Magyar Egyház, 1991 (70. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)

1991-09-01 / 5. szám

10. oldal

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

it was time to depart. Many good wishes and special gifts from their church were exchanged.

The Hajdúbagos Church people were marvelous and beautiful people. We took with us back to America many fond memories and hopes for better communications and unity between the Reformed Churches in America, Hungary and the World.

On Monday, June 24th, the Debrecen Program’s closing ceremony took place at the Nagytemplom, the large Hungarian Reformed Church in Debrecen. The conference was over for our group but the conference did continue until June 30, 1991. There was also much joy in Hungary because on June 19th, the last Russian troops left Hungarian soil. To commemorate this occasion, on June 30th, at 12:00 Noon, all the church bells in Hungary were to ring for one hour.

Many of the 18 people in our group all left Hungary with the same thoughts in mind. It was a wonderful and beautiful trip. We had all accomplished a great deal. We had visited family loved ones that still lived in Hungary, visited many beautiful places, enjoyed the fabulous and tasteful Hungarian cuisine, tasted the wine and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We departed knowing that accomplishments and hope had been made for more unification and world encompassment of all Hungarian Reformed Churches. All were eager to return home but in the hack of our thoughts was a wish that someday we might again return to Hungary.

Edmund Vig, Chief Elder Allen Park, Michigan

HUNGARIAN REFORMED YOUTH CAMP

The annual Youth Camp was held again at the Laurelville Mennonite Church Center in Mount Pleasant, PA, on August 11-17. Sixteen churches were represented. There were 75 youth present, with an additional 15 college age students in the Counselor-in-Training Program. There were also 14 adult counselors besides the two Camp Directors and Nurse.

This year’s theme was developed at the New Covenant UCC Church in McKeesport, PA, and was entitled, “Can I Be a Christian in America?” Subtopics for Monday through Friday were: Moral Decline in America — presented by Rev. Albert Kovács; To Be in the World - Not of It — presented by Rev. and Mrs. Szabolcs Kalman; Storms of Live — presented by Rev. Edwin Stern; Why Do I Need the Church — presented by Rev. Dr. Coralyn Medyesy; and Which Way Should I Go? — presented by Rev. Dr. Zoltán Szucs, Bishop. We wish to thank the main speakers for their time and effort in preparation and delivery of their messages, and for traveling great distances on behalf of the campers.

As the attendance statistics indicate, there were less adult counselors present than in past years. This fact was not lost upon the more experienced campers nor on the few counselors who found themselves in greater demand. In fact, this lack of adult responsiveness and self-giving of time, talent, and experience was a significant complaint of some “veteran” campers. While Youth Camp is structured to introduce and reinforce faith in God, Biblical values, and Christian fellowship in a pastoral setting, there needs to be greater involvement by talented adults capable of feeding divine principles to inquisitive young minds. In particular, the youth are asking for help in such relevant areas as career counseling, value judgments, coping with troubled family, life, understanding cults, and ways of countering their lure; and the approach to be made from a Biblical perspective. The youth are looking for a deeper experience in God in their lives and are asking for more in-depth study of God’s Word as it relates to their experiences. We urge committed adult Christians in our churches to consider taking to heart the great opportunity to help the future church, our children and grandchildren, become responsible witnesses of Jesus Christ. Keep the dates of August 9-15, 1992, in mind and join us for a fulfilling week at Camp.

To give you an indication of how some of the campers feel about Camp, we’d like to share with you a few of their responses in their own words from this year’s Camper Questionnaires. Why do you come to camp? — “To get away from the corruption of friends/society and to get closer to God, to learn about God, to meet new friends/see old ones,” “I come to camp to meet new people, but mainly to clear myself of all sins in the past year,” “My parents made me, then I found out how great it is here.” What did you like most at camp? — “Being close to so many people with the same spiritual interests,” “Feeling like everyone is a family.” Would you recommend Camp to a friend? — “Yes, because it has helped me learn a lot about myself and spiritually,” “Yes, it’s great to get away and get closer to the Lord,” “Yes, it’s a camp where you can understand what Christ means,” “Yes, ’cause you leave feeling like a better person,” “Yes, because the people are great and you learn a lot,” “Yes, it is a fabulous experience.” What do you want to get out of camp? — “To get away from the hassle of the rest of the world and be in a Christian atmosphere,” “A better understanding of what the Lord needs/wants me to do,” “A newlife,” “To help me become a more Christian-like person and follow the ways of Christ.” What did you get out of this camp? — “Stronger friendships, added responsibility,” “I learned about being a Christian today and how to deal with everyday conflicts. I got a lot out of the discussion groups most!” “Knowledge. I’m at the age where I can comprehend easier. My belief is coming around. I’m scared to death of Hell, though.” Will you come back next year? — “Yes. It's like a home here, where you can be comfortable with God