Numerous gun hold-ups were reported at the Northland entrance this
past Saturday, September 26 . . . all staged and part of the fun
provided at RodeoFest, hosted by Northland Camp & Conference Center. Many
prayers were answered as the rain clouds passed over without dampening
the day. “Wagonmaster” Jeremy Frazor, the camp director at Pioneer
Village (Northland Camp & Conference Center’s “junior” camp) since
2001, was the speaker for this year’s event. Using his trademark karate
moves, Wagonmaster Frazor brought biblical truths to life for more than
200 eight- to twelve-year-olds. With a combination of fun, one-on-one
discipleship, and group sessions, a unique environment was created, as
aptly described by sophomore, Sarah Cleghorn:
RodeoFest takes crazy, fun activities, which kids will never be able to
do at home, and creates an environment of excitement. For most kids,
this kind of activity is new and maybe just a bit intimidating since
they are out of their comfort zone. But because they are out of their
comfort zone, they are more dependent on their counselor and more
willing to sit and listen to the service. The whole RodeoFest
environment is Christian workers who are there to help the kids grow
spiritually. So, if they ever need help or have a question, there are
about 150 college students waiting to help them. This environment is
very wholesome for fun and, most importantly, spiritual growth.
Read other student’s testimonies here.
Following on the heels of Revival week, RodeoFest
gave students an opportunity to live out the decisions made as they
ministered to kids who traveled as many as five hours to attend the
event. During the Works of God chapel held on the Monday following
RodeoFest, one student shared how this was particularly true in his
life:
During Revival last week, I became convicted
about how I’d allowed Christianity to become routine—that Jesus Christ
was just normal. This past week with the messages about following the
Spirit with every step, following the Spirit’s urgings, and just
selling out for God, it reminded me that my religion is not “just
religion.” It’s about a day-by-day, picking up Jesus’ cross, and
carrying it. I decided that it’s time for me to reawaken, revive, and
come back to where I need to be. It was amazing—on Saturday after I’d
made that decision, I got to lead two little boys to Jesus Christ at
RodeoFest. That was just like God trying to remind me, “I can use you
if you’ll just let Me.” It was such an encouragement to see God’s hand
at work in my life and in those two little boys’ lives through me.
For other students, it was a chance to see that when you “become a
teacher, by your pupils you’ll be taught.” One student testified of
how God used her in spite of herself:
Last
week, I was really burdened and discouraged about a lot of things, and
so I came into RodeoFest really unprepared to handle the kids and just
the entire experience. I had to counsel two little girls that day. I
felt like, “Lord, I’m not ready for this. I haven’t prayed over this; I
haven’t studied.” The first opportunity was to share the Gospel with
this little girl. She didn’t actually get saved, but I got to the end
of it and thought, “Wow! The Gospel’s really simple.” I don’t know why
I keep thinking of it as this huge “I can’t do that” kind of thing, but
it was really, really simple. The second girl admitted that she’d been
arguing with her mom. So I said, “You know what you need to do?” and
talked her through it with the Bible, and she told me, “I need to call
my mom right now.” After that, I got to spend some time with her, and
it reminded me of the simplicity of the Christian life. It’s just
obedience. I love God; therefore, I obey Him. And it took away the
burden because I was making everything so complicated—trying to figure
things out—instead of just resting in Him. It was a real blessing to be ministered to instead of just ministering at RodeoFest.
It
is through events such as this that Northland seeks to meet a two-fold
purpose: to reach out to the surrounding community, and to give
students real-life opportunities to share their faith and put their
learning into practice.
Read more about ministry opportunities at Northland here.
Kathryn Kunz, teaching assistant
Q: How do you think this type of event is effective in reaching out to this age group?
A:I
believe that the spiritual emphasis has a great impact on the kids walk
with God. Many children do not have someone who challenges them
spiritually in their walk with God. I realize that this does not happen
individually with each child at RodeoFest, but many of the kids get
spiritual encouragement and challenging from their counselor. The
messages challenge them spiritually, and they give the counselors a
platform with which to talk to the kids about their walk with God.
Shannon Murdock, senior
Q: How do you think this type of event is effective in reaching out to this age group?
A:It
provides an attraction that draws kids in through good, wholesome fun.
It gets them out and away from their home and routine.
Q:
Have you been able to talk to any of the kids about spiritual needs? Or
observed how the spiritual emphasis has had an effect on any individual
kids?
A:Yes, I was able to share the
Gospel with two girls. The spiritual emphasis is very concentrated
during the course of the day because you go straight from activity to
hearing the Word preached.
Sarah Cleghorn, sophomore
Q: How do you think this type of event is effective in reaching out to this age group?
A: RodeoFest
takes crazy, fun activities, which kids will never be able to do at
home, and creates an environment of excitement. For most kids, this
kind of activity is new and maybe just a bit intimidating since they
are out of their comfort zone. But because they are out of their
comfort zone, they are more dependent on their counselor and more
willing to sit and listen to the service. The whole RodeoFest
environment is Christian workers who are there to help the kids grow
spiritually. So, if they ever need help or have a question, there are
about 150 college students waiting to help them. This environment is
very wholesome for fun and, most importantly, spiritual growth.
Q:
Have you been able to talk to any of the kids about spiritual needs? Or
observed how the spiritual emphasis has had an effect on any individual
kids?
A: As a worker in the hay wagon,
I could see the connection the counselors were making with the kids.
The kids wouldn't go anywhere that their counselor didn't go, not
because they were forced to stay with the counselors, but because the
kids didn't want to leave them. The love the counselors were offering
was snatched up by the kids, who often are craving attention. All the
kids want is someone to love them, and when someone finally does that,
it opens whole realms of spiritual discipleship opportunities that
would otherwise be impossible.
Tiffany Spellmeyer, junior
Q: How do you think this type of event is effective in reaching out to this age group?
A:I
think this type of event is effective in reaching out because the kids
love interacting with the college students for the day. Some events,
like the dunk tank and the bad guys, are also perennial favorites that
keep them coming back.
Leanne Degroot, junior
Q: How do you think this type of event is effective in reaching out to this age group?
A:I
think kids keep coming back because of the cool theme. And the
speaker—any time you have Jeremy Frazor—they love it. And they love
some activities like chasing bad guys and the climbing wall. I think
there is a really good balance between having fun at the games and a
spiritual focus in the preaching. Right off the bat, a bunch of girls
from my church came and attacked (hugged) me. I hadn't gotten to see
them in a while, and that was really cool to be able to interact with
them a little.