June 26 2024
Greystone’s mission is To Delight and Inspire for the Glory of God. This mission was only defined in these words a couple of years ago, but it reflects what we have done for 105 years. Dr. Sevier started camp because he thought it was a better (more effective) way to glorify God in this world. He gave up his influential position as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Augusta (Woodrow Wilson’s father was the minister of this church a few years before Dr. Sevier, it was a center of political and cultural authority that was highly respected… the ultimate job for a preacher) to start a girls camp (something that didn’t really exist at the time). The Holy Spirit led him to do this work because it would bring glory to His Kingdom. We have shared this passion ever since.
My mother took a controversial stand in 1972 to be a “Christ-centered” camp: to boldly claim the name of Jesus in our marketing materials and only hire staff who can articulate a personal relationship with Christ. She did this because the culture had made the name of Jesus an offense. We had campers and counselors who claimed to be Christian but were not comfortable talking about Jesus. So she made a stand. Counselors had to use the Bible in their cabin devotions. We used the Bible at the morning assembly each day. This stand was a risky move (we offended many of our alums, many of our campers, and many of our representatives who thought we were becoming “Jesus Freaks”). We could have gone bankrupt (this is the fear my father and grandparents expressed) but Libby remained firm. If God wanted Greystone to survive, God would assure success. If we failed, it would be for His Glory.
The rest is history. Greystone shined brighter in every way. We are who we are because we rested in the simple promises of Christ. The work is hard for we demand perfection of ourselves, but it was FUN. As ambassadors of the King of creation, we are blessed to joyfully work to be the best. It is a good life and every summer provides a place where the veil between heaven and earth is thin.
Given our history, this year’s theme verse is one that rings true. It has been reliable for many generations.
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
We work the theme verse into many aspects of our life at camp, including memorization, but the theme verse is not at the center of our day… it is just another enhancment to the many spiritual lessons being taught (often without words). It would be a sweet thing if you would memorize this verse and meditate on it in “the real world”. I bet you’ll be glad you did!
Andrew, our Main Camp Minister, led our first Morning Assembly today with the first of his devotions to the girls. Check it out, you’ll be glad you did! Andrew is going to be an AMAZING camp minister, we are sure God will richly bless his work.
It is very likely that many girls will have meaty conversations with their friends about spiritual matters while at camp. Greystone girls are interested in the subject, largely because the older campers show interest. One Hundred and Fifty older girls (rising 10th to 12th graders) are taking Bible classes with Sandi. ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY!!! Where else do teenagers choose to sit through 3 Bible lessons a week in addition to the daily devotions they already get? It should inspire you for the future of our country and what the Lord is accomplishing. You might be tempted to think we are on the wrong path, but God is at work and we can be thankful for his gentle shepherding that ultimately leads to good.
Our Breakfast Club theme of Social Growth continued with an encouragement to get out of our comfort zone socially. Greystone is a community marked by smiling faces, thus a safe place to make friends with people we wouldn’t usually talk to. Perhaps it is a camper who doesn’t appear to be nice because she never smiles. We encourage the girls to smile a lot, it is often the first step in making a new friend so Greystone Girls get used to smiling. So many girls are smiling, the ones that don’t smile might feel left out. They might become more withdrawn… so we look for the person that isn’t smiling and go out of our way to give them a smile even if we don’t get one back. Over time, that warmth will be reflected back and a new friendship might develop. If we get good at this simple skill, we will become comfortable with any unfamiliar group of people and find ourselves making new friends in surprising places. It is a HUGE skill that will spread the light of love and make life better for all.
- Breakfast Pancakes, Sausage
- Joke “Complimentary Peanuts”
- Weather sunny, hot 89 degrees
- Lunch Pesto Pasta (NO pine nuts)
- Dinner Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- EP Cabin Lip Synchs