Remnant Youth – A Campout Full of Love, Encouragement, and Conviction

Our Remnant Youth are enjoying an incredible Summer of fellowship and amazing charges from Gwen Shamblin and Elizabeth Hannah.  This message is CHANGING them and showing them the way to go…the path to follow even at their young ages.  One such opportunity for growth, learning, and fun happened recently…as our High School Juniors and Seniors, along with College Students, were invited to a Campout in Primm Springs…a spot just a short drive from Nashville where a few local Saints own land out in the beautiful countryside that GOD has created.  This was an awesome experience for all of them, and one of our youth members, Ashton Martin (19 years old), who has been raised in this amazing message of Truth, shared her heart and appreciation for what we have in this Ministry and Church.  You will see those sentiments in the article below…

 

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” – Psalm 8:3-4

 

Picture this: Perfect 85 degree weather and sunny skies.  Roughly 150 Youth ranging from ages 16 to 25 are wading in a nearby creek, riding 4-wheelers, and setting up their instruments for a worship devotional soon to follow.  Because everyone is within the boundaries of hunger and fullness, everybody gets enough to eat, with much left over to spare.  There’s little to no cell phone service at all, but no one is frustrated over the inability to update their social media status.  There isn’t drama or fighting, despite the fact that the majority of the teens here are in high school and college, and an entire game of kickball is played without a single push, shove, or argument.  The only tears that night were shed in reverent conviction as this group sang to the LORD under a blanket of stars.  Sounds like a dream right?  This was real; in fact, it is the case with any gathering of the Remnant Fellowship Youth Group, and what a blessed and memorable time it was indeed.

It was about a 40-minute drive out to the Patrick Stites’ family cabin in Primm Springs, Tennessee, after the large group of young adults and families first met at the Church to carpool and pray for safety.  Everyone made it to the campsite by 6:30pm, and GOD planned the weather perfectly so that the sun had gone down enough to allow a cooling of the afternoon heat, but just enough light remained to keep the fellowship going for a few more hours.  It wasn’t long until everyone was walking through the creek, catching crawdads and marveling at GOD’S landscape.  Jonathan Walters and Patrick Stites, two of the leaders of the Remnant Youth Group who had also opened up their local cabins to those who wanted to stay for the evening, brought their off-roading vehicles and were taking groups of kids of all ages through the wooded trails, an experience far more exciting and engaging than most theme park roller coasters.

 

When things began to wind down, Jonathan Walters began grilling burgers and hot dogs, while snacks donated by many members of the Church and Food Committee were placed out for everyone to enjoy.  Everyone ate until satisfied…on blankets set out by the creek and near the Stites’ cabin, fellowshipping and listening to the sounds of GOD’S nature.  When the sun began to dip below the horizon, and the temperature followed with it, everyone gathered for a time of testimony and Truth.  Brittni Herron and Theo Williams were two of the Youth who testified to the blessings that GOD gives when you truly get under His authority and follow in His Spirit, from healed relationships with family members to blessings in school and work.  Where else in the world could you find young adults wanting to be guided by their authorities?!?!

 

 

Elizabeth Hannah poured out her heart shortly after, and there was not a single person there, from the smallest child to the most experienced adult, who was not moved by her words.  She spoke of her relationship with God and her mother, Gwen Shamblin – how she looked for GOD’S leading in how He wanted her to serve the Kingdom, not her own thoughts or ideas.  She spoke of how our time on this Earth is so incredibly short, nothing but a blink of an eye in retrospect; that in the end it is just going to be you…and GOD on His throne…and He is not going to ask about what job you had, what your grades in school were, how much money you had, or who your friends were – He will only examine your heart, and what will He find when He does?  She charged all those who were listening to consider a perspective change: instead of looking at magazines and websites, wanting to look like our favorite celebrity, we should be looking through the Bible, examining how Peter, Paul, James, and Jesus Christ communicated with GOD, and what they did to get through each test.  Those are the coolest people in the world, and they are the people we should be setting our sights on to emulate.

 

We all took these words to heart, and as we looked up at the stars while the Youth Praise Band played worship songs, you couldn’t deny that a spirit of reverence and awe had come over the group at that cabin.  We weren’t just singing hymns by a campfire, we were praising GOD, singing and worshipping HIM, unable to put into proper words the feeling of overwhelming gratitude and perspective we had for our incredible Creator. Where else in the world could you hear a life-changing message like that under the stars, surrounded by your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?  Here at the Remnant Fellowship, it’s practically every single time the Saints gather!  What an incredible start to another beautiful Summer in this Kingdom of Love!