Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward MageeNews.com a small commission – at no extra cost to you.
After attending Fuge events at various locations for more than a quarter-century, Kevin Moss is still amazed at the impact the annual summer camps can have on middle school and high school students.
In the wake of last year’s event, the associate pastor of students for the Church at Addis, Louisiana, listened as 11 of his youth members professed a desire to seek a ministry-oriented vocation.
“That’s amazing,” said Moss, who obtained his degree in missions from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and has served in the West Baton Rouge Parish church for the last three years. “I’ve never experienced one camp with that many students who were interested in missions and expressing that God was leading them to do some kind of ministry work. That blew me away.
“You bring these kids to camp because the impact is life-changing. Because of where our church is located, we’re a mission people. What they learn at Fuge can last for a lifetime.”
That’s why Moss brought a group of 73 students to Mississippi College June 17-20 to join hundreds of their peers from throughout the Southeast at Fuge camp. The theme, “Revival Generation,” reminded them that many times throughout history, God’s people have risen up and turned back to Him with passion and fervor in times of great revival.
Revival is the spiritual awakening of God’s people to their true nature and purpose. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 – perhaps the best-known verse in the book – God tells King Solomon, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (NIV)
That message forms the centerpiece of Fuge Camp 2024, which examines four Biblical stories of great change and revival that resulted in generational impact. While revival is mainly for God’s people, those who do not know Christ also benefit when Christians get serious about their faith. Fuge campers are challenged to lead the way by making a difference for generations to come.
Students elect to participate in one of two Fuge programs: CentriFuge or MFuge. In CentriFuge, they are divided into groups for recreation and Bible study based on age ranges by grade completed. Recreation is led within Bible study groups by trained Fuge camp staff members who also lead the Bible study. Each activity serves a specific purpose and is debriefed so students can make applications in their lives.
Students also participate in Track Times – creative, active, performance, and classroom-based activities led by camp staff based on the student’s areas of interest.
MFuge gives students a mission experience that makes them aware of similar opportunities they may have to serve in their own communities. Adult leaders from their home churches accompany the students to ministry sites in the Jackson metropolitan area where they have an opportunity to discover what it means to serve others.
Mississippi College was the first university in the country to host a combined Mission Fuge and Centrifuge camp – simply called Fuge – which takes students out of their everyday routines and places them into an environment focused on changing lives through a relationship with Jesus Christ. The camp is sponsored by the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
Moss, who had never attended a dual CentriFuge-MFuge offering before, said the combo camp at MC was “a big drawing card” for his church.
“We have a lot of new students at the church and a lot of young students,” he said. “We sent our middle schoolers to CentriFuge and our high schoolers to MFuge, which was great. Some of our girls went to a location with senior adults, where they got to hear some amazing life stories, encourage the residents, and help with whatever chores they needed assistance.
“At another location, we are helping with a Vacation Bible School for about 120 little children. Our students have a choice – they can do social work or recreation. Fuge provides a lot of opportunities for service that are varied – that’s why they have been so popular and successful for over 40 years.”
A typical day of Fuge camp at Mississippi College begins with a rousing, energetic morning celebration in Swor Auditorium, complete with spirited music, worship, games, and a message from the camp pastor. Students then enjoy quiet time within Bible study groups, working through a devotion that reinforces the camp theme.
A trained staff member leads group Bible study with age-specific materials that align with the theme. Students then participate in recreational activities or, if they are part of the more intensive MFuge, mission work in the local community.
All camp members gather in the evening for corporate worship, prayer, and another message from the camp pastor that reinforces the Biblical theme for the day. Individual church leaders meet with their students to emphasize how God is working in their lives during their time at camp.
Moss, whose personal wardrobe includes Fuge T-shirts dating back to 1997, called the camp a leadership training program for students.
“We have students from our youth group who are serving a Student Leadership Apprentice at Fuge all over the United States,” he said. “We have at least 19 students who are Fuge staffers from South Carolina all the way to Fort Worth.
“You encourage the students to attend Fuge and become leaders, and then they come back to your church and lead at your place. It’s amazing.”
Moss said the interaction his students have with their peers across the Southeast is phenomenal.
“Standing in an auditorium with 400 or 500 students from all over the United States who are passionate about their relationship with God is incredible,” he said. “Some students who may begin to think they are the only ones at their school trying to serve God can come to Fuge and see that isn’t true. It’s very powerful.”
He said Fuge provides an excellent opportunity for host universities like MC to recruit future students.
“Over the years at the different universities where we went to Fuge, we had students end up attending that school,” he said. “Last year, we went to the University of Mobile, and we have a student graduating from there this year. It’s a good reason to keep that ministry here at Mississippi College.
“When our students experience Fuge, they take it home with them. Something clicks in their brain during camp, and they say, “I could do this at home.” It inspires students to do God’s work where they live. If I could only bring them to one event per year, it would be Fuge.”
For more information about Fuge at Mississippi College, click here.
MageeNews is the online news source for Simpson and surrounding counties as well as the State of Mississippi and beyond.
