FUGE Camps Make an Impact at NGU
Posted on: July 25, 2023
Tigerville, SC (July 25, 2023) With a focus on missions and an emphasis on sharing the gospel, FUGE Camps are in the business of changing lives.
“I received a letter from a camper this summer who said she was at the lowest place when she came to camp two years prior,” said Travis Agnew, pastor of Rocky Creek Church and NGU alum, who served as a camp pastor for FUGE in Tigerville this summer. “She had considered ending her life due to horrible circumstances and unwise choices. She heard the gospel, her life was changed, and two years later, she wrote to tell me that it was more than a camp spiritually high experience. She was still walking joyfully with Jesus. That is why we do what we do.”
Running throughout the summer, FUGE Camps offer missional and recreational opportunities for students and church groups across the United States.
“FUGE is a great way to extend the mission of the University,” said Billy Watson, NGU’s senior associate vice president of Tigerville operations. “We see young people’s lives changed each summer. The FUGE staff conducts a great program for the youth that visit our campus. The many decisions that are made by the youth are a reflection of the time and effort the staff put into them. The NGU support staff works tirelessly behind the scenes to help the camp run smoothly. They are NGU students that are a tremendous asset to the camp.”
Agnew said he continues to serve with FUGE because of the impact the camps had on him when he was younger.
“I served two summers on staff while I was a student at NGU, and I have preached for their camps about twice a summer since 2015,” Agnew said. “In my story, camp served as a pivotal catalyst for growth and mission. I think witnessing leaders and staffers follow Jesus with passion helped provide liberty for me to do the same. I have prayed that my leadership at those camps would do the same for current students.”
This summer at NGU, more young lives were impacted by the sharing of the gospel and local outreach.
“The environments on campus allow for multi-faceted activities but also allow the students to venture out into Greenville County for mission experiences,” Agnew said. “When you have hundreds of students who receive the gospel or commit to a call to missions on the NGU campus, that provides a powerful memory that connects them to Tigerville for years to come. It also provides a great opportunity to expose them to a potential college to further them in their pursuit of Jesus.”
And the results speak for themselves.
“It is obvious that the Spirit is working in the lives of teenagers in a unique way this summer. At two camps, we saw 125 (Ridgecrest) and 101 (NGU) students profess Christ for the first time,” Agnew said. “Watching camp go over on time due to so many students testifying to Christ this summer is something I will be unable to forget.”
