big weekend a-comin'

It's that time of year again. The football crowds roll into State College, the days are getting shorter, and the night air is crisp and full of the sounds of crickets. That can mean only one thing--Welcome Weekend!

We'll load a bunch of vans with eager middle schoolers tomorrow after school and head out for our yearly camp-out, treating incoming 6th graders to a memory-laden welcome. We pair up the new students with a veteran of our ministry to help them acclimatize, and the older students get a chance to try out some leadership skills.

It's messy like no other weekend. We pride ourselves on the messy games.

It's crazy to put the weekend together. We know that each year we'll have lots of last minute additions to the trip. Finding vans and setting up tents for nearly 70 people is a bit of a challenge.

But every year we see students mature in their faith. Some come to place their faith in Jesus for the first time; others take new steps, following the ancient path...

And that makes it all worthwhile.