This is our fifteenth year attending BYC (Be-Loved Youth Camp), an ecumenical camp of progressive Baptist and/or UCC churches from all over the country.
This year, nine CUCC youth and four adults will be attending this youth camp on the mountain in Laurel Springs, NC. Addi, Niya, Ross, Carmen, Gabbi, Blue, Bronwen, Elena, and Jay, will be led by our fabulous team of adult leaders, Zenna Bryan, KayJay Jones, Bill Bryan, and Sam Woodrum. They will depart after receiving our blessing during worship June 29 and return on July 4.
These adults are not just attending camp for the week, but are doing such things as facilitating bible study, supporting youth in daily youth-led worship, running interest groups, chaperoning youth in cabins, and accompanying youth on their spiritual journey through camp from sun-up to 11PM. They are basically helping to carry out camp in every way. And our marvelous Zenna Bryan has stepped up to be our CUCC camp leader this year. She attended camp every year in her youth experience, has attended as an adult chaperone for several years, and has now stepped up to be our 2025 CUCC Camp Leader. Zenna has attended two 4-day planning retreats and many meetings in order to help create curriculum and activities that carry forward this phenomenal experience for our youth. Pastor Santi will not be attending camp (for the first time in 20 years), and will enjoy sleeping in her own bed, but will be working: serving as a camp support from Raleigh, and writing a sermon for Sunday, July 6.
The CUCC camp participants appreciate your prayers as they travel, spend time in daily Bible study, daily youth led worship, and fellowship activities. Our curriculum this year is focused on the letters written by early Christians who were working to form sacred community.
Prayer of Blessing
We will be commissioning our BYC participants and sharing this sending prayer in worship on June 29:
Gracious God, we pray that in their camp experience, these nine youth and 4 adults will help to create a community of inclusion, hospitality, and hope for all participants to grow in their identity as your beloved people. We pray that they will have opportunities to open themselves to your presence, to experience you, and to deepen their knowledge of you in their lives. And we pray that they may bring their transformative experiences back to our larger church community, so we may all know you more fully, better celebrate our own community, and more fully share your inclusive love with the world. Amen.
For more information about our youth program, please contact Associate Pastor Śānti Matthews at education.cucc@gmail.com.