Five14 Serves at Camp Echoing Hills.
Camp Echoing Hills is a place where individuals with disabilities come each summer to experience the joys of camp, creating memories that last a lifetime. Each year we rely on volunteers to help get camp ready to welcome the return of campers. This year was no different.
Over 80 people, comprised of individuals and groups, volunteered across three service days. One of those groups was Five14 church.
Five14, located in New Albany, places a big emphasis on serving others, providing its congregation many opportunities to serve throughout the year. Monthly, Five14 provides support to five different ministry partners around Central Ohio. In addition, they have a large service project each year called Serve Cbus and organize food drives regularly.
Emma Yucas, Groups Director at Five 14, shares, “We pick our projects based on any nonprofit organization that has a need that we can meet. We purposely pick projects all over the city!”
Why is service so important to Five14 church?
According to their website, giving allows them to “Demonstrate God’s love in a hands-on way.” Yucas adds, “It’s important to us to get into the community and serve. We put a big emphasis on serving in our church as well, but it’s great to see people get out of their norm and help someone different than them.”
Tim Neville, CEO/President of Echoing Hills, attends Five14 church and is a part of one of the church’s small groups.The group, made up of 15 men of differing backgrounds, was in a season of serving when Tim had a conversation with the group leader about upcoming service days at Camp Echoing Hills. The leader immediately sent an email to their group regarding this opportunity.
Three men, along with their daughters, answered the call to serve. Together with Tim, they worked hard moving bunk beds, power washing, cleaning a sensory garden, weeding, and more!
“A church is to be generous and giving. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ,” shares Neville, “It was great to have individuals from my church at Camp Echoing Hills. It shows we care about one another and the needs of our communities.”
David Luckett, one of the volunteers that came from Five14 Church, shares a similar sentiment, “Our purpose is to support and challenge each other to grow in faith as individuals, as a group, and as a community.”
Luckett volunteers not for the recognition but to show “love to others through service because that’s what Jesus’ ministry was about.” He enjoys volunteering but also does it to be an example to his family.
“God gave me the ability, and He can do something great with a little work from me. It’s a form of worship to me,” says Luckett. “It’s also trying to be a Godly man, of action, for my family. It is less about saying and more about doing. My daughter is watching what I do to see if it aligns with what I do say.”
Luckett’s daughter, Kailey, was able to volunteer at camp alongside him. She enjoyed the people she was able to meet, along with the power washing. For Kailey, volunteering allows her to help in her community.
“I think that no one person can go through life on their own. Whether it be a spouse, a group of friends, or family, people need people to lean on and look to for support,” shares Kailey. “One of the best ways to gain and give support is to volunteer and show that others are not alone in what they do and that people will always be around to help and offer support.”
Neville is grateful to everyone who volunteered for helping to make Camp Echoing Hills open this year. The camping season has already brought lots of laughter and stories bringing back memories of his own experience as a counselor 30 years ago.
“I came to Camp Echoing Hills as a counselor, and my life forever changed,” Neville reflects, “I was going to be a teacher but changed my career path after that summer. I can’t help but look at the camp staff this year and wonder if Echoing Hills’ next CEO may be with us right now.”
