Musician and worship leader Shawn Smith not only lit the campfire but also lit a fire in everyone who heard his message at Zion United Lutheran Church’s Christians Rock the Mountain Youth Retreat.

The retreat was held July 27-29, 2007, at Zion United, with tents set up on part of the congregation's acreage for the sleepover. The concert took place in the church; meals and other activities were held in the parish hall.

The idea for the retreat came from Deb Schaeffer, a congregational member whose daughter had attended the 2006 youth gathering. Deb asked a group of youth from Zion if they would like to bring Shawn Smith to our church for a weekend. Having seen Shawn perform before, the youth knew how great he was and agreed without hesitation.

After months of planning and hard work, July 27 finally arrived and that’s when it all began. Twenty youth from Zion, Weatherly, and Zion, Brodheadsville, attended the retreat, along with 23 adults who helped with everything from cooking to registration to transportation to chaperoning.

Friday night was kicked off by an awesome concert that rocked the mountain – along with rolls of thunder. But even the torrential downpour could not put a damper on everyone’s spirits.

The concert was also attended by youth and folks from other congregations, including Salem-St. Paul, Kresgeville, and St. John, Jim Thorpe.

The next day was devoted entirely to service. The campers split up to tackle four different service projects. A group of youth went to the Pocono Township Habitat for Humanity house, where they put on siding. Another group of youth held a carwash and, with the help of Thrivent’s matching funds, raised about $600 for the Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network (PVEN). The third group of youth baked cookies for the residents at Getz Nursing Home in Effort. The last group of youth delivered the cookies to the nursing home and visited with the residents.

Finally, on Sunday, Shawn Smith helped lead the worship service with song and dance, and the weekend came to a close, leaving everyone with a newly lit spiritual fire.