What Camp Pinnacle Means to Me…A Place of Surrender

Camp leaders posing together at the top of a mountain peak called Pinnacle Knob in Clayton, Georgia.

Unit three *Green Owls* cabin leaders on the hike in 2011.

Heather's Story

I worked on support staff in 2010, coming to staff training the day after I graduated from high school. That summer prepared me for college. It grew me and matured me. But it was not until I came back the next summer as a cabin leader that God truly impacted my life at Camp Pinnacle.

My freshmen year at college, God challenged me to surrender my calling over to Him. He completely changed my plans for my life, and I was no longer sure what my future would look like. I loved camp, and had spent many years there as a camper and now I would be returning as a cabin leader in 2011. I had grand plans of having fun, meeting friends, and loving on the girls in my cabin. I figured I would be showing these girls how to experience God; never thinking God wanted me to experience Him first.

Two summer camp cabin leaders standing by the entrance of their cabin.

Ms. Heather (me) and my co-leader, Ms. Erin

Camp leader narrates a story during a performance event at summer camp.

Ms. Heather (me) narrates "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" during a skit at the main event.

One of the last weeks of summer during the candlelight service I felt God calling me. That night I felt a peace like I have never experienced since coming to salvation at 15 years old. I knew God was speaking to me. After many months of struggling with God about surrendering my life, my dreams, and my calling to Him, that night I knew it was finally okay. I freely surrendered everything to God, and I have never had a single doubt since then. I left camp that summer with such freedom in Christ. I took everything I had learned and praised God for His faithfulness.

I went to camp that summer planning to impact girls’ lives, and left having my life impacted. Camp Pinnacle is my place of full surrender. Every time I go back to its campus there is a sense of peace that prevails around that place. It is a place of prayer, and a place to meet with God. Yes, I made so many great memories at that place. Yes, I have life long friends from Pinnacle. Yes, I love camp! But, for me Camp Pinnacle is a place I can always go and remember how God called me to fully rely on Him. It is my memorial of God’s faithfulness. Camp Pinnacle is where I found that dying to self is truly living in Christ.