Whitehall Family Camp Meeting

This is a photo take at Whitehall Campground and Conference Center, looking down toward the lake. This is one of the most beautiful spots in Western PA!

We enjoyed Whitehall Family Camp Meeting, which ran from Saturday, August 2, through Sunday, August 10. During the week, I led a conference each day on the topic of Making Wise Decisions. This study was based on a DVD and workbook series by Andy Stanley called The Best Question Ever. I enjoyed our time together each day. The conference participants were a joy to get acquainted with. Each day, we watched a DVD segment, and then enjoyed great class discussions. Each of us took several thoughts and ideas with us to apply to our lives.

The services were inspiring, with meaningful worship and heartfelt teachings. The morning and afternoon conferences held a wide range of topics. The pastors and spouses connected through meetings and receptions.

One of the funnest parts of camp meeting is the fire rings, where every night folks sit around a campfire outside their RV or cabin and talk, tell jokes, laugh, roast hotdogs and either renew old friendships or make new ones. That was one of the best parts of the week. That fellowship is an essential part of what happens each year during family camp meeting. We saw lots of old friends and got better acquainted with some new friends.

Our son Ben is working on the summer staff with other youth from congregations throughout Western PA. His primary duty is serving as one of the four lifeguards on staff. When he isn't lifeguarding, he works with maintenance or cleaning, doing everything from splitting firewood to cleaning bathrooms.

Wednesday afternoon during Family Campmeeting, a four-year-old boy was at the lake with his grandfather. He had just gotten there and jumped right in. It only took a moment, when the grandfather looked away to find something he dropped, for the boy to almost drown. The lifeguards sprang into action. The boy had no pulse or respirations when he was pulled out of the lake. The staff worked great as a team, some initiating CPR and rescue breaths, others contacting local emergency responders, while other staff got everyone else out of the lake and created a perimeter to keep onlookers back, providing room for others to perform CPR. Still others drove up the hill from the lake to make sure the ambulance knew exactly where to go. At lakeside, the boy's heartbeat and breathing were restored. The ambulance rushed him to a nearby hospital.

The camp director and the lifeguard staff went together to the hospital right away. By the time they got to the boy's room, he was sitting there talking and playful. They were so happy to be part of the miracle that saved that boy's life. Although the outcome was great, the experience was emotionally draining for the entire staff. Ben came home and talked it over with us. Then, he decided the place he wanted to be was the barn, where the youth have a service each evening. After the adrenaline rush and crash, within a few hours Ben could appreciate how great everything turned out, and how valuable the extensive training was that they had at the beginning of the summer.

All in all, it was a week of spiritual growth, renewal, bonding with friends, shared meals and warm memories.

What are some great experiences you've had at a state or national camp meeting or conference?