Cedars, September 2019

September 2019 18 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 100 Students Attend Worship Camp The CU summer camp prepares high-schoolers to be musicians by Kristen Farley C edarville’s two-week Worship Camp hosted over 100 high school students this summer, making it one of the largest academic camps the university offers. In 2009, Dr. Roger O’Neel, assistant chair of Worship and associate professor of Worship, and Jim Cato, associate vice pres- ident of Christian Ministries, founded the camps with the desire to see high school stu- dents equipped to serve their local churches with excellence. Cedarville hosts the student musicians for a week of intensive music and worship mentoring. As faculty and Worship majors collabo- rate to teach the camps, Cedarville students have been able to benefit alongside the high schoolers. “I’ve been able to see local area bands that have been improved, and kids starting up worship ministries back at their home churches,” Dr. O’Neel said. “We’re not just helping ourselves, but we’re helping by serving the church at large.”  When campers arrive, they are grouped into bands directed by Heartsong members. These university students help the campers prepare for the student-led praise concert at the end of the week. Mentoring the bands is a highlight for Heartsong vocalist Kristen Doyle. “It’s really cool to be able to hang out with students who love the Lord and to be able to talk about Jesus with them and to talk through the lyrics of our songs with them,” Doyle said.  She remembered a time when a camper displayed his love for the Lord. “During a conversation, one of the guys in our group, a high school student, wrote a poem about the crucifixion and how Christ bore our sins on His body on the tree,” Doyle said. “It was so beautiful and spontaneous, and so worshipful.” The five-day camp itinerary includes general sessions led by guest speakers, voice and instrumental masterclasses with worship faculty and staff and breakout ses- sions that explore subjects like theology and audio technology. Whether campers are sent as a group by local churches or come as individuals, everyone receives the chance to improve as professional mu s i c i a n s at Worship Camp.      S i n c e this academic camp is mod- eled after the Worship major pro- gram at the un i ve r s i t y , many camp- ers return to C e d a r v i l l e as worship students and He a r t s o n g members.  For fac- ulty mem- bers like O’Neel, the real prize is not necessarily the enrollment rates, but the opportunity to see the spiritual development of students over the past decade.  “It’s been a real joy to watch it grow and to see the students’ lives who are im- pacted,” O’Neel said. “The biggest thing for me is, when we have essays of worship, to have incoming students come in saying ‘I went to Worship Camp and it changed my life’ or ‘I got saved at Worship Camp,’ or ‘This is where I felt called to a ministry.’”  Summer Worship Camps are available for musically inclined students, ages 14-18, who have an interest in developing their musical talents to serve as a member of a worship team. Additional information about future dates and registration details can be found at cedarville.edu . Kristen Farley is a senior English major and an Arts and Entertainment writer for Cedars. She enjoys puppies, puns, people, and alliteration. Photos by Scott Huck Group photos of all those who participated in worship camp this last summer at Cedarville with the assistance of HeartSong members. “It’s been a real joy to watch it grow and to see the students’ lives who are impacted.” Dr. Roger O’Neel Worship professor