The Story of the Ambridge Sports Camp

In the year of 2004, the Ambridge Sports Camp began as a second summer project of Rock the World's Josiah Project. Josiah Project is an intense ministry training summer program which gives its participants the chance to create their own ministry after completing the first summer. Eric Geisbert and Shea Rankin, two former JPer's, created the camp to give the youth in Ambridge, PA the opportunity to interact with Christians and also have a safe environment to learn about sports, good sportsmanship and healthy competition.

During their first summer in Ambridge they felt that the community lacked activities for the youth, especially during the summer. Eric and Shea, being passionate about sports, felt that a sports camp could be used as a tool to interact with the youth in the area. They began forming a team of Christians to lead the camp and minister to the youth relationally. The ultimate goal of the team was to show the love of Christ, to each other and to the youth.

From the moment the idea of the ASC was first spoken God was at work. From the very beginning He began opening doors and helping Eric and Shea build relationships that would continue for years and help the camp to flourish. As the summer began God moved in many miraculous ways, ways that forced the team to cultivate an amazing dependence on Him and made the camp an incredible success.

Having no previous camp starting experience, Eric and Shea knew that trusting in God was the only way this camp was going to happen. The fact that the camp took place was amazing and was the biggest miracle of the summer. All kinds of things fell into place before the camp started. The Ambridge High School agreed to let the camp use their brand new football field to host every week of the camp except for basketball week. One month before the camp was to begin; Eric and Shea had managed to find only one volunteer for the summer. God provided two more volunteers that month, and three more the week before the camp started. Basketballs were donated as well as 20 lacrosse heads, lacrosse balls, and two goals, which were all received the day lacrosse week started.

During the first year Eric and Shea prayed that someone would take over the camp and run it for years to come. That person was Tim Vitunic. Tim was born and raised in Ambridge; he loves the Lord, loves youth and enjoys sports. He was the perfect fit for the sports camp. Tim took over leadership of the camp for the second summer and with the help of David Morris they took the camp to another level. They not only ministered to the youth in the area through the sports camp but they also created an evening program each week for the youth. On top of that they also decided that they did not have to just minister to the youth but they could also disciple the leaders on staff.

Tim and David both decided that they did not want to head the camp up for the third year, so God rose up another leader, Dave Bull. Dave is another local guy from Western Pennsylvania, who loves Jesus, loves youth and loves sports especially soccer. Dave and his staff learned from the success of the second summer and were blessed with tons of young people. Much of the staff and including Dave were not able to give all their time to the camp as most everyone worked a part-time job.

The camp has now come full circle as its co-creators have returned to the Ambridge area. Eric and Shea Geisbert (yes they got married), have moved back to Ambridge to be a part of the community and expand the sports camp into a year round ministry. They felt very strongly that God had called them back to this community and they desire to see the community fall in love with Jesus Christ.

The feeling from many of the leaders who have ran the camp is that God is going to use whoever puts themselves out there for this community. He will use anyone, including those who aren't good at sports, have never been in leadership positions, those who don't even understand the sport that we are teaching; he will use anyone...