Good Experience #1

It was nearing the end of the semester, last spring of 2011.  I was starting to get a little anxious as I began looking for summer employment.  Then one night I was on Facebook and noticed a friend had posted a status about a summer camp he works at each summer.  So I half-jokingly posted, "Are they hiring worship leaders?"  He quickly replied, "Let's talk!"

As you can probably guess, I applied and was hired shortly there-after.  I went to work last June of 2011 for Island Lake Camp, a branch of Crista Ministries, the company that also owns the radio station Spirit 105.3 out of Seattle.  It was really an answer to prayer--I was praying I would find a job that would give me the experience and skills that would propel me into my upcoming line of work, and I was blessed with a job leading worship every night for a group of over 100 campers and staff.  I couldn't have imagined something so perfect.

I remember being up on stage each night my first week, still almost in shock that I was actually leading worship in such a setting.  Then I finally got used to my surroundings, and as time went on I grew more confident in my ability to lead, and my ear and mind for music.  I also became more firmly rooted in the Word, partially out of knowing if I wasn't engrossed in the Scriptures, I would be an easy target for the devil.  I wanted to be a leader of my fellow staff members, and I was quickly asked to step up into the leadership team.  That was truly an honor that my bosses saw me as a responsible, trustworthy leader of people.

I walked away from camp this summer a changed man in so many ways.  The way I lead changed dramatically.  I am now more confident as a whole, from my personality to how I act on stage.  I also had so many opportunities to be tested, from dealing with people and their problems to learning how to deal with problems as they came up during a worship service.  I learned how to adapt to those problems and make them seem like they did not exist in the eye of the audience member.  I also learned how to direct a team of musicians more effectively and efficiently.  Overall, it was an incredible experience which I wouldn't trade for the world.