During their time in Stayer the youths enjoyed getting together with peers for late evening games, praising through music, teachings of evolution by Dan Zorgel from Life 100.3 and a free style Sunday service.
The service started with a talk about communion and what it meant to take it. The teens were invited to nail their sins to a cross and a large 7 foot cross was laid on the ground among the youths. Red paper, nails and a hammer were provided to write a sin and to nail with. Also, cards were provided so that anyone who had an issue to put to rest with another person could do so, and then take communion.
Pastor Paul then took a loaf of bread, broke it, and laid it at the front. Red juice was set out and a chair with a white sheet over top was set behind the bread, in significance of Jesus in our midst. The youths were then given their own time to worship and spend time with God.
"You often can sit through a program and not get involved. So that's why we do communion that way," commented Pastor Paul. The cross and the communion have been "a long standing snow camp tradition."
After a few songs of praise the team stood down from the front and people began to slowly move around. One or two cards were taken from the table and encouragements began to be written. As the moments passed the sound of a hammer pounding nails into wood could be heard over the sound of praise songs in the background. Youths walked away with a sense of relief about themselves.
"When I nailed that letter on the cross I felt a load was lifted," said Mike Wilson, a grade nine. This was his first year at snow camp and he noted that he came with his own share of burdens. In the end he felt it was an encouragement to his faith.
Steph Person (gr.11) talked after about how she had been fighting with her parents a lot before the weekend. But that Sunday she had wrote letters to both of her parents feeling she had disrespected them in the past.
"I was praying I could be a light in my family and not so ... um ...rude. So it helped with that a lot," she remarked.
Katie Morris described the Sunday as "more youthful" and enjoyed being able to nail their sins to the cross. And J.C.Siderius enjoyed the cross, the open talk and relaxed atmosphere of it. In the end most of the youth felt the same as Alicia Schwarts (gr.10) did.
"I thought it was cool."
By Erin Bell
copyright 2004
