camp on July 31. To be honest, I’m also getting excited because this will coincide with the week I will serve as chaplain for Geneva.
If you have ever been to Geneva, or maybe you’ve sent your children or grandchildren to Geneva, then you know how powerful an experience at camp can be. It is a wonderful opportunity to leave your own home and be surrounded by other students and adults who deeply love Jesus and who desire to see Christ’s love manifest inside you. It is a gift to have such a place in our own backyard and it is my hope that Rose Park might embody the words of Jesus: “let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14). It is my hope that we can continue to help keep the door open and provide pathways for every child to experience the love of Jesus at Camp Geneva.
This is all to say, I invite you to do two things. First, pray. Would you intentionally pray for all our students, both from Rose Park and Escape, who are attending Geneva this summer? Pray their hearts, eyes, ears, minds, and souls would be receptive to the power of the Gospel in a new and fresh way that might change them forever. Second, would you consider how you can support all our students? A student might need a sleeping-bag. If so, would you consider taking them to Meijer to get one? A student might need a bible. If so, would you consider gifting them the Word of God? A student might need an encouraging word during camp. If so, would you consider sending them an email reminding them of God’s love?
It’s my hope and prayer that Rose Park might make it a priority to assure that all our students are fully prepared physically and spiritually to experience the presence of God, to witness the love of Christ being demonstrated, and to leave camp inspired to live a Spirit-filled life.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark
Photo by Jackson Hendry on Unsplash