Covenant News

Urban Camping Escape Attracts 830 to Twin Cities

BURNSVILLE, MN (September 17, 2004) - More than 800 students and leaders from the Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church attended the 17th annual Most Unbelievable Ultimate Urban Camping Escape (MUUUCE), which was hosted by Faith Covenant Church last month.

Representatives from 50 congregations (830 sixth through ninth graders and adults combined) traveled distances of up to 500 miles to take part in MUUUCE from August 19-21, according to junior high/middle school pastor Rob Jacobson of Faith Covenant. With such a unique and energetic group, a variety of props and gimmicks - leeches and whipped cream pies included - were part of the programming.

"The purpose of MUUUCE is to provide an unforgettable, spiritual, energized weekend (in a place) where young teens want to be and where their leader(s) are able to build relationships with them through lasting memories, which by God's grace, lead to a relationship with Jesus and a relationship within their church," Jacobson said.

"We fulfilled that objective by traveling to a water park, spending a day at an amusement park, going to a baseball game, having chapel and especially CHAOS (Crazy Humans Attempting Outrageous Stuff)," Jacobson continued. "Kris Causton from the Covenant Speaker Team (a youth ministry resource provided with the support of the Department of Christian Formation) spoke on our theme 'Don't be an Island!' She discussed how the Christian life is more about a journey together than a solo experience. MUUUCE was successful not because it was a huge event, but because good relationships were built, between young teens and their leaders, and they were challenged to follow God."

Northwest Conference Director of Mission Development Jon Kramka was a first-time guest at the event. He praised the host church for its hospitality, as well as that of a Baptist congregation nearby, and said that the overall results make this event well worth the effort.

"The teaching and the worship was fantastic – not only the energy but the content," said Kramka. "More so for our out-of-metro churches, this provides a great opportunity to take advantage of the things in the metro area. And it's an example of one of our bigger churches (Faith Covenant) taking a mission mentality to help the greater good of the conference. That's a great model for our churches."

MUUUCE has ministered to more than 8,000 teens during its existence, said Jacobson. For more information, call Jacobson at 952-890-3110 or the Northwest Conference office at 612-721-4893.

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