It’s hard to believe that a single weekend away could have such an impact, but it did. Rock Your Family changed our family. We started to pray as a family before meals, at bedtime, and even when we just felt the need. As parents, we wondered if the experiences at Rock Your Family would have a lasting influence our children. Did they really get the message? One day after a service at our Clinton Township campus, we got a glimpse of the answer. Our 12-year-old son, Eddie, noticed a man sitting in front of us in church who stayed seated after the service had ended. We cleared out, but Eddie hung back, leaned toward the man, put his hand on his back and said, “I think you need some prayer. Can I pray for you?” The man said yes, and Eddie said a prayer right then and there that God would help him to overcome whatever struggle he was experiencing. When Eddie came out into the lobby, he told me what had happened, and I asked what about the man made him feel the need to pray for him. His answer was, “Remember at Rock Your Family when they said we should pray without fear? Well, he looked like he needed it and I wasn’t afraid to pray for him.” We continue to be amazed at what God has done in and through our family because of this weekend. If you’re looking for a God-centered family vacation where you’ll have a great time, look no further than Rock Your Family!
What You’ll Do
We attended our first Rock Your Family in 2014 – less than a year after we started coming to Kensington. Rock Your Family looked awesome and we decided to get a cabin with my brother-in-law’s family. SpringHill blew us away! It was really unique: each set of cabins had a different theme, ranging from basic cabins to really creative ones: teepees, cabins on stilts, and a full plane! The camp is huge and has a little bit of everything for everyone. You could kayak, ride horseback, swim, zip-line, visit the petting zoo, shoot bow and arrow or .22 rifles, ride water slides, play paintball, and more! The hardest part was trying to figure out which activity to do first. The kids especially liked the freedom to explore in this safe environment – without the distraction of electronics (cellular service is very poor there!). They were always discovering new things and came back excited to show us what they had found– the airplane cabin, the cabooses, paintball, and a skate park where they could practice tricks on their bicycles.
What You’ll Learn
The services were top-notch! Guest speakers taught parents lessons on incorporating biblical principles into family-life, while the kids enjoyed their own service geared toward their individual age groups. We were given tools to integrate God into our homes, and were challenged to step out of our normal routines and create a space to talk and pray on a daily basis. There was a lot of humor and friendly inter-campus competition which allowed us to get to better know the people we saw each Sunday. Meeting other families who were searching for the same sort of community has allowed us to make a lot of friends within our church and grow our spiritual community.
Who Should Come
You should! Kensington’s annual Rock Your Family Camp is so much more than a weekend away – it’s a family vacation with purpose! The 2018 theme is, In the Nick of Time, and will focus on how to make the most of your time as a family. Speakers will share how to love and lead your family spiritually. So, what are you waiting for? Come to SpringHill with us for a weekend of memory-making, outdoor adventures, campfire conversations, and a chance to ride, climb, bike, skate, paddle, gallop, hike, blob, tie-dye, and more. Register now at kensingtonchurch.org/ryf.
– Eddie Knappenberger | CT Attendee & Chaplain of the Mad Viking Beard Club
