Why do you think the role of camp pastor is so important during summers at HoneyRock?
W: I've been doing camp ministry, and then youth ministry for 10 plus years. So one thing is being able to provide some outside perspective and encouragement to counselors, where some of these counseling can feel scary to them. I can provide some encouragement, saying. "you really can do this!" Another part of what I'm here for is what Ashley Paige Kiley calls Holy Spirit Week. And so an important part of what I am doing specifically this week is training counselors to rely on the Holy Spirit, leading them in times of worship where they can receive the healing ministry of the Holy Spirit. And as they receive, they can also learn how to give that to others.
Can you tell us what your past week has looked like as a HoneyRock pastor?
W: On Sunday I preached and officiated for our Sunday morning church service, and that evening led a staff training session on how to pray for others and how to listen to the Holy Spirit. Then on Monday night we had a healing worship service. That one focused on receiving the healing ministry of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Wednesday night we had a worship service where we gathered on our knees around the cross and prayed for the coming campers. I also led devotionals three mornings throughout the week.
A lot of what else I do is learning counselor’s names, hanging out with them at meals, and having one on one’s. Those are really fun conversations. Some of them are light and fun, while some of them are really theological. Somebody asked me what I think about infant baptism yesterday and we spent the whole lunch talking about it. Other conversations are really practical and vocational, you know, somebody saying something like I think I might want to go into ministry, can I talk to you about that?