DAVIS—Spending time at CrossTimbers Children’s Mission Adventure Camp is not new to Sarah Hagar. She has spent 10 summers taking groups to CrossTimbers with eight of those years serving as children’s minister at Bethany, Council Road.
Sarah Hagar greets all the campers during morning chapel.
What is new for Hagar this summer is serving at CrossTimbers as the camp’s program director. She is seeing how both CrossTimbers in Davis and at Grand Lake are impacting children who come with many churches across Oklahoma.
“It’s definitely different being ‘behind the scenes’ instead of being a lead sponsor, bringing a group of kids to camp,” Hagar said. “I miss being so directly involved with the kids, but it’s great to be able to see the big picture in a different way as well.”
Summer staff members make CrossTimbers special and significant for campers.
The big picture involves a lot of facets. Hagar said part of the big picture involves seeing churches come to CrossTimbers for the very first time. She also enjoys watching church leaders counsel their kids over spiritual decisions that are made during every camp session.
“Seeing kids accept Christ and make Jesus ‘the boss of their life’ never gets old,” she said.
Her new role also means she is investing in the summer staff, college students who are a major part of making CrossTimbers special and significant for campers.
The Gospel is presented throughout camp, even at the ropes course.
“I have known staffers in the past, but getting to invest in them and seeing the growth in our summer staff has been a great experience,” Hagar said. “We have a fantastic staff that has so much energy and is doing a phenomenal job encouraging kids every session.”
Hagar said the summer staff is committed to sharing the Gospel with campers every day and during all elements of camp.
“We present the Gospel at every activity stop and after every large group game,” she said.
Campers learn about Deaf culture/ministry during a mission stop.
Emphasis on missions is a major part of CrossTimbers. Each camp session has three missions stops, and this summer, the stops focus on Deaf culture/ministry, Utah and Portugal.
“One of our missions stops focuses on the Deaf community here in Oklahoma and around the world,” Hagar said. “It’s really fun throughout the week, as kids are learning sign language and how to sign their name.”
Hagar also has been impressed with the church sponsors who come to each camp session and the impact they are making on campers.
taff members and sponsors help campers make spiritual decisions.
“The sponsors are fantastic,” she said. “The fact that there are so many Oklahoma Baptists from churches big and small who are willing to give up a week to invest in kids from their community is truly amazing.”
Hagar gave a great summary about the CrossTimbers experience.
“Kids get to experience the fun summer activities being outside and trying new things,” she said. “They’re doing the waterfront and ropes course and target sports, but they’re also getting a glimpse of missions around the world through our missions stops. They are building relationships with sponsors from their own churches who are spending the entire sessions pouring into them.”
Hagar has a new role at CrossTimbers, and she’s helping Oklahoma Baptists do what she enjoys the most—investing in children for God’s glory.
For more information on CrossTimbers Children’s Mission Adventure Camp visit oklahomabaptists.org/crosstimbers.
Photos by Grant Bivens
