Emmanuel Baptist Church
 
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Emmanuel Baptist Church

1916 Overlook Avenue
Jefferson City, TN  37760
 
Phone (865) 475-9424
FAX (865) 475-4268
 
Church Office Hours:
 
Monday - Friday
9:00AM - 1:00PM
 
Sunday Worship Times
 
Prayer Time with Pastor - 7:30AM
Small Groups Bible Study - 9:30AM
Morning Worship - 10:45AM
Wee Worship / Children's Church - 11:15AM
Sunday Evening Worship & Events - see calendar
Rhythm Section Rehearsal - 7:00PM
 
(Nursery Available 9:30AM - Noon)
 
Wednesday Worship Times
 
Pre-School Musik Garten - 6:00PM
Children Music Makers - 6:00PM
English as a Second Language - 6:30PM
Adult Studies - 6:30PM
High School Bible Study - 6:30PM
Collegiate Gathering - 6:30PM
Preschool Mission Groups - 6:30PM
Middle School Bible Study - 6:30PM
Children's Mission Groups - 6:45PM
Mission Friends - 6:45PM
Adult Choir Rehearsal - 7:30PM
 
(Nursery Available 6:30PM - 8:30PM)  
 

Passways Youth Camp

Report by:  Brad Bull

 

What would prompt a teen to loudly sob and say, “I have been so selfish.  How can I live like I do when so many children are suffering around the world.”   What would prompt another teen to say, “I want to make a difference in the world”? 

 

These questions and others were prompted by addressing the question “What do the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals and the Christian gospel have in common?”  Ten middle and high school students from EBC explored this question while attending PASSways youth camp June 29 to July 4.  The camp, a division of Passport Camps based in Birmingham, AL, was held at Wingate University, 30 miles east of Charlotte, NC.  Brad and Connie Bull served as adult sponsors.  The Bulls attended seminary with Passport founders David and Colleen Burroughs.  David is the son of prominent Baptist leaders, Esther and Bob Burroughs.  Colleen grew up in Africa where her parents were missionaries.  Colleen also is founder and president of Watering Malawi, a ministry that helps dig wells for clean drinking water in that African nation.

 

The United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) involves eight specific improvements in world affairs they hope to achieve by the year 2025, a short seventeen years from now.  These goals are:

 

1.       Elimination of extreme poverty (people who live on less than $1 per day).

2.       Empowerment of women.

3.       Worldwide primary education.

4.       Reduced infant mortality.

5.       Improved maternal health.

6.       Cures/significant reduction in cases of HIV and malaria.

7.       Environmental sustainability.

8.       Global interconnectedness.

 

PASSways campers and sponsors took part in Bible studies, worship experiences, and mission projects that increased awareness of these needs and how these goals are consistent with scripture passages such as “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat….” 

 

One of the most powerful experiences came at the close of one of the worship services.  The camp pastor, a school administrator from the African nation of Liberia, had mentioned in his sermon how many children in his country do not go to school because they spend all day using hammers to break rocks to sell for building material, using the income to support their families.  During the invitation, worshipers were invited to one of several stations where there were large rocks and hammers.  Participants were asked to break off a small rock to keep as a remembrance of the toil of uneducated children around the world.  As the nearly 250 students slowly processed to the various stations, hammers began to ring out in the auditorium.  As the solemn experience continued, between the clanging could be heard hushed crying.  One young woman could barely gather the strength to swing the hammer.  Her first efforts were far too soft to break the rock.  With each blow she wept more strongly.  Finally overwhelmed, an adult helped her break off a piece of the rock.  Then two adults helped walk her to another area where she loudly cried for several minutes.  She told her minister and chaperon that she hurt terribly for the children who did not have the opportunities that she had.  She later said, “I have thought about being an ecologist.  I have never thought about being a teacher.  But now I’m thinking of being a teacher so I can go somewhere like Liberia and [help them have better lives].”

 

During the course of the week, an adult leader from one church voiced the opinion that while working for the poor is all well and good, she wished the camp were more overtly evangelistic toward non-Christian campers.  Another adult who was a veteran of many Passport camps suggested saving final judgment on that until after the final worship service.  After the final worship service, having had an invitation that filled the aisles, the initially skeptical chaperon was asked, “What did you think of that?”  The reply was made, “A perfect 10!  Wow!”