Guest Blogger: Chad Clem

From time to time, I have asked a few people to be guest bloggers for me. This post is from Chad Clem. Chad and I grew up together in Lakeland, Florida. We went to middle school, high school, and college together. Chad is now a group life pastor in upstate New York at Northway Church.

Chad Clem
Group Life Pastor–NorthwayChurch.tv

You’d think I could tell you that there was a day in Sunday school or youth group where everything turned around and Jesus Christ became the boss of my life, but I can’t…it didn’t happen that way. Yes – in youth group – I made a decision to raise my hand, walk the aisle, pray the prayer; but He wasn’t in control of my life.

What happened that caused me to change and surrender my life to God? Friends and Summer Camp. Friends like Kevin. A friend that encouraged me. A friend that wasn’t afraid to go against the flow; like following me to a party that I knew I should not have been at, just to make sure I didn’t do something I would regret. A friend who – while at Bible college - didn’t care what anybody thought when he, in his words:

“…finally decided to nail it down. After class one day, I rode my bike to a spot under a bridge where I would go to think from time to time. I knelt down and gave my life to Christ.”

Camp is the other reason I’m here. It was at camp that I truly realized that I needed to turn my life over to God. God changed me. The relationships that were formed and the bonding that happened at camp are what made the difference. Those differences helped me make the decisions that got me here.

Students…DON’T MISS CAMP! Parents…don’t let your kids miss camp!

The power of students coming back from camp, “changed & challenged”, has shifted the entire direction of my church. They are a Revolution. In fact we did a whole message series about our students and how they are choosing to be a Revolution and choosing to Live Different. It all happened because of their experience at camp and the friends they surround themselves with.

So you want to live the best life possible? You want God to bless you? You want to live out your dreams? You want to be different? Life’s all about relationships. “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.”