Church Holds Summer Camp With Local Mission Focus

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Summertime is usually the time when church youth groups travel for camps . But Covid 19 has cancelled virtually all youth camps this year.  But one Tupelo church decided to hold its own camp and make a difference in their own backyard.

When the youth pastor at Calvary Baptist Church heard summer camps had been cancelled, he and his staff got together and planned their own. All this week, students have been taking part in Bible study, worship and local missions projects, it’s all part of “Serve Tupelo”

All this week, students in the Calvary Baptist Youth Group have enjoyed the camp experience, without leaving their county.

“Corona virus has caused us to have to do things at home, we’ve kept our group relatively small,” said Todd Summerford, who is the youth pastor at Calvary Baptist. He patterned the week long camp after the popular “MFuge” camps held every year across the nation. Calvary’s camp is called “Serve Tupelo” and has provided opportunities for local mission work.

“I have told students every year I’ve taken to Mission Fuge, I’ve told them the things you are doing at Mission Fuge are the things you can go home and do, this year we’ve had the opportunity to do that, so they bought in, worked hard, followed all of safety precautions, with masks, but to see them passionately serve others that they didn’t even know has been extreme encouragement for me,” Summerford said.

Students are glad they have the chance to attend a summer camp, bond with each other , study God’s word, and serve others.

“We get to do what the Bible says, which is go and be the hands and feet of Christ, we hear about it all the time, especially in the Bible Belt , we hear do God’s Word, but we never really see it in action,” said Joseph Henry.

“Being here it kind of lights the fire where we already are and since we are staying here and live here we can keep that fire burning,” said Josie Deaton.

The week may be wrapping up but unlike other camps, students don’t have to travel hundreds of miles to get home, they are already on their home turf and they will continue serving Tupelo and their surrounding communities.

Pastor Summerford , staff members and interns worked for several months on the “Serve Tupelo” camp.