The Strangest Story of All

This is what we celebrate - the strangest story. For the first time in history (and never since), someone defeated death. C.S. Lewis said that Jesus was a lunatic, a liar or exactly who he said he was - the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, God's son, man's Savior. What are you going to make of Christ? Better yet, what is he going to make of you? And if you truly believe this strangest of stories, where will that take you? Explore all this and more in this issue of The Well.

News @ SpringHill Camp 44°

What are you doing this summer? Racing on foot, bike, raft and more in the great Northern Michigan Adventure Race? Climbing in the Rocky Mountains...caving in Craylick Rock, Pennsylvania...whitewater rafting in Maine...paddling through the Canadian wilderness? Going deeper with God and others through Rivendell in Michigan or in Greece? Sharing your heart and soul on a missions team in Trinidad? Serving (and playing) on a Team Service Team at SpringHill? This could be the greatest summer of your life. Have you registered for it? Get all the details on our website.

Get SpringHill fall retreats on your youth group's calendar! At Camp 44 we'll be meeting at the Hill for the High School Kick It! retreat October 6-8. Live bands, out-of-this-world activities, time to grow with God and as a group - It's an awesome way to kick off your fall.

Don't forget: There's still time to register for our our Parent/Child Retreats. Come to SpringHill April 28-30 with your mom or May 12-13 with your dad. It'll be the most amazing time you've ever spend together!

TST Summer Staff Gets Psyched for the Season - An Interview with Deej Horton

The Well: When you think about summer 2006, what makes you most excited? 
Deej: "Deej-ifying" activities and giving TST work a little extra creative flair.
The Well: What is the number one thing you can't wait to do this summer?
Deej: Clearing tables as fast as possible in the dining hall while blasting music.
The Well: What would be the best thing that could happen this summer?
Deej: Students pull me aside after campfires or during free time to have personal, insightful, thoughtful conversations based on things they're learning or going through.
The Well: Why is SpringHill the best camp out there?
Deej: SpringHill combines the best staff, the best activities, best equipment and best programs to attract all ages of youth and then offers them the best week(s) of their summer and provides a life-changing message to go with it.
The Well: What's the biggest thing a student who doesn't participate in TST will be
missing?
Deej: Two activity-packed weeks run by a staff that is 100% completely devoted to making them the best two weeks of their lives.
The Well: What will be your title/role at camp this summer? How will kids know you?
Deej: Deej Horton / Male TST AD.  You'll know me by my spontaneous/creative activities that'll make "down-time" a thing of the past. You'll wish you could go nap, but at the end of the week you'll have had so much fun, you'll wish you had another two weeks to stay at camp. Oh, and I'll be drinking Maté (a community-building South American tea drunk out of a natural gourd through a metal straw with a strainer on the bottom) at campfires.  It looks shady, but it's so good.

How to Live When Death's Been Paid

"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all  nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end  of the age." -Matthew 28:18-20

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." -2 Corinthians 5:14-15

The death and resurrection of Christ was so powerful that it compelled the early church into humility and obedience. If you saw a man buried and then risen, wouldn't you be fired up? Scared? Awestruck?

Most of the first disciples were beaten, tortured and murdered for their zeal for the Gospel. They knew what the future had in store for them, yet they spoke out about Jesus' sacrifice and maintained that he was the risen Lord.

Whatever power motivated the early church to so courageously and deliberately preach the Gospel is still ours in Christ today. His promise still rings true: He is with us and we have been commissioned.

Think about this: How does Christ's death and resurrection fit into your own personal ministry. How does the call to preach and obey fall in step with your plans? Do you feel like Christ's amazing power is real and accessible?

Websites Well Worth It

Flickr.com: One of the hottest new photo-sharing sites in the world today, Flickr lets you upload photos at almost the snap of a finger! "Amazingly easy." (Forbes) "Completely addictive." (Time)

Monk-e-mail: This sweet new e-card sites site a virtual telegraph service that uses chimps to convey messages. A hilarious way to say happy birthday...

Ignite Your Faith magazine: Campus Life magazine has changed it's name and format. To check out the new look and browse around, visit the magazine online.

The Gospels are scary, dark and demanding. It is not surprising that people want to tame them, dilute them, make them into generic encouragements to be loving and peaceful and fair. If that is all they are, then we may as well make Socrates our redeemer.
-Gary Willis

And he departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold, He is here.
-St. Augustine

In the Real World

Church. The word has so many different connotations. Being a Christian means going to church...or does it? Some say they don't need church to be a Christian. What does the bible say? What do you think?

Check out these articles and consider what you believe about attending church. Ask yourself if there's more to church than just a name. Then, email us and tell us what you think.

Going to church. No and Yes.

Should a Christian go to Church? How important is it?

What You Said

Over 2/3 of you believe in luck but only 1/3 say you've been blessed with it.

What does luck depend on? Nearly 20% say chance, another 20% say performance, and 40% say grace. The last 20% say there's no luck at all.

Over 1/3 of you have dated a non-Christian and nearly half say you would date someone who doesn't share your faith as long as it didn't affect your relationship with God. Only 10% say they would not do it.

When you think of Easter, nearly 40% think of spring break. A handful fewer think of the cross.