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Impact Mission Camps is still changing lives despite the challenges of Covid
In a typical summer, if you find yourself in a community where Impact Mission Camps is serving, you’ll see groups of a dozen students making repairs to homes at a time of day when even the professionals are taking a break. You’ll hear the activity of hammers and power saws, and on the occasional break, laughter and prayer.
After a year of virtual camp, where groups met online for evening worship and served their local community as they were able, Impact returned to in-person camp for 2021. Even though Covid restrictions have relaxed significantly, church engagement and mission trips in particular are still slowly recovering, as families and churches discern when they feel safe returning to the typical summer routine.
While a lot has changed since the last typical Impact camps in 2019, the desire of Impact campers to share God’s love by serving others seems to have grown. Our theme this year has been Re:created. Taken from 2 Corinthians 4, this theme serves as a reminder that no matter the challenges we have faced in the past year, we are being constantly renewed each day – God is making us part of a new creation. This year’s camp sees some groups staying overnight at camp, while other groups are commuting to the worksite and joining for worship celebrations. This summer homeowners will receive a new roof – staying dry for the first time in over a year. A family with an infant who is dependent on a ventilator will receive a new ramp, so they can transport the medical stroller. And we’ve had the opportunity to beautify the prayer garden at Averett University, which we helped build in 2018 and which was a center of spiritual life at Averett during the pandemic, because it allowed for outdoor gatherings.
While returning to normal sounds really appealing, we have learned valuable lessons this year that will continue beyond 2021 – ways to engage students in their own communities and the communities we serve together at Impact. We’re already beginning the plans for 2022, and we’re excited to see the new creation God will bring about in us and through us in the communities we serve.
Do you want to become a part of what God is doing through Impact? Here’s what you can do to help us make an Impact in communities around Virginia and in the lives of hundreds of students:
Pray that when people in a community see Impact participants, they see God working in the community.
Give: This year the cost of building materials has skyrocketed. Help support the construction projects this summer by giving. 100% of your gift will go to building materials for Impact construction projects. Click here to give.
Go: Engage with an Impact planning team in your community or send a team to Impact. Adult teams can serve with construction or feeding support, often at no cost to the volunteers. Click here to email for more information.