Hello WARRIOR NATION and HAPPY EASTER!

I hope you're enjoying a great Easter celebrating The Resurrection of our King Jesus Christ!  We have much to celebrate!

During this exciting time of year, I also wanted to share our latest Camp Ministry Update and praise God for what He is doing!  Let's jump in!  ->

 

1.  Here at Woodend Christian Camp (WCC) in New Zealand, our WCC Team continues to have opportunities to lead the Gospel Program and share the Good News with thousands of public school kids each year who are usually in USA Grades 4-5 / NZ Year 5-6.  We often have 2 Gospel Programs per week, one for each of the School Camps we host.  Recently, I've been able to help coach and encourage a member of our team to newly step up and solo-lead the Gospel Program as well, which he did for the first time just last week (Tuesday) for a great group of kids!  His name is Finn and his talk was a banger! (i.e. NZ slang for ‘He did a great job!’)

In the Gospel Program, kids hear about God’s surprising, powerful, and abundant love, which is given to us even though we don’t deserve it.  Kids hear kid-friendly stories from Finn and I about the life-change that He makes in people like Zacchaeus (aka ‘Zack’) and The Prodigal Son (aka ‘Johnny’).  We all have a similar need, and God’s love is for us too! 

We also applaud the school's values that have Biblical precedent.  Kids get ‘lollies’ (i.e. candy) if they can stand up and share from memory their school values.  Often, some of these school values also have an exciting and natural fit within the Bible stories that we share.

The Gospel Program is a constantly exciting opportunity to share the Good News of God's undeserved, abundant and transformative love for each boy and girl, and to shine Christ’s light in North Canterbury, NZ!  Additionally, it also presents Woodend Christian Camp with a unique opportunity to express appreciation for the area teachers who are regularly investing in these kids, and to applaud the school’s commendable efforts to instill values (which often have Biblical harmony or even Biblical precedent) in its students.  Below are some summarizing highlights of what I share in The Gospel Program:

  • One of my favorite stories is from Jesus in The Bible.  This story helps me, and maybe it will help you too.  This story is about a son who had a Major Biff / Epic Fail.  We’ll call the son ‘Johnny’.  [Share the kid-friendly version of Jesus’ Parable of The Prodigal Son in Luke 15].  This story shows how much God loves you and me.  If you were Johnny, and your Dad loved you, hugged you, and threw a big party when you finally came home after doing a bunch of bad stuff, how would that make you feel?  In the story, you and I are like Johnny and the Dad is like God.  When we mess up, we don’t have to run away from Him.  We can run to Him!  He welcomes us back and loves us so much, even though we don’t deserve it!  And God’s love isn’t just for Finn and I.  It’s for you, and you and you, and all of us!  When we need someone to love us, forgive us, and give us a new start, guess what?  God does all of that for us.  Even when we think we’ve done too much bad stuff, guess what?  God still loves us.  His love for us is bigger than the Ocean down the street!  And the Ocean is huuuuge!  And God has something better for us than to keep doing bad stuff and going against Him over and over again.  He has a much better track for us!  Thank you for listening.  I hope you have an epic school camp and thanks for letting me be with you today!  I’ll see you around Camp!  😊   _|

Earlier this NZ Summer, we even received some encouraging feedback from a public school leader about our Gospel Program.  Praise God!

 

2.  We have a big WARRIOR CAMP (WC) Special Event coming up in the USA in late May.  Pray for God to do His thing!  And we praise God for our new WC Leaders who are stepping up in exciting ways!

 

3.  January 2024 marked the 1-year Anniversary since first arriving in New Zealand for our WARRIOR CAMP Ministry Growth Venture!  And even this initial invitation into New Zealand was a culminating door that only God could have opened, and which we clearly know He did open.  Massive thanks to Cody and the Board at Woodend Christian Camp for this prayerful, bold, and faith-filled ministry-adventure together.  None of this would have been possible without you!

Designing a new Sport, packing the bags to the max, flying 10,000 miles, and pursuing this WC Growth Venture in a different hemisphere hasn't always been easy.  And while this venture has been bathed in prayer, Godly wisdom from others, and strategic ministry vision, some of it can still feel a bit experimental, and not as guaranteed as I’d like.  And yet, looking back, we have so much to thank God for and to celebrate across this last year+ of ministry in New Zealand, from ministry opportunities themselves to my own deepening growth and maturity in Christ.  I could never have scripted what God is doing.  Below, I'll share some exciting opportunities we’ve had to leverage the power of our new Sport for that which honors God.  He gets all the glory!  Over this last year+, Warrior Camp is blessed to have collaborated with some incredible believers, ministries, Camps, and Pastors passionate to impact this generation for our Risen King Jesus Christ!

I’ll share a handful of ShoutOuts below, but there are far too many people to properly thank in this update.  They do it for His Glory, not their own.  We are super grateful for each one of them and for our genuine bonds of friendship, made even richer by being on-mission and united together in God’s Family.

The last year has also witnessed significant ground-work being laid, much of which is below the surface and ‘beyond the stage-lights’.  This is like putting in the work in the gym in preparation for Game Day.  It doesn’t happen overnight, or super visibly, and it’s about something greater than easy optics.  While sometimes stretching and challenging, we’re obedient to what God is doing within us in the journey, what He builds on this foundation, and what He unveils in His timing (which has the intriguing track record of being flawless, and infinitely superior to my own!).

There are at least 2 things this generation loves: Music and Sport.  And we've been receiving some encouraging feedback about WARRIOR CAMP’s New Sport known as HammerHead!  We praise God for what He's up to, and we're excited to continue leveraging the power of Sport for God’s Glory in this generation!  (And to bring an epic playlist while we’re at it!)

So, here's The HammerHead Recap since arriving in New Zealand just over 1 year ago.  He gets all the Glory, and we're excited for what He's doing next!

I hope you have a fantastic Easter season celebrating His Resurrection!

He is Risen!

Derek

Matthew 28

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THE HAMMERHEAD GAMES

- WC’s Sports Venture -

 

HAMMERHEAD GAME DAY #1: The Big Debut!

Saturday, March 25, 2023

Woodend Christian Camp

North Canterbury, New Zealand

Rise Camp Leadership Training Retreat

Involved: The Rise Camp Leadership Team.  Students, Young Adults & Camp Leaders.

Video: https://rumble.com/v4lt8i3-hammerhead.html  

After months of teamwork spanning across a 2-year window, The HammerHead Debut takes place in New Zealand!  (Designed in America.  Debuted in New Zealand).  God is awesome, and full of surprises!

Additional Opportunity: I was also invited to speak at this Leadership Training Event.  As I prepared for this new message, and even since, God’s Word has come alive in a fresh, inspiring, bold and exciting way!  He has overseen, breathed on, guided, and blessed this whole direction more and more as I study His Word.  The Christian Faith cannot be dismissed as just another religion.  In fact, The Bible itself rejects this unproven secular demotion, from its very first verse in Genesis 1:1.  (Additionally, the early Christians rejected the notion that The Risen King Jesus Christ belonged in the Pantheon alongside false Roman deities.  He is supreme has no equal rival).  The gravitas, reality of, and evidence for God and His Truth, preclude this kind of foreign reductionism and reveal something infinitely stronger and greater.  God is real and His Truth is undefeatable!  So excited to share this new message He laid on my heart for the first time, and to equip Camp Ministry Leaders in the inspiring Biblical Muscle of the Christian Faith!  He is worthy of all the Glory!  (This is a topic I continue to be passionate about yesterday, today, and tomorrow!)

Special Thanks to Peter, and a Big ShoutOut to Rise for being the Bold 1st Players of HAMMERHEAD!

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HAMMERHEAD GAME DAY #2

Monday, April 17, 2023

Lakeland Park Camp

Queenstown, New Zealand

The Pursuit Camp

Theme: Seek 1st His Kingdom

Involved: Highschool Students, Firm Foundations and Christian Youth Camps (CYC) Waihola.

Video: https://vimeo.com/821102757

Additional Opportunities: Small Group Co-Leadership and Game Boss

 

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HAMMERHEAD GAME DAY #3

Saturday, June 17, 2023

Living Springs Camp and Conference Center

Lyttleton, New Zealand

Collab Leadership Event

Involved: Youth Ministry Leaders other Ministry Leaders from North Canterbury, New Zealand.  (Big thanks to Seb for the invite!)

Instagram Pic and Post Re-Shared Below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctm5hp4y2hHnvqmeCpoL0DpMmWDjTqtmtzzu640/?igsh=enM0cnNzcWo1b3Ay  

Youth Ministry Leaders Leadership Retreat.

(Bonding In The Rain! 😎🙌💪💥)

This wasn't 'supposed' to happen. But God had other plans. Thank you God! You get all the glory! 🙌

 

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HAMMERHEAD GAME DAY #4

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Woodend Christian Camp

North Canterbury, New Zealand

Camping Trip / Retreat

Involved: Life Church Young Adults

 

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HAMMERHEAD GAME DAY #5

Sunday, August 13, 2023

Woodend Christian Camp

North Canterbury, New Zealand

Camp Collab 2023

Involved: Camp Ministry Leaders from North Canterbury, including CDN, Living Springs & Rise Camp

 

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HAMMERHEAD GAME DAY #6

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Christian Youth Camps (CYC) Waihola

Waihola, New Zealand

Camp South 2023: Christian Apologetics and Biblical Worldview Camp

Involved: Highschool Students, Firm Foundations, and Christian Youth Camps (CYC) Waihola.

Special Thanks To: Jeff, Nic, and Annalise and our whole stellar Team!  Love being apart of what God is doing together!  Looking forward to next time!

HAMMERHEAD Played At: The nearby Milton Rugby Park

Debut of our new HAMMERHEAD Sports Gear

Video: https://youtu.be/ce4llRDC8Zg?si=aXEXLWqhWJx_vLBt  

Video Editor: ShoutOut to Hunter Edgecombe

Additional Opportunities at Camp South: I also had the opportunity to serve as a Small Group Co-Leader, Game Boss, and Featured Speaker -> ‘The Empirical 6-Pack of God’s Truth’. (And to win Gold @ 42.8 KPH in our Water Slide Competition! ;)

 

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HAMMERHEAD GAME DAY #7

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Thompson Park

Christchurch, New Zealand

The Embassy Church

Event: Special Launch Sunday in which the Church's new name of 'The Embassy’ is Officially Launched!

Special Thanks to Pastor Kris Bate.  WC is honored to be apart of this Special Launch Sunday together, and we’re stoked for what God is doing @ The Embassy!

SlideShow: Coming Soon!

 

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Thank you for all your prayer, encouragement and support!  God is on the move in this generation!

 God bless you abundantly and as we celebrate our Risen King Jesus Christ!

He is Risen! And this party echoes into eternity!

 

Derek

Matthew 28