Meeting Jesus on the mountain
Sharon Mager
August 24, 2017
MIDDLETOWN, Md.—“When I share my testimony, I tell people that I got saved when I was 9 years old in a little Baptist church. But it wasn’t until I was 12 that I learned what it meant to have a real relationship with Jesus. I learned that and experienced it at Skycroft,” said Mark Stephenson, pastor of Horizon Church of Towson.
“After one of the evening worship services when I was at camp, I surrendered to God in a new way and my life was never the same. My favorite part of camp was meeting other teenagers in the area who loved Jesus,” he said.
When asked about the most fun he had at camp, he said he especially enjoyed the team activities and relays during Bible studies.
“The worship services in the evening and meeting the staff were the two biggest things that impacted my life. In the evening worship services, I connected with God in a way I had never experienced before. And the staff gave me a picture, a real-life example, of what it looked like to live out my faith,” he said.
“I went back to Skycroft for Centrifuge from 7th grade through 12th grade and loved it every time,” he said. Stephenson later became a camp staffer for four summers while he was in college.
“It was an amazing experience to have become one of the counselors that I grew up admiring so much. For two years I was a basketball coach for Crosspoint Christian Sports Camp and the next two years I was a camp director.
Stephenson said, as pastor of Horizon Church, he uses Skycroft as a retreat location for his leadership team. “It continues to be one of my favorite places, full of fond memories and life-changing encounters with God.”
Photo: (l-r) 5-year-old Wes, Mark Stephenson, 8-year-old Nate, Mark’s wife Melissa and 2-year-old Emily
