Neal Pollard
The second week of June always marks an exciting time at Bear Valley and for me personally. That day is always the official start of our Future Preachers Training Camp. The campers all arrive, some of them even coming in on Saturday, and the excitement is evident on their faces as well as the faces of our members. They come from near and far, tied together by an interest in growing in their public speaking skills and by the fact that they are teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18. During the week this year, they will sit and learn about how to write and deliver a sermon, how to use the library resources, elementary Greek, Christian evidences, basic hermeneutics and exegesis, and grief counseling. They will take a field trip up to Conifer, Colorado, to hear from one of our graduates tell about how the Bear Valley Bible Institute has prepared him to work with the church in a small town. They will spend hours each day working on their sermons. They will try their hand several times at “extemporaneous speaking.” There will also be time every day for recreation and a few special times to enjoy some recreation at local venues.
It amazes me the way this congregation supports the camp. The snacks donated, attending the “Speaking From The Heart” and “FPTC Gospel Meeting” sessions, the teens c0-participating in several events through the week, taking campers to lunch on the second Sunday, and the continuous vocal support of these special young men is overwhelming. I am also amazed at the dedication and growth of these young men, often from the time they arrive to the time they leave and also as we see several of them year after year.
We will have 43 young men in camp this year, coming literally from coast to coast. Some will be athletic, others will be more bookish and interested in indoor activities. Some will be confident and outgoing, others reserved and shy. Some will be big for their age, others small for their age. This year, they will represent not just multiple racial ethnicities but also nationalities. But, if past years indicate anything, they will be one big, tight-knit group bound together by the experiences of the week.
Please pray for the success and safety of everyone involved in the camp this year. Our adult volunteers include Jason Chesser (Wetumpka, AL), Bud Woodall (Vinita, OK), Jessie Agnew (Hobbs, NM), Darrick Shepherd (Newton, KS), Nathan Liddell (East Alameda church of Christ, Aurora, CO), Pooh Duke (Old Hickory, TN), Tony Johnson (Greenbrier, AR), Anthony Warnes (Miller St., Wheat Ridge, CO), Kathy Devenport (Hattiesburg, MS–kitchen), Brett Petrillo, Dennis King, Jack Wilkie, Alex Warnes, Jordan Wise, Butch Plummer, Anna Wilkie (kitchen), DeAnn Wilkie (food boss, camp mom), and me (Bear Valley church of Christ, Denver, CO). Our teachers will be Andrew Lemus (Conifer), Wayne Roberts (Parker), Michael Hite (BVBID), Denny Petrillo (BVBID), Chesser, Woodall, and Agnew. Ready or not, here it comes!
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