This year CSM took 129 people to Kids Across America camp on three chartered buses. We were the largest group on the campus of four camps! Tracy Hipps looks forward to it all year long, "This is my 26th year to take kids from inner-city Birmingham to Missouri for an amazing week of every kind of camp experience a kid could dream of... water sports, archery, high ropes courses, creative arts... you name it!"CSM traveled with kids on three chartered buses from nine groups; Momentum Church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Cornerstone Schools, Grace House Ministries, Mount Zion Community Church, Aspire Ministries, Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, Harvest Community Church and a new group of students from New Rising Star. Also, for the first time five girls from Grace House attended the Higher Ground (HG) Leadership camp the same week. HG is for 15-18 year olds and is designed to challenge Christian students in their faith by helping them establish a devotional time, testimony and learn to disciple others in their faith. It teaches the students how to actively share their faith by participating at camp with the younger camp in the evangelistic "Cross Talk" night where they have opportunity to lead kids to Christ.
The highlight of each week is "Cross Talk" night in which the different camps have a live reenactment of the beating and crucifixion of Christ on the cross. "It is so powerful and moving. I have seen it over 30 times at camp and I am moved by what Christ did for us." says Tracy. "The presentation is done at three sites and at three levels. K1 is for the 9-11 year olds, K2 is for the 12-14 year olds and K3 is for 15-18 years old, and it gets intense. The environment that KAA has created for this moves everyone to respond. This year, the group that went with CSM had 14 kids begin a new relationship with Christ for the first time, and we had another 29 who requested prayer and discipleship." Tracy was at the K2 camp, and was deeply moved by the responses from the kids in his group. Tracy heard one girl from Cornerstone Schools say to her school friend, "I truly love each of you and want to remember this when we go back to school." Tracy is certain these kids lives are forever changed by the experience they had at KAA this year. He also wanted to share with you some of the excitement expressed by one of the adult counselors who went on the KAA trip with CSM.
"First and foremost, I want to say THANK YOU for allowing the students and I to attend KAA. This was an unbelievable experience for our students, myself and my assistant coach Jamecia Davis. I really didn’t know what to expect going on this trip but personally it was truly a breath of fresh air. The entire KAA experience is amazing. I was able to see God’s power flow through all of us, especially our students. I’ve never been a part of any moment as powerful, truly pouring into their lives about Christ and how to walk out their faith daily. They were very engaged and hanging on to every word I was telling them, which was simply POWERFUL. My assistant coach and I are truly thankful for having the opportunity to take our students to KAA as well as experience a much needed breath of fresh air ourselves. Every person that works there are full of positive energy and on fire for Christ. I’m so grateful for that entire week!!!"
Jazmine Powers
Cornerstone High School
Head Girl’s Basketball Coach
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| Jasmine Powers (far left) with KAA campers |
