Hungary District Nazarenes spent their annual summer camp reflecting on the theme of “Spiritual Upbuilding: Let your Kingdom come!” – building the kingdom of God.
Gathering annually since 2000, the annual camp attracts up to four generations – from grandparents and a wide span of adults through to teens and small children.
The days begin with “early bird” prayers and praise in the forest, along a river or lake, and end with evening devotions. Members from various churches form a camp worship team. Faith activities are available for every age group, and everyone has fun through crafts, sports and late night games.
“In the faith sessions, based on the parable of the building of the wise and the foolish (Matthew 7: 21-29, Luke 6: 46-49), we learned about building a spiritual house that can withstand the storms of life,” said Tulipán Zsuzsanna, chair of the district’s camp committee. “We thought together about the steps of well-planned spiritual construction based on faith in Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit, as well as the importance of spiritual disciplines for subsequent maintenance and growth.”
Because the district has consistently held a summer camp for more than 20 years, many of the young adults who attend “grew up in the camp,” Zsuzsanna added.
“Some came first as babies with their parents, and now they are the driving force. They take on new responsibilities — ministry toward the older generations and help with the young ones, as well as within their age group. They grew into understanding the importance of participation and the importance of nurturing our spiritual community.”
At the same time, new families, friends and relatives are intentionally included, and the camp makes efforts to share the good news of Christ with anyone attending who hasn’t yet made a decision to follow Him.
“The best thing about the camp was the community. Everyone welcomed us very warmly as new family members,” said first-time camper, Edina. “We found ourselves in a loving, inclusive, kind and cohesive community. I loved that everyone was looking out for each other and that someone was always keeping an eye on my incredibly fast little boy.
“We treasure the times spent in the camp as a great spiritual experience and an opportunity to build unity and community,” Zsuzsanna said.
You can see photos from the Camp at their website http://www.csalit.hu/aktualis.html
– shared by Zsuzsanna Tulipán
