New York Family Camp

The Manhattan Church hosted this camp at Kittatinny Campgrounds in Barryville, August 3-5. In addition to the New York churches from the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Long Island, campers came from the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Church of God and from as far away as Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, to enjoy the beauty of God's creation. This year's theme was "Help Me Find My Place."

The weekend started off with a bang, literally, as thunderstorms poured over the campground. Fortunately, the storms did not linger, and by Sabbath morning, campers awoke to bright, sunny skies. The praise and worship service, which included testimonies from many of the youth, was held in the morning, followed by various seminars and a presentation to the FYC-age youth by Brother Kirk Grant entitled "Who Am I?”

One of the camp  traditions is a men's nature hike in which the men climb to what has become known as "Wisdom Rocks.” There the adult men offer counsel to the young men through personal testimonies and lessons learned in living for Christ. The young women traditionally hike to the banks of the river for their sharing time. This year, they were taught by Sister Darlene Wiedenheft on the subject "The Virtuous Woman.”

Later that night, Dennis Ferrar (Manhattan Church of God) presented a public concert at the campgrounds pavilion. Dennis was accompanied by Wesleann Small on vocals, Sean Nosworthy and Anthony Crayton on drums, and Cameron Crayton on bass and drums. They performed a variety of contemporary Christian songs, including several original compositions written by Dennis. The concert caught the attention of many of the campers in the surrounding campgrounds, some of whom said they were drawn to the pavilion by the positive energy they felt.  (Christians can have fun too!) The music, along with Dennis' personal testimony, served as a witness to these newcomers. They were soon clapping with the songs and enjoying the fellowship. Some of the visitors stayed afterward and talked with church members.

The weekend wrapped up with the annual white water rafting trip on Sunday.

— Mark Sullivan