The 2011 NEXT Youth Challenge: Salt & Light Discipleship Camp

The 2011 NEXT Youth Challenge: Salt & Light

(May 17-19, 2011)

The Bayside Bible Camp front beach has never been saltier until the day Kabataang Reformed (KR) of Christian Reformed Churches in the Philippines (Classis Metro Manila North) invaded the site with their theme “The NEXT Summer Youth Challenge - Salt and Light”, a discipleship camp.  Following the 2010 Youth Exponential Leadership Camp in Gethsemane Prayer Mountain, Montalban Rizal, the KR Core Leaders headed by Clemen Austria (Camp Director, KR Chairman) gathered a hundred young people to be equipped in the ministry of discipleship.

Kabataang Reformed from 9 churches of CRCP-CMMN packed their things and clothes for this 3-days-and-2-nights camp and headed their way off to Lemery, Batangas in the morning of May 17, 2011.  Stories of excitement filled the bus and chats of getting-to-know-others kept them busy while on their way.  While waiting for the campers, the KR Core Leaders prepared the site for the adventures that would await them.  When asked “How long did you plan and prepare for this camp?”, Clemen said, “December 2009 pa nung mabuo ang concept of this discipleship camp, it was originally entitled as NEXT: Quest for True Disciples but later changed to NEXT Summer Youth Challenge - Salt and Light when the theme of Salt and Light was finalized”.  Just when everything was settled, the campers arrived safely.  They got off the bus ecstatically together with some pastors.  And so the camp began…

The NEXT Message

Since this was a discipleship camp, each session lead to becoming an ideal disciple and discipler.  Some pastors from CRCP-CMMN churches were invited to speak in this camp.  Ptr. Zuriel Bernardino opened the cap by teaching in the first day afternoon session “denying yourself and taking up your cross” – the cost of being a disciple (Mark 8:34-38).  It was an eye-opener for the youth that being Christ’s disciple would cost you a lot – in fact, yourself, your life.  In the evening, Ptr. Mel Cartera boldly spoke of “facing and fighting temptations” (John 8:31-32) which delved on “total obedience to God” and “total dependence on God”.  He also shared the concept of the famed WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?).  There was a breakup session afterwards to give time for sharing experiences, learning, and for prayers.  In the morning of the second day, Ptr. Rodel Catuy began to tackle being “Salt of the Earth” (Matthew 5:13).  He outlined his preaching to 3D – our Designation as disciples, God’s Design for us to be salt of the earth, and the Danger if we lose our saltiness.  It was followed by the lesson on being “Light of the World” (Matthew 5:14-15) preached by Ptr. Chris Santos in the afternoon.  He enumerated the benefits of light of Jesus Christ shining in us which was his concentration of the topic - “Shining as LIGHTS in this perverse generation”.  The last teaching was given in a memorable evening (the last night) with a heartwarming yet challenging message on “the call to make disciples” (2 Timothy 2:2).  Ptr. Raymond Mojica shared with the youth his discipleship journey and posted some challenges which really moved these young listeners.  The night was capped with the Faith Walk and the bonfire cliché of every camp.

The N-E-X-T Race

The whole concept of naming the KR Camp NEXT is the question “Who’s NEXT?” giving the campers a challenging quest in their Christian walk.  This title would be carried on to the next NEXT Youth Camps of Kabataang Reformed.

 “N-E-X-T” also serves as the division of teams for the camp games and activities.  Youth of the same church may be divided to these 4 teams – this, I think would be the first challenge the campers would have to put in mind.  So these teams were named as Ncredibles, Enlightened, Xtra Joss, and Team First respectively.  To win the NEXT race, each team’s goal was to earn as many points as they could in the duration of the camp.  So they battled off in games, activities and challenges.

Flag making contest was the first that challenged their teamwork.  The flags made were raised on a dance presentation in the opening night.  Next exciting game was the water battle done at the beach front of the site then the campers sped off and splashed themselves in the swimming pools after.  There was also a Tower Building challenge with its goal to construct a tower using marshmallow and pasta pieces that will withstand to different tests like wind and drop test.  The Egg Challenge was also one of the best.  Each camper was given an egg to be taken care of until the last day of the camp.  “Itlog is yung game na sineryoso ko up to the point na itago ko siya sa wala sinuman makakakaalam.  Gives me the idea on how to protect my disciple instead of giving them discouragement, you need to protect them as much as you could…alagaan and itlog - parang alagaan ang iyong dinidisciple (‘Egg’ was the game which I really took seriously to the point that I hid it to a place where no one would ever know.  It gives me the idea on how to protect my disciple instead of giving them discouragement, you need to protect them as much as you could – take care of the egg – like how you would care for your disciple),” said Mimi Salazar, a youth from PSCC.  Also, one of the most memorable challenges and perhaps the hardest of all was the Faith Walk which came before the bonfire on the last night of the camp.  Campers were commanded to just hold tight to a long rope, walk, and listen to only one voice– the voice of the marshal assigned to each of them.  When asked “Tell us about your most memorable game/challenge/activity. Why is it so?” Carlo Rillon of CCCN shared, “Para sakin ung Faith Walk, it is my very first time to experience that game and I can say that it is a MUST play for all Christian Youths out there. Napaka-raming bagay ang nag-struck sakin through that game. Though hindi ako nakarating sa dulo, I’m still happy I experienced that. (For me, it was the Faith Walk.  It (was) my very first time to experience that game and I can say that it is a MUST play for all Christian Youths out there.  There were a lot of things that struck me through that game.  Though I wasn’t able to make it to the end, I’m still happy I experienced that).”  Mimi also commented, “Faith walk.  I have learned to capital TRUST.”  It was the goal of the game – to teach each camper to trust God and to always listen to His voice.  

There were many more games which brought enjoyment in the camp.  The difference of this camp from the other summer youth camps is that all the games and activities done were objective-based, in other words it’s not “mema-ipalaro lang” and the campers really learned a lot from them.  Thanks also to Ms. Arianne Adriano and Mr. Bernard Ostrea for taking in charge of the games.