As teenagers head off to summer church camp, it reminds my own church camp experiences years ago.  In my youth, I was convinced that the adult method of keeping teenagers from evil ways was to keep us so busy, we wouldn’t have time to sin. So, like most teenagers, I was forced to learn to sin at church activities, not the least of which was summer camp.   Church camp for me was an annual July week o­n the Texas Gulf coast at Palacios Baptist Encampment.  This camp was selected by a group of angry, older people who set out o­n a mission to find the hottest, most mosquito infested, worst water-tasting, piece of earth o­n God’s great globe.  Their mission was accomplished when they found Palacios.  Before citizens of Palacios start to write me angry letters, let me add that there is no holy ground, just ground made holy because o­ne meets God there.  I met God at Palacios every July.  I first felt God’s call to ministry at Palacios.  I finally surrendered to that call at Palacios.  Some of the greatest memories of my teen-age years were at Palacios.  Palacios was holy ground to me, but is was also very hot with many mosquitoes and foul-tasting water.         

     There were sacred traditions at church camp.  Every summer some guy with a lot of hair and shirts that were made in Hawaii, came to camp and sang his favorite song or maybe the o­nly song he knew.  The song was, “Throw Out the Lifeline,” and it was about sailors drowning in the sea like lost people dying without having placed their faith in Jesus.  This oft-invited singer became very animated during the chorus each year.  He would lean over the pulpit toward the crowd and sling his arms as if he were throwing out a lifeline.  With this action, he would sing, “Throooooooooooow out the lifelife.  Throoooooooooooow out the lifeline.”  o­ne anonymous teenager had heard enough.  He placed himself in the middle of the center row, about ten rows from the front. When the colorful singer got to the active part of the song and sang, “Throooooooooooow out the lifeline.”  This forever, unnamed youth, stood up, grasped his neck as if he had been hooked or hit, and yelled at the top of his voice, “Aahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”  If I remember correctly, the singer never again sang at Palacios Baptist Encampment.

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Night of Tragedy, Dawning of Light: The Wedgwood Baptist Shootings

Author : Dan Crawford

Read entire book o­nline or download here. (large 7.6 meg pdf file provided with permission(s) - thank you Dr.Dan Crawford)

Wedgwood Baptist Church website

Description :

On September 15, 1999, a lone gunman entered a church youth rally, shot several rounds of ammunition, and killed seven people before killing himself. This book is the official record of the tragedies and victories of that night and the days that followed - a story of how the o­ne who is the Light turned tragedy into triumph.

Comments: "Only God can turn a tearful tragedy into a glorious victory. This is a story of His grace, and faith at its best."

Bill Bright, founder, Campus Crusade for Christ

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"The Prayer-Shaped Disciple is so full of practical insight into the purpose and power of prayer that I consider it o­ne of the most important books o­n this vital subject published in years. Dan Crawford takes us well beyond Prayer 101 to a graduate level encounter in what it means to be a prayer-shaped disciple of Jesus."

Dick Eastman, International President, Every Home for Christ


• Discover basic guidelines o­n how to pray, including the ACTS model and the Lord's Prayer, plus tips for teaching children how to pray.

• Learn how to pray more effectively in various situations, such as with prayer partners, family members, and small groups, alone in solitude, or in a public forum.

• Recognize the role of prayer in evangelism and world missions, as well as the reality of spiritual warfare.

• Sidebar areas within chapters contain key scripture texts for easy topical study and future reference.

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