God met with us in this camp, through the services, games and bonding time.
An Evangelistic Youth Camp
“Homerun: Root to Groot” is the 3D2N evangelistic youth camp planned for Detonate youths and their friends. From December 14 to 16, our youths had so much fun together and nearly everyone experienced the power of God’s love and responded to the gospel message. The heart cry of the camp committee was for the participants to experience the father heart of God and to come home to God’s love.
Games and Rainbows
Out of the 43 campers, 12 of them were either newcomers or not regular with Detonate. The atmosphere at Boys Brigade’s Sembawang campsite was welcoming. Working with a baseball theme, team leads of the three teams took turns to unveil their wacky team names and self-made baseball bats.
The second day featured wet and dirty games. Youths were having fun and laughing away, while covered in flour, in cream or in best-left-unidentified substances. At around 4pm, it started raining heavily. The finale waterbomb war game “The Ultimate Base-Off” was interrupted. The committee had spent weeks planning this and it was to be the grand ending to the inter-team play time.
Many prayers were said, and we waited. The game committee then decided that if we were not able to start playing by 4.50pm, we would need to call off the finale game. At 4.45pm, the rain started to lighten. By 4.50pm, the skies cleared! God had answered our prayers and our friends got to witness it! We even saw double rainbows over the camp site! It felt like God was shining His face over us and expressing His joy to His children.
Encounters with the Lord
Bro John Nick Lee from Cornerstone Community Church preached passionately at the four Encounter sessions. Speaking on the camp theme verse from Romans 10:9, Bro Nick shared about God’s love for us, the Asbury Revival in February 2023 and how to grow in our walk with God after the camp.
On the first night, seven youths responded to the salvation call. Many were touched by God and were sobbing during the ministry time. At the second night, the presence of God was palpable, and the youths were hungry for more. It was a first in our youth ministry, that we needed to carry out two youths post-service, as they were so deeply engaged in prayer and were not able to walk out by themselves.
Culture of Honor
Camp ended with a two-hour session of honor time, where we took time to honor one another. Though the speeches might not be eloquent or polished, the rawness and authenticity behind those words of love and gratitude moved many hearts. When we saw youths whom we have been praying for, coming up to thank friends for inviting them to the camp and sharing about their encounters with God’s love, we could not hold back our tears.
Divine Partnerships
The help and support received by Homerun was overwhelming. Our Senior Pastor, Rev Jason Tan, came for all the four services to help support the ministry time. More than 15 adults from the church took time off work and family to help with the logistics, the games, the food and even with the worship and ministry time. For those who could not be present, they helped through sponsorships and prayers. We also had help from Bro Nick, who arranged for his youth leaders to support the worship and ministry.
At Homerun 2023, we saw God’s glory revealed and many fruits. We witnessed the youths’ hunger for God, the church’s love towards the youths, God’s providence and His love for His people. We have hit a homerun!
Our youths share…
Chloe, Secondary School (Detonate Newcomer)
For the past year, my faith in God was wavering but God poured out His overwhelming love for me during the camp. It helped me to open my heart for Him to re-enter my life and break through the doubts I had this year that were pushing me away from Him. Post-camp, I really felt my heart re-ignite for God and having the urge to spread His love to the people around me.
Ruth, Secondary School (2nd year in Detonate)
In the weeks leading up to Homerun, I could not feel God or His presence. I felt abandoned, seeing all of my friends having their breakthroughs. At the second night of the camp, when I was prayed for, God assured me that He had not left me behind and had always been watching over me. I was reminded of God’s love for me and my hunger for Him has continued to grow ever since.
Joel, National Service (4th year in Detonate)
It’s hard to summarize Homerun in a few sentences. The craziest thing was I had developed this hunger inside my heart for God. Though God did not meet me the way I expected, I left the camp being hungrier for Him. And every day after Homerun is still church camp for me because I want to meet God. God did a deep work in my heart.
