Keeping "Faith Alive" through the Faith 5

Keeping “Faith Alive” through the Faith 5            

Crossways is proud to announce that this summer’s Bible Study theme will be called Faith Alive. It focuses on five faith practices we use as Christians to keep our faith in God active and alive in our lives.

Each evening before bed, campers will explore the themes and concepts of the day through doing devotions as a cabin group using a method called the Faith 5. This concept comes from Faith Inkubators and is a method we encourage you to use at home with your families both leading up to camp and in the weeks after camp.

The Faith 5 is an acronym for faith acts in the home. There are 5 simple steps to doing the Faith 5:

1. Share - Share your highs and lows of the day. Sharing in joys and struggles together is an important part of relationship development and plays a key role in deepening any relationship.
2. Read­ - Together, read some scripture. At camp, we’ll provide campers and staff with scripture readings to read together in the evening.
3. Talk - Talk about how the scripture reading relates to your life today. Does it relate to your highs and lows of the day?
4. Pray - Pray together about the joys and struggles you are facing individually and separately. Also pray for others as they journey through their own highs and lows.
5. Bless - Mark each other with the sign of the cross

To get you and your family started on using the Faith 5 at home, we’ve given you an example below to test out:

1. Share your highs and lows for the day
2. Read 1^st Corinthians 16:14. This is our theme verse for this summer!
3. Talk how does this verse apply to your lives today? To your highs and lows?
4. Pray for one another
5. Bless one another by marking each other with the sign of the cross.

For more information on the Faith 5 visit: www.faithink.com . There you will find videos and resources on how to implement the Faith 5 with your family.

From the Executive Director: April 2013

I confess that I don’t like it when someone makes plans for me.  I like to make my own plans.  It’s not that I like to be in control, although some would dispute that statement, it’s the fact that I don’t like to feel out of control.  Who hasn’t felt out of control when your doctor plans your diet, the dentist, your root canal, your boss, your project deadline or your spouse, your night out with people that you don’t know when you really would rather just stay home?  We like to make our own plans.

Then God comes and says to us planners, 

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 
 plans to give you hope and a future. “ Jeremiah 29:11

God is saying two very important things to us.  First, I have plans for you.  Second, I, not you, am the one in control.  It goes against everything that we hold dear of being in charge and planning our own destiny. The good news is that God’s plans and promises are pure Grace for us.
 
God says to Crossways, “I have plans for you” and the plans are guaranteed because I am in charge.  God’s plans for Crossways are that he will prosper and not harm us. God plans are to give us hope and a future.  Do we fear the future that seems to be out of control, out of reach and out of our hands or do we honestly trust in the plans that God has for us?  Do we trust God enough to step out boldly to dream, revision and see this outdoor ministry that we love prosper as God promises it will?  We need to face our fears of being out of control and our lack of trust.  God has it all planned for us, we just need to let go of our fear.
 
The Camps of Crossways - Imago Dei Village, Pine Lake Camp, and Waypost Camp - were built and are sustained on the promises and the plans of God.  In a time when our old ways and our old plans seem to fail us, when our fear for the future and scarcity seem to hold court, and when we are frightened to dream big dreams, God says, “Don’t worry, I have plans for you.”  “Don’t worry I am in control.”
 
As we step boldly into the future of Crossways’ ministry, let’s never forget that God’s plan for Crossways is all about abundance, hope and a future. 
 
See you at camp!
Rev John Meachen, Executive Director