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Flagpole Devo

Every morning begins with Flagpole Devo. The whole Camp meets to start the day with a prayer, song and scripture. This shows our campers that from sun up till sun down, we are praising God![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Group Bible

One hour each morning, the Group Leader leads his group in a Bible lesson. We pray that God will grant our Group Leaders and campers a special time to learn about Him.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Canteen

Three times a day, each group will have the chance to rest, hang out and enjoy snacks together at the Canteen.  Canteen provides a break during all the daily activities.  Campers have the option of many snacks, healthy options are available.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Crafts

Once each day campers and Staff will go to our Crafts Hall. From birdhouses, wooden snakes, and lanyards, there are a lot of fun things happening at crafts.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Swim Time

Everyone enjoys cooling off in our camp pool twice a day, once for an hour in the afternoon as well as a 15-minute “Quick Dip” in the evening.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Horses

Once a week each cabin takes an hour-long ride on horseback. The campers see God in His creation as they ride through the piney woods of East Texas.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Group Activity

Each day at Camp has its own theme. During this hour and a half, each group will play games or participate in activities that reflect the theme of the day.  Visit the theme day webpages for more information about daily themes.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Cabin Bible

During Cabin Bible, each cabin has a 30-minute lesson led by their Counselor. Campers often open up and share from their hearts in this smaller group setting.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Cabin Activity

Each cabin has an hour and a half to enjoy activities together. Many times the cabins go on hikes or play games with other cabins. This is also the time cabins are scheduled to ride horses or enjoy the swing.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

The Swing

Our swing is a great thrill ride!  Hoche and Nashamie campers will have the opportunity to conquer the swing once each week during their session.  When hoisted to the highest point a camper will be about 42 feet up in the air.  This is a great team building activity for each cabin.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Quiet Time

After all the activities and fun, everyone in Camp stops and spends time alone with God for 15 minutes.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Hymn Time

Before dinner, the entire Camp comes together to sing praises to God. Many campers and Staff list this as their favorite time at Camp.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Night Games

Night Games are played beneath the ball field lights each night before Night Devo.  Each group plays simple games together at the close of each day.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text text_color=”white” css=”.vc_custom_1514746622689{padding-top: 40px !important;padding-right: 40px !important;padding-bottom: 40px !important;padding-left: 40px !important;background-image: url(https://beta.campdeerrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/night-devo.jpg?id=655) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”]

Night Devo

Each day ends with Night Devo led by the Group Leader on one of our ball fields. After a long day of fun, this is an awesome time of worship.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Day 1 - God Comes First

SCRIPTURE:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-6


DEVOTIONAL:

This is a verse that we hear often. It’s a common memory verse. It’s the basis for countless worship songs and hymns. It strikes at the core of all Christian faith and life. These words come from Moses, as He speaks to the Israelites before their entry into the Promised Land. Behind them, there has been a long journey – from slavery to freedom a promise of a land of their own that is very good. But along that journey there has been temptation, and the Israelites have time and time again lost sight of their covenant with God and forgotten the salvation that He delivered to them. Because of that, they spent 40 years wandering in the desert instead of going straight to the new homeland that God had promised.


It’s a lesson to all of us that when we lose sight of God, when we forget about Him and His Word, when our focus drifts away from Him, we end up wandering in a desert instead of enjoying the good things He intended for us.


At Camp Deer Run, we leave behind many of the things in our day to day lives that distract us from God. We leave behind the phones, the TVs, the social media, the stress of school or work, the trials and struggles that we carry with us. When you step through the gates as your session begins, you can leave all of it behind you and just focus on God, pure and simple.
When we set those burdens down, and remove all the distractions that are keeping us from seeing God clearly and putting Him first in our lives, we come closer to Him, we grow deeper in our relationship with Him, we feel His love. And when we know His love for us and understand that we are His beloved children, our love for Him grows too.


But Camp doesn’t have some kind of magic forcefield around it that makes you leave your worries at the door. It’s definitely easier at Camp to leave those things behind. There’s so much fun to be had, so much nature to enjoy, and so many friends to surround you. But at the end of the day, it’s still up to you to let go of the things that distract you from God and to put Him first. Sometimes that’s hard to do, and sometimes it takes a little while to figure it out. That’s ok!


As you prepare for Camp, we just want you to know that God wants to have a relationship with you. God knows you. God loves you. And He wants you to keep your focus on Him, because He doesn’t want you to be lost in the desert. He wants to lead you to the Promised Land!

 

DISCUSSION:


What are some of the things that make it hardest for you to focus on God at home?


Can you leave that behind when you go to Camp? How?


Camp Deer Run is all about seeing God in everything, not just worship or Bible lessons, but in the games and activities and friends and fun. How do you keep your focus on God in all of these different situations?