Just Felt Right
Robin had spent four months considering joining the Base Camp team, but says that she could always find reasons to put off taking “the plunge”. But once she made the decision to volunteer, it was clear to those of us already serving that she had all the characteristics that we look for in a Base Camp leader.
She loves Jesus and kids, is faithful with what she commits to, and believes that God values and treasures every child that walks through our doors.
On a Sunday morning last fall, Keely Hardaway (the Waterford Children’s Ministry Director) and I were talking about the Lodge (4th-5th grade classroom). For a while, we had been longing for a female leader with a heart to pour into the girls’ lives and help them understand how much God loves them. That was going to take a very special person, and so we prayed together that morning that God would help us find her.
“I want them to feel welcomed, appreciated, loved, and to know that the class just isn’t the same without them there.”
Robin describes her own experience that morning: “I came to church and could not remember whether or not I was on the schedule to serve with the 3-year-olds. Come to find out I wasn’t, but Keely was missing a few people at the 11 a.m. service and asked if I would be willing to jump in to help with the Lodge. I don’t know that I can really explain it, but the Lodge just felt right. I loved how the kids interacted with each other and I enjoyed listening to things they shared.”
As Robin began telling Keely her own spiritual journey, it became clear to both of them that this group of girls would be a wonderful fit for each other. Robin, on the same morning of our fervent prayer, became that answer to prayer!
“Robin, on the same morning of our fervent prayer, became that answer to prayer! ”
Watching Robin lead in the Lodge has been a joy for me to observe as a coach. The directness and open attitude that characterize her as a person are the same strengths she brings into mentoring our 4th and 5th grade girls. She not only shares truth with them from the Bible, she also shares her life and heart. As Robin states, “I want them to feel welcomed, appreciated, loved, and to know that the class just isn’t the same without them there.”
The fun part is that not only is the Lord using Robin in the lives of our Base Camp kids, but he is also using them to encourage Robin! Isn’t that just the best part of stepping out in faith to serve? Robin describes one of these kinds of moments when she was paired up with a visitor to pray. The student shared about a bully at school. Robin was encouraged that as they went to pray, this student displayed a heart of forgiveness. Robin says, “All I could think was how admirable this kid was for telling me, asking for prayer, and wanting to pray for the bully as well.”
We are so grateful for leaders like Robin who believe that the most important investment they can make on any given Sunday morning is telling the kids at Summit how much Jesus loves them!
If you have ever thought to yourself "those Base Camp volunteers sure are great, maybe I should look into becoming one", they are and you should!
Nancy Dickens has been attending Summit with her family for 11 years. Over the years, she has served in just about every Base Camp classroom at Summit and is currently a coach at the Waterford Campus. She and her husband, Dave, are both on staff with Cru and have four kids and one grandchild. They love reading, playing volleyball, and playing with their grandchild!