Staff training sets tone for SEP

By Jeb Egbert

SEP director

ORR, Minnesota—"As the leadership goes, so goes the camp."

That is a recurring theme I shared with the 140 staff members who arrived June 22 for three days of intensive staff training. And after the three days were over, it was clear to me that we would have an outstanding, Christ-centered session of the Summer Educational Program (SEP).

This year we began with a slightly different message. I shared the passages in 2 Chronicles 5 to 7 that detail the dedication of the temple during the time of Solomon. The response to this dedication was for God to "move in." I then explained that we as the staff are the temple, and that we needed to be explicit about the invitation for the Holy Spirit to move in to us individually and collectively.

Our second session focused on the importance of the entire staff having clarity about the mission of SEP. "If one of you believes that the reason we have SEP is to teach swimming, and the next one believes that we are here to teach archery, we have a dilemma—different people with different assumptions about the purpose of SEP."

I then asked each person to take out a sheet of paper and write down the mission of the camp. When they exchanged papers and shared what their partners had written, I was excited to see that everyone had a good understanding of our reason for being—to promote Jesus Christ and his way of life to those in attendance.

Between these sessions, we made time for praise and worship, prayer, and the sharing of each other’s stories about their own journeys. I explained that I don’t approach camp administration in 2001 the way I did back in 1982, or even in 1997.

"God has each of us on our own journey," I explained. "The key is that we are in alignment with him and making progress."

On Sunday night, June 24, we assembled for a staff dance. I must admit, I’ve never been to a dance quite like it. We began with half an hour of praise and worship. At times, staff members locked arms and swayed while sharing their devotion to God.

Then we moved on to a mixer, allowing staff members to become better acquainted before our dance started with all of the camp counselors gathering in the center of the dance floor.

While there, the rest of the camp surrounded them, laying hands on them as Michael Rasmussen, Christian living instructor, prayed. When the prayer finished, I thought, what a way to begin a dance. With that, the counselors started a snowball dance, selecting a new partner every time the music stopped.

As the evening drew to a close, we all gathered again around the piano where Katrina Weber, director of archery and riflery, had led us in praise and worship earlier in the evening.

We sang three songs about our adoration of our Savior, then Greg Williams, director of basketball and volleyball, invited everyone to the Lord’s table for communion.

The staff was ready for the campers to arrive after the finest staff orientation I can remember. What an exciting way for God to set the table and prepare for his young ones who were on their way to session one to take advantage of all of his spiritual energy.

Session one counseling staff

Sailing 

Photos by Chrissy Del Guidice

Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2001