Discovery Camp Impact

Discovery Camp is our 4-day camp experience open to all incoming 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th grade students. Camp Impact is a five day camp experience open to all incoming 10th, 11th, 12th and graduated seniors. This camp seeks to provide students with a chance to break away from their yearly routine and experience gospel-centered preaching, discipleship, community, and witness.

We believe that camp is a unique opportunity for students to congregate together for a short amount of time to Discover the beauty and truths of the Gospel, leading to a life-altering Impact on their lives, both at camp and afterwards.

PURPOSE OF CAMP:

• To hear Gospel-centered preaching & teaching

• To experience worship and discipleship with the universal church

• To disciple students towards the holiness and goodness of Jesus

Discovery Camp and Camp Impact began in the 1990s after much prayer and strategizing. The youth ministries of Houston Chinese Church and West Houston Chinese Church collaborated and organized a joint summer camp for their students. The hope of this camp was to gather students from the churches together for a week in the summer in order to share in preaching, worship, discipleship, and fellowship. The uniqueness, however, was that this camp would be theological in foundation, missiological in scope, and contextually sensitive to the Asian-American students in the Houston area.

Since the early days of Discovery Camp and Camp Impact at Blinn College at Brenham, Texas, the Lord has blessed us with a fruitful partnership at Forest Glen Camps (Huntsville, TX), and many students coming to faith in Jesus Christ and connecting to local churches. Currently, this camp is sponsored by the following churches:

• Clear Lake Chinese Church

• Chinese Baptist Church

• Houston Chinese Church

• Katy Christian Community Church

• New Hope Christian Church

• West Houston Chinese Church

The leadership of the camp is directed by the pastors and ministers of each of the respective churches who make up the Board of Directors. Their responsibilities include, but are not limited to: camp planning, directing programs, oversight of counselors and students, emergencies, pastoral care, counselor training, and so much more.

The camp board begins planning for camp generally eleven months prior to the next year’s camp, beginning with evaluations from students and counselors regarding last year’s camp. The board takes into consideration everything from the quality of counselors, speakers, and programming to logistical details, serious grievances, schedule accommodations, and even things like T-shirt color suggestions and future game ideas. Throughout the year the camp board meets once a month to discuss the theme of the next year’s camp, potential speakers, counselors, and division of labor. In addition to all of these things, the camp board addresses major philosophical shifts in youth culture, the different churches, and defining and refining theological distinctive, as it affects the camp and students. While the board is diverse with experience, training, and even philosophical differences at times, it always comes together in gospel unity on the essentials of student ministry and the needs of the youth.

The division of labor mentioned above can be distilled down to the following:

• Camp Director: Overseer of the camp. Coordinates with the campsite for schedules, fees, communications, and logistics. Responsible for registration, transportation, financials, and direction and vision of the camp. The camp director is also in charge of counselor meetings both in the morning and evening of camp.

• Program Director: Oversees the internal program of the camp (i.e. the Gathering). Coordinates with the emcees, worship team, speaker and any additional elements of the worship service.

• Worship Director: Responsible for ushering students into the presence of the Living God. Not only in charge of setting up the spiritual climate but also strategically planning and working with the speaker and the Program Director to create sets and services that would best disciple students.
  

• Counselor Care: They serve as the pastor to the counselors. Whatever the counselor needs to be better equipped to serve this pastor serves to care and shepherd these counselors for the camp.

Our camp board is awesome. Not only do they truly enjoy camp, but they genuinely have a heart for students and student ministry, as well as being fully equipped in every possible way to love on the students. Every single pastor/minister that sits on the camp board has worked with youth for a number of years (some extending beyond 15 years in youth ministry) and they have all completed at least their Master's level seminary training. However, while these things are very helpful, what makes them truly qualified is that they are practitioners. They are on the ground with students, counselors, and parents every single day of the week, preaching, teaching workshops, hosting seminars, and leading bible studies. They counsel parents and advise students. They mentor both younger and older adult leaders who serve under them.

The camp board included:

• Mimi Lam (WHCC)
  

• Stanley Chang (KCCC)
  

• Justin Wong (CBC)
  

• Matt Connelly (NHCC)

• Robert Liu (KCCC)

• Jeremy Cheng

At camp, the board of directors are those designated with WHITE lanyards. This allows students and counselors to identify the pastors and directors, allowing the camp staff to recognize this team for emergency and decision-making processes quickly.

While we represent our different churches, our camp board comes together to affirm a set of statements that ground our understanding of the Gospel, the Church, and the Christian life. Our camp adheres to orthodoxy, historical, and evangelical doctrinal positions. The following is just a further explanation and delineation of some of the topics we want to define more explicitly.

• THE GOSPEL: We believe that the gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ—God’s very wisdom. Utter folly to the world, even though it is the power of God to those who are being saved, this good news is christological, centering on the cross and resurrection: the gospel is not proclaimed if Christ is not proclaimed, and the authentic Christ has not been proclaimed if his death and resurrection are not central (the message is: “Christ died for our sins . . . [and] was raised”). This good news is biblical (his death and resurrection are according to the Scriptures), theological and salvific (Christ died for our sins, to reconcile us to God), historical (if the saving events did not happen, our faith is worthless, we are still in our sins, and we are to be pitied more than all others), apostolic (the message was entrusted to and transmitted by the apostles, who were witnesses of these saving events), and intensely personal (where it is received, believed, and held firmly, individual persons are saved). (Link)
  
  
• BIBLICAL INERRANCY: God, who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order to reveal Himself to mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God's witness to Himself. Holy Scripture, being God's own Word, written by men and prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God's instruction, in all that it affirms; obeyed, as God's command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God's pledge, in all that it promises. The Holy Spirit, Scripture's divine Author, both authenticates it to us by His inward witness and opens our minds to understand its meaning. Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God's acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God's saving grace in individual lives. The authority of Scripture is inescapably impaired if this total divine inerrancy is in any way limited or disregarded, or made relative to a view of truth contrary to the Bible's own; such lapses bring serious loss to both the individual and to the Church. (Link)
  
  
• BIBLICAL SEXUALITY: WE AFFIRM that God has designed marriage to be a covenantal, sexual, procreative, lifelong union of one man and one woman, as husband and wife, and is meant to signify the covenant love between Christ and his bride, the church.
  WE DENY that God has designed marriage to be a homosexual, polygamous, or polyamorous relationship. We also deny that marriage is a mere human contract rather than a covenant made before God. WE AFFIRM that God’s revealed will for all people is chastity outside of marriage and fidelity within marriage. WE DENY that any affections, desires, or commitments ever justify sexual intercourse before or outside marriage; nor do they justify any form of sexual immorality. (Link)
  
  
• OF GOD AND OF THE HOLY TRINITY: The Lord our God is the one and only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of himself, infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and withal most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty. (Link)
  
  
• SIN & THE FALL: We believe that Adam, made in the image of God, distorted that image and forfeited his original blessedness—for himself and all his progeny—by falling into sin through Satan’s temptation. As a result, all human beings are alienated from God, corrupted in every aspect of their being (e.g., physically, mentally, volitionally, emotionally, spiritually) and condemned finally and irrevocably to death—apart from God’s own gracious intervention. The supreme need of all human beings is to be reconciled to the God under whose just and holy wrath we stand; the only hope of all human beings is the undeserved love of this same God, who alone can rescue us and restore us to himself. (Link)
  
  
• THE CHURCH: A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ are those who are saved through faith in Jesus Christ. This new people, whom Christ gathers from all nations, ages, ethnicities, and stages in life, is called the universal church whom comes under the headship and authority of Jesus. This church is distinguished by the gospel message and the identity of holiness unto God. Although all true Christians make up the universal church, they gather regularly in smaller communities as the local church. There they read the scriptures together, worship together, disciple one another, partake in the ordinances together, serve one another, and love one another. These Christians commit themselves to one another and the authority of their leaders through biblical church membership which provides accountability and safety. The church, then, is God’s manifold wisdom displayed to the world. And its purpose is to worship as believers while engaging a lost and dying world.

• ATTENDANCE: All campers & counselors are responsible for attending all scheduled activities. All campers and counselors must stay in the designated areas of the campgrounds at all times. Guys and girl cabins are prohibited to the other gender.
• ATTITUDE: The spirit of the camp ought to be one of love, grace, and truth. We expect all participants (students and leaders) to abide by the principle of love exemplified in the Gospel.
• ATTIRE: Students and counselors are expected to dress appropriately and modestly. Students are expected to dress in a way that promotes respect for everyone and a safe learning environment, and honors the diversity of the learning community. The camp board may determine the student’s personal dress and grooming standards, provided they comply with the general guidelines set forth in the camp manual. Generally, one should be dressed and groomed in a manner that is clean and neat, and does not cause a distraction from learning or disrupt the learning environment. The camp board prohibits pictures, emblems, or writings on clothing that advertise or depict tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other prohibited substance, as well as racist, profane, or inappropriate content.

General Types of Prohibited Conduct:

1. Horseplay, roughhousing, and other playful behavior that, though not intended to harm, presents a reasonable risk of harm or threatens the safety of others

2. Fighting or scuffling that does not result in physical pain, illness, or any impairment of a physical condition

3. Bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, or making hit lists. Name-calling, ethnic or racial slurs, or derogatory statements

4. Engaging in harassment (see definitions) toward another student or counselor, official, or volunteer, including harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sex, gender
   (including, but not limited to, sexual identity/orientation), or age

5. Engaging in sexual harassment, sexual abuse, or conduct that constitutes dating violence. Inappropriate verbal (oral or written), physical, or sexual contact toward another student or a camp employee, official, or volunteer, regardless of whether or not it is consensual

6. Possession, use, giving, selling, or purchase of prohibited items (i.e. tobacco products, prescription drugs without consent from parents, blades, knives, or sharpened objects, firearms or other kinds of projectile weapons (real or fake), material that is sexually-oriented, pornographic or obscene

7. Stealing from others, committing or assisting in robbery, theft or burglary

8. Damaging, destroying, or vandalizing property owned by others or the Camp.

We believe that it is the duty of all personnel to ensure the safety and security of each member of the camp. We empower those who witness an infraction of the rules to speak up boldly and confidently to a counselor, pastor, or camp staff immediately. The final arbiters of discipline will be the camp board in conjunction with the appropriate parents and/or pastor.

Using our professional judgment, counselors and staff will consider a variety of factors when administering disciplinary consequences and determining the duration of the consequence, including but not limited to:

• The degree of severity and risk of danger • The effect of the conduct on the camp environment • The age and grade level of the student • The student’s disciplinary history • Legal requirements • The frequency of the conduct • The student’s demeanor

For Students:

• First Minor Offense: Warning and immediate counseling with counselor

• First Major Offense:

• Consequence: $100 fine and parents will be notified immediately.

• Examples include (but not limited to)

• Ignoring first minor offense and/or repeating minor offense

• Breaking Curfew

• Fighting

• Stealing

• Breaking Cabin Boundaries
  
  

• Second Major Offense: $200 fine and parents will be called to take camper home immediately at their own expense. Camper will not be allowed to returned to future camps unless fines are paid.

• Repeat offense

• Offense taken place on the last night/last day of camp

• Any sort of physical, sexual, emotional harassment

• Possession or use of illegal substances, products, and/or items (see section 22.b.6)

• Sexual Misconduct

For Counselors

• First Minor Offense: Warning and immediate notification to camp board

• First Major Offense: $200 fine, church notified, and suspension for future counseling opportunities. Will be asked to leave the camp. Because of the responsibility and witness of the counselor, there will only be one offense consequence given.

"We pray that this camp becomes a significant milestone in the lives of our teenagers. May the Gospel take root, mature, and flourish into everlasting life within them. Our earnest desire is for the Holy Spirit to mend, break, grow, fuel, and ignite these students, enabling them to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.

We long to see them open up and feel safe enough to be vulnerable in their struggles, finding healing and peace in God's Word and among His people. May they discover gospel-centered community across different grades and churches during this camp.

Ultimately, we pray for transformative experiences that lead students to become salt and light in their homes, schools, churches, and communities. May they carry the goodness of the Lord with them, their lives truly impacted by the Gospel."

If you have any questions, or requests, or need to make a change to your registration, please contact the Camp Director at dcampandimpact@gmail.com

Email: dcampandimpact@gmail.com
Website: https://dcampandimpact.weebly.com/