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The Purpose of Work Crew - by Mal McSwain
There is no greater honor or higher calling than to participate with God in building His kingdom. Historically, Young Life’s camping program has provided an effective environment for this to occur. The work crew is a vital part of the proclamation process. The Gospel becomes meaningful and personal to kids when they not only hear it spoken in understandable language, but see it lived out on a daily basis from people their own age. The meaning and purpose of a Young Life work crew is much more than simply being camp helpers providing clean-up services for the Young Life staff. Work crew kids are partners in telling the campers about Christ! This is done in a variety of ways.
1. Work crew members are supporters
They welcome busses and vans. They make campers feel important, like they belong. They sing at club meetings and add excitement and enthusiasm to the camp atmosphere. They create a feeling of expectation and fun. Work crew kids support the camp staff!
2. Work crew members work
Hard, consistent work is not only necessary to keep the property running smoothly, it is also a key factor in the proclamation of the whole Gospel. Serving, sharing and giving is an important part of the truth about God. When campers see work crew working they are learning something central about their own understanding of faith and trust found in Christ.
3. Work crew members pray
Proclamation without prayer is not as powerful as it can be. The work crew provides an essential service through prayer. Work crew kids pray for individual campers, for cabins, for club meetings, for leaders, for problems, for anything that will assist in kids receiving the truth about Christ. This consistent ministry of prayer by the work crew can never be discounted or underestimated.
4. Work crew members live out their faith
They put flesh on their faith. They eat, sleep, smile, cry, laugh and make mistakes day after day in full view of several hundred campers. They live their lives in an open, vulnerable way. They demonstrate their faith through serving. Campers see the possibilities of a life with Christ as they watch the work crew live theirs.
5. Work crew members express their faith
Frequent opportunities arise each week where work crew kids have the chance to verbally share their faith. Cabin discussions, work crew night and personal conversations are some of the ways work crew assist the Young Life leadership team in sharing the good news of the Gospel.
The purpose of work crew is to join together with the other members of the camp leadership team in word and in deed to proclaim Christ’s Gospel to the campers that week. The particular ways and opportunities for work crew to do that are crucial to the wholeness of the Gospel. Servants of property?...partially. But ambassadors of Christ, primarily. |