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Corps brings people together to “Walk in the light.”
Recently, the Yuba Sutter Corps—led by Captains Darren and Courtney Stratton—held its first corps retreat at Camp Del Oro in Nevada City, Calif.
The weekend brought together participants from various corps programs, building relationships between people and with God.
Special guests Captains Sylvan and Nathalie Young, directors of the Canoga Park Adult Rehabilitation Center, joined 104 delegates from the Depot Family Crisis Center, transitional housing, staff and corps, who came together to praise the Lord—breaking down boundaries between programs to become one family seeking the face of God.
This corps believes the blended congregation is their strength. Represented within the church body are individuals who have been serving God for years and those who have just entered substance abuse recovery, along with a mixture of culture and ethnicity. Each one is loved for what they bring to the table.
The weekend theme, from 1 John 1:7, challenged the delegates to walk in the light, as Christ is in the light.
Young led the Saturday morning session. He focused on change. “In order to live a successful life for Christ,” he said, “we must be willing to rise above our circumstances and make the changes necessary to permit the will of God to be accomplished.”
The afternoon was spent by the lake and at the pool, followed by an evening campfire talent show.
During the Sunday morning service, Courtney Stratton presented a song she wrote of her own testimony, titled “I’m Free.” Before concluding the service, the Strattons dedicated the corps council for the upcoming year, acknowledging how important committed leadership is and the incredible growth the Yuba Sutter Corps experienced over the last year.
The corps had an average attendance of 28 one year ago; today it averages between 60-75 people in the Sunday meetings. The goal is for every person, both young and old, to have some kind of involvement within this church.
The retreat joyously culminated with 10 people making a decision to accept the Lord as their Savior.
“We praise God for the blessings of the weekend and look forward to greater things in the days ahead,” Stratton said.
Learn more about the Yuba Sutter Corps online at www.tsatoday.org/yuba.