Got Plans? Summer's Almost Here

May 3rd, 2024

Warm, sunny days, lazy evenings, fishing, camping, family get-togethers, ice cream stands, no school―all hallmarks of the warmest time of the year. Today, Frank Figueroa talks about the long-awaited summer season and encourages us to invest in the spiritual legacy of our families through our transformative EQUIP camp experience.

Summer is a special time. It has been this way since we were children. We worked hard all year in school (or at least some of you did), and then, for at least a few weeks, we got to break out of the routine and do more enjoyable things. Because the weather is usually better, participating in outdoor activities is much more pleasurable. So, for most of our school days, we relished this time called “Summer Vacation.”

As we grow up and have to start “adulting,” this particular season can sometimes get overlooked. Work schedules and additional traffic usually infringe on our free time and force us to “make time” for respite rather than having this be a designated time off. In other words, the older we get, the more our summers become a chore.

Because of that, maybe we need to refocus and remember that time is our most precious commodity and that family time and time for spiritual growth need to be prioritized. That means we need to make an “investment” in the futures of those closest to us by providing opportunities to do things that are not “part of the grind” during the rest of the year.

We can vacation to a place we’ve never visited before.
We could enjoy a meal different from the norm, whether we go to a restaurant or learn how to prepare it ourselves.
We could enjoy the outdoors together by hiking, fishing, camping, or driving through a national park.
We could reconnect with family and friends we haven’t seen and spend a few days in true fellowship, not just squeeze it into a couple of hours.

We at Reasons For Hope are preparing for all of the above! Every summer, we host 5–6 of our own EQUIP Youth Retreats. There, we meet new people, eat different meals, learn new games, change up our activities, and learn deeper apologetic truths that will impact the next generation to stand boldly on the Word of God. April and I are on the road for almost three months straight in the summer, sharing the gospel in youth camps throughout the United States.

This year, we are running our regular EQUIP Retreats with the theme of “Fearless Faith” and a Creation-focused camp, EQUIP+, that we’re hosting on the campus of Judson University in Elgin, Illinois. View the schedule below to locate an EQUIP camp near you and register your kids at EQUIP or EQUIP+ while openings are still available.

Deuteronomy 6:6–9

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

This time is glorious for students and leaders alike. Why? Because we are investing the two most precious things into each other’s lives: TIME and TRUTH. If you are reading this blog, I want to encourage you to do the same: Invest time and truth in those around you in a way that cuts through the rut. Let’s start preparing our hearts and summer schedules because it’s almost here!

Would you like to learn more about EQUIP? Click on the video below to watch The DeBunked Files podcast, Episode 17, where we answer all your questions about this unique summer experience for today's youth.

NOTE: If you’d like to donate to our EQUIP Retreat ministry to help us meet the spiritual needs of even more young people, please click HERE.

To learn more about Frank Figueroa, Jr. and to schedule him as a speaker, click HERE.

Download Our FREE App!

Click HERE to download our free app and encourage your family and friends to do the same. This resource provides hundreds of audio, visual, and print resources to answer questions and train you and your loved ones to be able to answer anyone who may ask you to share why you believe what you believe (1 Peter 3:15).