The Big Free Rally

During the summer, the Free Church of Scotland hosts camps in various places throughout the UK. Each camp is in a different place and has a different focus. There are football (soccer) camps for guys, all-girl camps for girls, co-ed camps, extreme sports camps... basically there are all kinds of options for camp. Regardless of the camp activities, the Word of God is always taught, giving teenagers the opportunity to be refreshed and encouraged in their walks with the Lord. 

Last Saturday, we took a mini-bus of 15 teenagers from Kilmallie Free Church up to Inverness. We were meeting up with 200 or so other teenagers to fill Smithton Church for the Big Free Rally. Countless hugs and squeals of excitement erupted from throughout the church as camp friends were reunited. They came from churches all over the country for a few hours of fellowship.

They sang, they played games, and they listened intently as a speaker reminded them that Christ loves them more than any person in the world ever could.

In between sessions, the teenagers were asked what their favorite part of camp was. When “friends” was offered as an option, hands shot up all over the room. Aside from coming together to worship God, this was why they were there. They had come together because they were given the opportunity to be with their friends.

Kids in Scotland attend huge public high schools, where they would be lucky to find another Christian in their grade. For most of these teenagers, the majority of the people in their close circle of friends are not Christians. If they were asked, the teenagers that attended the Big Free Rally would probably say that some of their closest friends were those that were sitting with them in that room. These friendships that I had the privilege of observing are strong because they have a common bond. Yes, the camp experience is great and there are tons of inside jokes and a shared experience can always bring people together. But this bond, this bond that is stronger than any other, is the bond that they share as a result of being brothers and sisters in Christ.