CYMT Loves Our Camping Ministry Friends!

We asked our Residents to share some of their favorite camps with us and here is what they had to say:
 
Beersheba Springs Assembly,  TN 
Nominated by alumnus and Director of Operations at Matthew 25, Inc, Jedediah Hanes
“I am on the conference board for camps with the TNUMC. I am a big fan of events at Beersheba Springs Assembly and Cedar Crest.”
Alumnus Trevor Gentry serves as the Program and Events Director at Beersheba Springs.
Q:  How has your experience in CYMT benefited you in your current role as the Program and Events Director at Beersheba?
A:  My CYMT experience has been beneficial in my current position as I have been able to take some of the contemplative and meditative practices I learned in class and apply them to the retreats we offer at Beersheba.
Q:  What do you love about working at Beersheba?
A:  I love the connection and hospitality piece of working with church groups.  I love being able to connect with the individuals that come to Beersheba and I enjoy introducing them to this sacred space.
Q:  What do you want people to know about Beersheba and what you offer to groups?
A:  We are a pre-historic civil war hotel with lots of history.  We have modern rooms. We connect with our history but offer art spirituality programming.  We are working hard to broaden our programming to all ages.  We have a new prayer labyrinth with mosaic stones as well as a new art and spirituality building known as the “Nest.”  We want people to experience God through art, creativity, and nature.

Montreat Camp and Conference Center’s Youth Conference
Nominated by alumna and Director of Next Generation Ministry at Providence Presbyterian Church, Paige Bach
Q:  Why is Montreat your favorite?
I love Montreat because it is a safe and welcoming space for ALL students first and foremost. Montreat has the perfect blend of fun, fellowship, faith building, and worship. I love that they supply 99% of the programming and all I have to do is show up and spend time with my youth. I love that my students have the opportunity to grow closer to each other throughout the week, but they also get to meet youth from all over the country.
Q:  Tell us about a memorable experience you or your group had at Montreat.
To me what was most memorable from the week was seeing our group really grow closer to each other. COVID was hard on our group when it came to our connections to each other, but the week at Montreat truly brought us closer than we have ever been. As a youth pastor all I want is for my youth to know they are loved by God, me, and each other and that was truly known by each of my students after our week at Montreat.
Q:  How have you seen God at work while at Montreat?
The theme for Montreat this summer was “Called to Connect” and it was just amazing to see how that theme of connectedness kept showing up. Every night in our home group time, multiple students would talk about different points of connection they had seen without even realizing they were directly quoting the theme. It was definitely a God thing to constantly be reminded of our connectedness.

Did you have excellent summer staff this year? Do you think they would make great youth or children’s ministers?  Refer them to CYMT where they can earn a debt-free Master’s of Arts in Youth Ministry, receive job placement, housing, utilities, and a living stipend.