By: Erica Garbino, Intern

Editor’s Note: Editor’s Note: If you have followed the news from Faith Beyond Belief for the last two years, you may already know that Engage Camp was an idea inspired some three years ago by what some other apologetics organizations were doing. The idea was born out of awareness that Canada’s youth are unprepared for attacks on the Christian faith that are standard fare for first and second year university students. The plan was a week-long immersion in worldview training to enable these students to withstand this onslaught of unbelief. Engage lecturers would be a combination of invited guests, seminary professors, and FBB speakers. And lecture topics would range from science and faith, to the trustworthiness of the Bible, the environment, heaven and hell, Christian ethics, and Christian sexuality. Thanks to COVID the idea took about three years to come to fruition, but today FBB can thank God for the amazing first ever Engage Camp that took place during the second week of August, 2022. 

Much thanks is due to President Rob Blackaby and the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary in Cochrane, Alberta for hosting our first annual camp and providing some of our excellent speakers–including CSBS President Blackaby. Thanks is also due to an anonymous donor whose generosity made this year’s camp possible. We must also give a huge shout out to FBB speaker Jon Rendall for the leadership he provided, and gratitude goes out to FBB intern Dyllon Wong for his summer long leadership and organizational work. Because so many worked so hard this summer, our 17 students (including four FBB interns) left declaring they intend to bring a friend when they return next summer. Finally, we hope you will pick up on the enthusiasm displayed by Erica Garbino, one of our summer interns this year, as she recounts her experiences at Engage.

Engage Camp was quite an unexpected pleasure. I especially enjoyed being surrounded by so many people who love Jesus. That was different from other camps I’ve attended. One thing I liked was how Engage focused on the spiritual needs of young adults. Perhaps that is why I fit right in. We had a lot of fun, with organised games and some free time, but what surprised me most was how dedicated the campers were to learning more about God. They obviously wanted to know and obey what the Bible teaches. A lot of people my age aren’t that into following the Bible, but these people were. It was a great change of pace and made me want to be more dedicated to Jesus.

As an FBB intern I had spent my summer recruiting people to join, so you can imagine I felt a personal triumph as Engage succeeded before my eyes. The advertising and posters that me and the other interns did bore fruit. Then, before all the campers arrived, we had worked to set up tables, create name tags, assign rooms, and finish up a lot of other last minute preparations. We prayed as we worked, and also practised our hospitality skills to make participants feel welcome. But in spite of our preparation, as the campers arrived there was some confusion. Nevertheless, we got everyone sorted and soon I was meeting the campers and realising that, ready or not, Engage was on! I even found out that one camper had the same name and the same spelling as me! We would often tease each other about that.

During my time in camp, I spoke with the students frequently. It was good getting to know them, and I spent a lot of time hanging out and knowing more about them. I didn’t feel tense as I usually tend to do, and it felt like I could talk with everyone about faith, church, youth ministries, and many other things without the slightest trace of embarrassment. Several times I had the thought, “This could never happen in an ordinary church camp.” I also had the chance to see another side of my fellow interns, and I mean that in a good way. There were breakdowns in moments of stress, and joy in moments of success, but all the way through we were able to remind one another that God loves us and sustains us. One conversation lasted about five hours, but it was worth it, especially as both of us were able to share our experiences from a Biblical perspective.

I learned a lot from the sessions. I especially enjoyed the one about Ethics & Morality. I already knew we needed to know right from wrong from a Biblical perspective, but the talk by Dr. Blackaby expanded my understanding a great deal. It also made me realise that many people have a twisted view when it comes to ethics, especially Christian Ethics. It was made clear that Christian ethics don’t take away our joy in life. Rather, living a life that honours Christ enhances our joy. I also enjoyed learning about science and faith from Tim Barnett, who happens to be the host of Red Pen Logic, one of my favourite Christian YouTube Channels. While I already knew some of his stuff, he helped me learn more when it comes to intelligent design and how the world was created by design. There were times when a few of us had disagreements, but things were moderated so that our discussions always ended in mutual understanding and respect.

I’ve gone to church for years, and I already believed in Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, but Engage showed me how much I still have to learn. Being surrounded by campers who care about Bible doctrine also motivated me to seek to have a Biblical worldview on everything. Of course, I had been working on this before Engage, but after being there I now know how to respond better than ever to topics and conversations related to the Christian Worldview. I just want to say I thank God for Engage Camp, and I hope more young adults will have the chance to participate next year! The world needs more young people who know how to share their faith in Christ!

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