Meet the Staff [Part 5]

Hello! My name is Morgan Feeney. I am from Cincinnati, Ohio.  I am currently a student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio studying Strategic Communications. This summer I will be an InPursuit Area Director.

This will be my 8th summer at SpringHill! I was a camper for five years and this will be my third summer on staff. SpringHill has been a huge part of my life and a major component of my spiritual growth. As a camper, I always got the SpringHill experience and more. I had wonderful counselors and area directors who poured into me and shared their love for Christ. I went back home with a new mindset on how I wanted to live my life and on fire for the Lord. When I was finally able to be on staff, I was ecstatic. SpringHill has given SO much to me, and I was ready to give back to them. Being on staff has been such a rewarding experience and I can’t wait to see what God is going to do this summer.

This is my first year on the leadership team and I cannot wait for this summer to begin! I am excited to see SpringHill in a new way and to have counselors that I will get to spend the whole summer with. It will be a privilege to encourage them as they love on their campers and build relationships with them. I will be able to share my knowledge from being a counselor and what was beneficial for me, but also see them handle every situation on their own. I will also have a different relationship with campers this year, and I am very excited for that. I will not be with them all day, so my time will have to be more intentional and I will have to make every minute count. I absolutely love the middle school age and cannot wait to build my own relationships with them. I am counting down the days until I am back at SpringHill and get to be apart of such a powerful camp!

Hello! My name is Julia Mahlum.

I am from Oakdale, Minnesota.  I just finished up my junior year of school at Crown College in St. Bonifacious, Minnesota where I am double majoring in Christian Studies and Youth and Social Ministries.

This summer I will be the Business Services Intern.  I will be working with camp administration and camp finance.  I am excited to be at SpringHill because I have a passion for camp ministry, and this summer I feel that God has called me to SpringHill! I am looking forward to this new opportunity! I am most looking forward to what God is going to do this summer! I think God has a lot in store for my life, other staff members’ lives, and campers’ lives!

The Church: Vitamin or Oxygen

I recently had the opportunity to speak at Terrace Lake Community Church in Columbus, Indiana.  I took this opportunity to do some study on the local church, the following is an abbreviated version of what I shared.

The church has many roles in the lives of believers, however most fit in the following categories; worship, teaching, discipline, fellowship.

• Corporate Worship is our opportunity to return praise and honor to God.  It is our chance to stand in awe and give God acceptable worship. (Hebrews 12:28, 10:2)
• We also benefit from the teaching of the church.  If we are willing to truly submit ourselves to the authority of this right teaching we will be transformed by it. (Col 3:16, Titus 2:7)
• The least desirable of the roles of the church in our life is discipline however it is the most necessary.  Too often the church prefers to sidestep this responsibility in favor of not making anyone uncomfortable.  It is, however, this very role that protects the church (Heb 12:5/11,  1 Cor 11:32) as well as followers of Christ. (Mat 18:15-18, Gal 6:1-2, 1 Cor 5:1-5.)
• Fellowship and encouragement within the body of Christ is an aspect of the church that is very unique.  Where else can you find people who share the same life changing experience of the gospel, are truly committed to the well being of each other and all, give time regularly to the advancement and betterment of others’ children and freely give of their time and money so that this body continues to grow and thrive? I understand that this is a picture of a healthy church, however it is this idea of community that we all to often selfishly keep to ourselves. (Hebrews 10)

If the above is what we get from the church as believers next we look at what our role is within the church.

• Praying and working within the church. (1 Cor 12, Acts 2:42-47) I once heard that the fastest way to see if a church is a healthy, Christ-centered church is to look at the length of the list of volunteers in the Children’s department and nursery.
• Giving to the ministry of the Church. (Acts 4:32-37) Do I give what is possible and when “I can” or do I truly sacrifice?
• The church is to be a Family.  You will never feel like a part of this family until you give yourself fully to it.  Are you open to correction? Are you vulnerable?  Are you an attender (come when able), participant (come regularly, even some non-Sunday events), Involved (regular attender, help within church and give when able) or Invested: I tell others about the Church, I see myself as a teacher/ leader, I am constantly involved in at least one ministry of the church, I give until it hurts, I am committed to the success of the church (even if it means staying when leaving would be easier) The success of this community truly matters to me, when it hurts I hurt, when it rejoices I rejoice.

The church is Christ’s bride and chosen presence to the world.  Christ died for the church and will redeem her to be His bride.  Do you think He cares about how we view and treat the church?  Do you act like He cares about how we view and treat the church?

Do you treat the church like a vitamin (beneficial) or like oxygen (vital)?