NEW FREEDOM, Pa., (BRN) – Kids learning about Jesus and having fun on the field is the primary goal of Mason Dixon Baptist Church’s annual sports camp, but there’s an equally, if not more exciting, discipleship element that takes place after the players go home.
For two out of the five days, the student volunteers, who range from high school to college age, stick around after camp hours to dive into God’s Word and prime their leadership skills. This year was the second year out of three that this intentional time of discipleship was added to the camp’s schedule and led by Pastor Robbie Mays, associate pastor of campus ministry at Big Woods Bible Church in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.
Mays grew up attending Mason Dixon Baptist Church (MDBC) and sat under the teaching and discipleship of current MDBC Senior Pastor Terry Felton.
“I love sports and I love discipleship, so being able to combine these two passions while also developing leaders in the next generation is truly incredible,” said Mays.
He continued: “It’s a privilege to go back to the church I spent so much time growing in and have the opportunity to pour into kids of parents who poured into me.”
This year’s sports camp took place June 16-20. This was the third year MDBC held the camp for boys ages 3rd-6th grade and the first year the camp hosted a girls sports camp simultaneously. The church also ran a girls dance camp the same week.
To make these camps possible, a total of 20 student volunteers, 5 college and 15 high school, came together to serve alongside Pastor Robbie and his wife and other adult leaders.
At the start of each day, student volunteers practiced discipleship by teaching the kids how to run, kick, score and play sports in a manner that is respectful towards others and pleasing to the Lord. Later, they modeled Christ-like character by walking through Scripture with the players and leading them in prayer and devotions.
During the first leadership development session, student leaders were challenged with reading Hebrews 11 and picking a character from the “Hall of Faith” to study. They then prepared a brief devotional on the character they chose and presented it to the group. Throughout the week, they took turns sharing their devotionals with their players.
This “trifecta” of student leaders seeing, experiencing and practicing discipleship is what makes sports camp so exciting for Mason Dixon’s Children’s Ministry Director Jess Beck.
“I love that they are getting trained to train that next generation. We should always all be being discipled and discipling someone and they’re seeing that first hand,” said Beck.
In order to nurture this discipleship culture, the church only allows 9th-12th grade students to help with sports camp and dance camp.
“That was an intentional choice we made, because we wanted leaders just past them in that life stage. They’re getting freshly launched young adults and then established young adults, all who are serving in ministry [and] have a heart for Jesus, coming and serving alongside of them. Then two of those days, after they pour into the kids, they are being poured into,” explained Beck.
Beck’s daughter, Ava, was one of the student leaders who helped with the inaugural girls sports camp and benefited from the leadership development time.
“It’s always good to be poured into after pouring into someone else. We spent all day leading those girls in sports, but also trying to talk to them about Jesus because that’s really why we are doing this, and you suddenly realize that you have expended a lot spiritually,” said Ava Beck.
Ethan Jensen, a high school senior who helped with the boys sports camp, added to Beck’s sentiment, sharing that serving as a coach for the sports camp presented valuable gospel opportunities.
“It is our job to share the gospel, so if we don’t take the lead who else will? We want to always share what Jesus has done for us and how he loves us,” said Jensen.
The leadership development aspect of these outreach camps has not only grown to be an essential part of the camps’ DNA, but also something the student leaders value.
“They get here in the morning, they’re doing camp, they’re staying for this and then half those kids are going to work,” shared Jess Beck.
“They’re in the thick of the grind, but they still value and see the importance of spending this time studying the Word.”
