|
|
|
video of the month
See SpringHill Indiana
director Bill Dinsmore get some air. Oh yeah, grownups are cool and crazy,
too!
|
|
i wish God would
tell me
 Dear
Gracie,
My best friend's dad is a Marine and he’s going to Iraq
next month. I feel scared for my friend because her dad could get killed.
Plus, I get so confused about the whole war — are
we for it or not?
—From Worried
Dear Worried,
Let the adults worry about whether the war is right or wrong. What you can
do is support your friend and her family by encouraging them, loving them
and praying for them. You might even ask your friend if there is something
special you can do during her dad’s absence that would help her and
her family — like
making a meal for them with your mom, baking cookies to send to her dad or
having her sleep over sometimes. As a Marine, your friend’s dad has a
dangerous job but he also is well trained for the situations and dangers he
encounters. You can remind your friend of this if she gets worried, too.
Also, you can thank her for the incredible sacrifices her dad and the other
troops (and their families) make on our behalf. No matter what we think
about the war, no one can deny that the men and women fighting in it are
true heroes.
Love, Gracie
Is there something you wish God would tell
you? Ask Gracie.
|
|
what you said
·
Who chooses your activities in the summer? 67% say mostly you do; the rest
say mostly your parents.
· Two
thirds of you say that if you could add one thing to your summer it would
be more time with friends; the other third would add a week at SpringHill.
·
As for the main reason you get bored during the summer, 33% don't know what
to do and 33% have too much free time.
· A
third of you said that if you felt bored this summer you'd be willing to
try to talk to God and ask him to show you what you could do.
|
|
|
do the right thing
 Do you ever get scared to do something that you know is
right? Where do you get your courage? How can God use simple people like
elementary school students to make a difference? In this issue of The Hopper,
we'll look at what it means to be strong and courageous and how God can
help us do it! You'll also get the inside scoop from Christian hip-hop
artist Heath McNease and find out about all the awesome things coming up at
SpringHill, like our two-day, jam-packed Music Festival and the absolute greatest Juniors Retreat! You'll find other cool stuff
here, too, including a funny video of a grownup acting
like a SpringHill camper and a survey that gives you a chance to talk back to us. Check
it out!
|
|
what's
happening at springhill michigan
Share an incredible
time at SpringHill with your whole family! Come to SpringHill Family Camp over Labor Day weekend, August
31-September 3, for an out-of-this-world bonding experience! Spend quality
time with your family playing, learning, talking, growing and worshipping.
It'll be the best four days you spend together all year!
Get ready for an
amazing weekend of music at SpringHill! Awesome bands like Sevenglory and
Heath McNease will headline the first annual SpringHill Music Festival
September 22 and 23! Bring your whole family to this fun-filled event that
includes all your favorite SpringHill activities and three stages rocking
with music all weekend long. Ask your parents to check out the Festival webpage and the Festival myspace page for more details, music samples
and a cool promo video — and, of course, to register!!
Will you be in 4th, 5th
or 6th grade this fall? If so, be sure to tell your Sunday school teacher
or youth leader about the SpringHill Juniors Retreat! Come to
SpringHill with your youth group or Sunday school class November 16-18 or
November 30-December 2 for a weekend of out-of-this-world activities,
mind-blowing time with friends and God, and the heart-thumping music of
K.C. and the Gloworms. Ask your youth leader to visit the SpringHill website to get your group on
board today!
|
|
courageous?
who me?
Have
I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not
be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. — Joshua 1:9
Have you ever heard the saying, "One bad apple spoils the whole bunch?"
It means that it only takes one person doing wrong to pull a group in a bad
direction. The same is true about a good influence. It only takes one
person being courageous and standing up for what is right to turn the tide.
God often calls us to do things we know are right, but are difficult to do —
like stand up for a friend who is being intimidated by
a bully. It's the right thing to do, but it is scary. We have to remember
that even in those times, God is with us. God's voice may only come in a
whisper or a light touch, but God is with us always, even when we want to
run away.
Some questions and answers to share with
your parents: How do you decide what to do in a difficult
situation? Can you remember when you had a tough choice to make between
wrong and right? How do you know that God is with you in those tough times?
How does God's presence help you make the right decisions?
|
|
rapper
Heath McNease unplugged
 If
you’re a fan of hip-hop (or even if you’re not), Christian rap
artist Heath McNease has some funny and enlightening things to say about
his music, his faith and how much God loves us. Be sure to see Heath
McNease LIVE this fall at the SpringHill Music Festival!!
The Hopper: Why do you like hip-hop?
Heath:
What intrigued me about it is that you don’t have to have any sort of
musical gifts. I was always a good writer and putting words in the
structured format of hip-hop was something I felt like I could do. Learning
to write in that structure was tough for me in the beginning, though,
because I wanted to say as many words as I possibly could. But then people
were like, is that rapping? He’s just talking . . . a lot.
The Hopper: What’s your favorite
Bible verse?
Heath:
My favorite part of the Bible is Isaiah 53 where it talks about what Jesus
is going to go through on our behalf. . . Those verses mean more to me than
any others because the prophet was saying this is what’s going to
happen — Jesus was doing it FOR us.
The Hopper: How can we do great things
for God if we don’t get to be on stage or have some special talent?
Heath: If
you say, “I don’t have a ‘thing.’ I’m not
good in math; I’m horrible at gymnastics; I’m really
hairy.” It’s okay. You don’t have to have a
“thing.” You don’t have to be an amazing musician.
Putting Christ first in whatever you’re doing is the thing.
The Hopper: Do you have any thoughts for
campers who don’t feel as close to God at home as they do when
they’re at SpringHill?
Heath: God’s
a forgiving God and he knows we’re going to make a million and one
mistakes. When camp is over and that feeling of how awesome camp was starts
to dwindle a little, you maybe slip into old habits. Remember,
there’s absolutely nothing you can do to make God love you more.
There’s absolutely nothing you can do to make him love you less.
That’s the freedom we have as his children.
|
|
