Every summer TPS partners with Miracle Mountain Ranch to provide TPS students with the opportunity to enjoy a week of Summer Camp against the backdrop of the gorgeous rolling hills of northern Pennsylvania. As so much interaction through TPS is online, Summer Camp offers students the unique opportunity to spend time with old friends and meet new ones in person as they take part in a variety of activities including trail rides on horseback, team sports, crafts, archery, and much more!
I attended camp in 2022 and 2023, and I plan to return this summer for graduation! I’ve made incredible friendships during the week and have been able to try so many new things. Some of my favorites have been the confidence course, where students complete different obstacles with their bunkhouse, paintball, rock climbing, and the hayride. The opportunity to spend the week alongside Christ-loving students and counselors who pour into you is truly unmatched.
I’ve had a fantastic experience both years, so I was super excited to talk to Josiah Gross this month about the mission and opportunities at MMR. Josiah joined the MMR staff this year as the Assistant Program Director after attending MMR’s School of Discipleship for two years. He served as a camp counselor in 2021 and programming staff in 2022 (including the TPS senior boys’ bunkhouse counselor). As the Assistant Program Director, Josiah schedules and helps run MMR’s retreats and events. He also assists with teaching and leading SOD students who chose Programming (camp ministry training) as their area of focus for the year.
Isabel: To start off, can you tell me more about MMR?
Josiah: Miracle Mountain Ranch is a yearly retreat center and summer camp that also has an 11-month School of Discipleship gap year program. Through everything the ranch does, our goal is to spread the gospel to the surrounding community as well as to everyone who comes onto our grounds by our words and actions.
Isabel: What about the mission and opportunities at MMR led you to attend the School of Discipleship and then join the staff?
Josiah: I attended the SOD for two years because I wanted to learn more about the Bible, and I wanted to have a deeper relationship with God. I also hoped to answer the “what’s next?” question that many high schoolers face after graduation. I decided to join staff after I graduated because there was a need for more programming staff and I was equipped to meet that need. I also wanted to continue serving the staff, students, and community that the ranch is involved in.
Isabel: How do you hope to impact students through your work as the Assistant Program Director?
Josiah: I hope to impact students through my job by selflessly serving them, teaching them good people skills, showing them how to work in camp ministry, and giving the programming students tools and biblical counseling training necessary for them to be counselors for not only summer camp but also in life.
Isabel: Can you briefly describe your experience as a camp counselor to students who are interested in volunteering this summer?
Josiah: For students who are interested in joining our summer staff as counselors or assistant counselors, you should know that the job will be one of the most difficult yet rewarding jobs you will ever work. As a camp counselor, your responsibility is to look after the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of your bunkhouse for the week. Often times that will include dealing with difficult ranchers in different scenarios, but for these ranchers you are with for a week, you have the opportunity to share the gospel with them and plant seeds of the gospel in their hearts, as well as show them Christ’s love in a way that many of them have never experienced before. From my time working as a summer camp counselor, I was able to see God working in my heart and the hearts of those in my bunkhouse through all of the activities, chapels, fun times, and also challenging times. If you have a passion for sharing the gospel with children, then working as a summer camp counselor is definitely the job for you!
Isabel: For students interested in attending the School of Discipleship, what advice would you give them in making that decision, and what should they expect when they arrive at the ranch?
Josiah: If you are a student interested in attending the School of Discipleship, you are not alone! We’ve had two TPS students come through the school in the past few years and they both immensely enjoyed their time here. I chose to come to the school because I didn’t want to go to college right away (I ended up not going at all), I wanted to try something new, and I wanted to take a year (or two!) learning more about God, His character, and how to have a deeper relationship with Him. If you are thinking through any of those same things, then the SOD is the place for you. For those who do attend our program, you can expect to be challenged and pushed in ways you haven’t experienced before, but you can also expect the experience of living within a God-fearing community of staff and students and forging friendships that will remain with you for the rest of your life. “Learning and growing with a godly community has taught me that God’s grace is abundant and sufficient despite my sin. He has shown me the joy that is to be found in putting away myself and serving Him.” – Christine Niu (2022 TPS graduate, 2023 SOD graduate)
Isabel: Lastly, are there any aspects of the week of Summer Camp itself that would you like to highlight? How would you describe MMR’s goal(s) for the week?
Josiah: The main goal and aspect of summer camp is to preach the gospel to each and every rancher who comes to camp. This is highlighted through daily morning devotions and chapel services every night. Every Thursday night, we have a campfire and sharing time in which ranchers are given the opportunity to share a testimony of how God worked in their lives throughout the week. This time is always so encouraging to other ranchers and staff alike as we can see how God is working in some of these young hearts.
Isabel: Thank you! It was great learning more about MMR!
Josiah: You’re welcome!
You can find out more about MMR here.
You can find out more about TPS Summer Camp here.
Photo Credit: https://mmrm.org/category/box-cross/