Climbing Higher Ministries

Tim Oakes
Jun 9, 2017
3 min read

Hello Friends,

Jesus is quoted by the Apostle Paul as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” I have experienced the truth of this statement many times in my life, including the past few days.

For the last several years, I have volunteered to help Climbing Higher Ministries with their summer camp for disabled adults. These are men and women from this region who because of either physical or mental disabilities had never before had the opportunity to experience camping. And they love it!

They love being with their friends and meeting new friends. They really love to sing! They also especially enjoy going down to the pond and fishing for bass and bluegill. It really gets exciting when one is caught. They also enjoy the good cooking (disclaimer: my wife helps prepare the meals!). They also look forward to their time splashing in the pool. And my favorite time is watching them share their talents with one another. It is such a joyous and moving experience for all who have the privilege of being there.

Among my responsibilities is teaching the Bible classes. It’s so much fun to try to make the stories from the Bible come alive. And it’s so satisfying to see them latch on to the truth of these encounters with God.

I get so excited seeing the love and devotion to God that so many of the campers exhibit. Some of them may not have the capacity to understand the deep things of scripture, but they wholeheartedly believe and act upon the truths they do understand.

When I think about how they respond to Jesus and His Word, I wonder why we who the world considers “normal” are unable to find the level of trust and joy that these special campers have found. Makes me wonder if God has a different view of who’s truly “handicapped”!

This coming Sunday, youth camp will begin at Camp Pitt. We have several of our folks signed up to attend camp and also several serving as volunteers. I’m so excited for each one of them. I know they’ll have lots of fun. But I also know they will be challenged to either begin or further their relationship with Jesus.

I had the privilege many, many years ago to attend Camp Pitt when it was located down in the Sheva community (near where the large uranium deposits were discovered). It was not nearly as nice as the campgrounds we have now, but attending camp was always the highlight of my summer. It was always so much fun. I got to meet so many people who became good friends. And most importantly, I’m convinced that Camp Pitt played a pivotal role in my Christian life. It was at camp where I was first challenged to consider God’s calling for my life. And like many others who serve the churches today, I made my initial commitment to enter the preaching ministry at Camp Pitt. Our churches are reaping the blessings of committed workers who were challenged to serve while at camp. And we need a new generation of workers now more than ever. While everyone knows the camp as “Camp Pitt,” its official name truly describes its purpose. Pittsylvania Christian Service Camp is supported by our churches to allow them to come face to face with the call every one of Christ’s disciples must answer, “What would Jesus have me do for His Kingdom?”

Pray that God would raise up many laborers for his harvest this summer at Camp Pitt.

If you’d like more information about Camp Pitt, or if you have a child who’d like to register, click the camp link, http://camppitt.org/. If you’d like to learn more about Climbing Higher Ministries and the many ways they serve adults with special needs, check out their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/climbinghigher/.