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New Birth

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New Birth

Age and Maturity are Not the Same

October 2026

by John Partridge

In this Sunday’s bulletin, we welcomed three new babies (children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren) to our extended church family. And, especially since one of those is my own grandson, this got me thinking about new birth in a spiritual sense as well as in the physical sense. Physical new birth is easy to understand because we can see it, touch it, feed it, and hear it cry when it’s hungry. But spiritual new birth is trickier. Unless we are physically present when someone puts their faith in Jesus (and even then, only if they did so out loud), we don’t automatically know that anything happened. Being born of the spirit doesn’t present physical evidence. No one’s hair changes color, Hebrew or Greek symbols or tattoos don’t magically appear, nor any other outward and visible sign.

This can be a problem because when visitors come to our church, and when those visitors return and become regular in attendance, we can’t determine how grown up or mature they are spiritually simply by looking at them. And because we can’t, we often assume that visitors and new members are more mature than they really are. If we knew that they were only exploring the idea of faith, or that the had only recently chosen to follow Jesus, or had little spiritual teaching or education, we might guide them to appropriate classes, books, and other resources. But often, because many of us grew up in church, we assume a level of spiritual maturity based on their apparent physical maturity, because that is our lived experience. That assumption of maturity then causes us to miss the opportunity to offer guidance, and the lack of guidance can cause new Christians to feel overwhelmed or lost and drift away or lose their faith.

But the trouble isn’t just that newborn spiritual babies don’t look like babies. It’s that our spiritual growth isn’t tied to our physical growth at all. So, not only are we ignorant of the spiritual maturity of our visitors, but we are also similarly ignorant of the people in the church that we’ve known for years. Just because someone grew up in the church, went to Sunday school and youth group, doesn’t necessarily mean that they developed spiritually as they developed physically.

At the beginning of my career as a pastor, someone asked me why I build so much scripture into the text of my sermons rather than just referencing the appropriate scripture and then preaching on it. My answer, both then and now, is that although earlier generations may have been able to assume that church members read the Bible at home and knew the stories, my experience is that many folks today simply do not. When I taught the morning children’s message, I occasionally turned to the congregation and asked the adults if they knew this or that story, and most often, a great many did not. And so, rather than assume that the congregation knows the stories well enough to skip them with a passing reference, I prefer to teach it all, build up foundations for those who need it, and reinforce older learning for those who do not.

So, how do we become spiritually mature?

It really isn’t that difficult in principle. We grow in our faith much as we do physically. We eat healthy food, exercise, live in a healthy environment, and growth comes naturally. But doing those things spiritually is not as straightforward as doing them physically. Physically, when we aren’t eating often enough, we get hungry. And when we fill ourselves with food that isn’t healthy, we get tired, sluggish, and out of shape. But there are no obvious signs if we cut corners spiritually. We don’t get physically hungry when we don’t eat spiritual food regularly and we don’t notice that we’re out of shape when we continually fill up on spiritual junk food. And that disconnection is why many churches are filled with physically mature, spiritual children.

How do we avoid becoming one of those?

Easy. And not so easy. To grow, and become spiritually mature, we need to be just as diligent with our personal growth, as the mother of newborn is with their baby’s physical growth. We need to make sure that we eat regularly by going to church, attending Sunday school or Bible study, and going beyond that to read scripture and spend time with God more often than once each week. We wouldn’t dream of trying to eat dinner after church and then skipping dinner until the following Sunday, but “eating” once a week spiritually won’t work either.

When I was an engineer, I discovered that if tuned my radio to Moody Bible Institute, I could listen to Bible teachers in my office all afternoon as I worked. And so, while Patti and I regularly attended church, attended a weekly Bible study in the home of a friend, and read the Bible, suddenly I was at least half-listening to two or three Bible lessons every day. Obviously, that isn’t going to work for everyone, but that was a period of significant growth for me. Even though it only lasted for two or three years, it was only a few years after that when I recognized a call to ministry and began attending seminary.

As I said, that formula isn’t going to work for everyone. And clearly, not everyone is going to hear God calling them into full-time ministry. The point is, that each of us needs to find what works for them and recognize that spiritual maturity doesn’t “just happen” any more than children grow and become responsible adults by accident. We are deliberate in how we raise our children. We feed them on a regular schedule, make sure that they get an adequate amount of sleep, play, cuddle time, and we structure their development in many other ways as well.

Growing into spiritual maturity is no different. It needs structure and deliberate action.

Maybe it’s time for a checkup. Is your soul growing and thriving? Or is it struggling, starving, and barely getting by?

What will we choose?

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How Should We Resist?

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How Should We “Resist”?

August 20, 2026

by John Partridge

What does it mean to resist?

It’s been an important catchphrase in political circles, especially, but not exclusively, among those who dislike the current presidential administration. The word “Resist” sometimes with other words, appears on banners, posters, bumper stickers, and of course a host of internet memes. But resistance isn’t new and it isn’t just a political idea. Much has been written about organizations such as the French and Dutch (and others) Resistance during World War Two, and there have been many other organized resistance groups in other conflicts including the American Civil War.

But what would resistance look like in a Christian or Jewish context?

Clearly, many of the people that we find in the stories of resistance against the Nazi campaign to exterminate the Jews were motivated, at least in part, to risk their lives because of their faith. But can scripture offer us a clearer view of what resistance means for the followers of God? As is often the case, of course, the answer is, yes. Toward the end of August, my sermon included the story of Moses’ rescue from a basket in the Nile River in the first chapter of Exodus, and that story included the midwives Shiphrah and Puah. While I used their example in my message, there is more to say about them that applies to us today.

 When Pharaoh began to fear the numerical abundance of the Jews that lived in Egypt, he transitioned their treatment of them from that of citizens to that of slaves and oppressed them bitterly. But their oppression had the opposite of the desired effect. The more that the Israelites were oppressed, the more that they grew in numbers and spread to more places throughout Egypt. To reduce their population, Pharaoh then ordered the midwives to murder any make children as they were being born. But at least two of the midwives among the Israelite people refused to cooperate. Scripture says that they “feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do.” In other words, they refused to do what they knew was wrong in the eyes of God. In our modern context, they resisted.

When they were confronted about why they had not done what Pharaoh ordered, they lied. They said that Israelite women typically bore their children before the midwives arrived to help them and so they had no opportunity to obey. Horrifically, Pharaoh then orders his soldiers to go house to house and do the job he had ordered the midwives to do but let us consider the roles of Shiphrah and Puah and what we can learn from them.

Shiphrah and Puah risked everything. Had they been caught deliberately disobeying Pharaoh and lying about their actions, their lives would have been forfeit. Our story tells us that the Egyptians had no problem with abusing and killing the Israelites and the lives of two midwives would not have made a difference to the mathematics of their oppression. But these brave women were willing to risk their lives to do what was right in the eyes of God and I wonder if those that hid Jews from the Nazis during World War Two saw themselves in the story of Shiphrah and Puah as they did much the same.

But please note what this biblical resistance was not. There were no popular slogans to be chanted. There was no hope that their resistance would help to overthrow Pharoah and bring about new leadership. And there was no expectation that their resistance would at any time bring about the end of their slavery. The only end goal of their resistance was to do what was right and to honor God. As we consider our role in our modern context, that is a difficult thing because what passes for resistance today seems to be filled with these sorts of expectations and very little risk.

What would modern resistance look like? It might look like refusing to answer the questions of law enforcement about our neighbors. It might look like helping our neighbors without transportation to go to the polls. It might look like refusing to use deceptive accounting or billing to overcharge customers or hide corporate or personal income. Godly resistance is saying no and refusing to participate in any activity of which God would not approve. Even if doing so could end your employment result in your arrest and incarceration.

Godly resistance may not have an expectation of making anything better. It probably won’t be flashy or become a popular slogan.

And it might be genuinely risky.

The purpose of our resistance, at least in the example of Shiphrah and Puah, is to honor God.

Often the question isn’t what God would want us to do, because usually we know.

The real question is… what are we willing to risk to do what is right?

Chaplain’s Blog – Day Thirteen

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Subcamp Delta Two now empty at the end of Departure Day

Chaplain’s Blog – Day Thirteen

July 31, 2026

by John Partridge

Our last day began long before dawn. One bus full of scouts had left late last night after the closing stage show and more would begin to arrive at the Ruby Welcome Center when they opened at 5:00 am. That meant that they would arrive in our camp by 5:30 am. I had asked my tent mate, Bob, who was a early riser, to wake me by five, but I woke up when he was getting dressed at 4:00 am and decided I wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep. I got up, got dressed, did the usual morning things, and headed to breakfast. Breakfast, by this point, was wearing a little thin. I was in the Army Reserve for ten years. I know how to doctor up institutional eggs to make them palatable, but the dining hall had run out of hot sauce several days earlier. Moreover, most breakfast foods were the same from day to day, or repeated every few days, and it was all starting to get old, especially when, for no discernible reason, my entire breakfast was served cold for the last few days. Still, it was more than I made for myself at home, so my complaints are really only halfhearted in this regard and I remain enormously grateful for the staff that fed us every day.

After breakfast, I picked out my take away lunch selections and headed back to camp. Once there, I checked in to see if I was needed anywhere, and then began packing up my gear and moving my truck closer to my tent for loading, and for my secondary objective of rescuing food and other useful items from the trash. A little background may be necessary here. As I watched the final day in previous Jamborees, a great many things are left behind. Exactly what is left varies from year to year, particularly as the population of scout troops vary in how they arrived, whether that be by plane, train, bus, car caravan, or whether they brought a troop trailer with them. But no matter how they plan to get home, there are things that just don’t “make the cut” for being worthwhile to take home. Troops that will fly home won’t be able to take much at all with them, those who rented buses can take a little more but are still, by necessity, fairly selective, while troops with their own trailers can take home almost anything that they want. But, at the end of the day, forty seven troops are going to leave behind a lot of stuff. I have seen the contents of that pile of stuff include everything from tents to (lots of) lost water bottles, and always a discouraging amount of food.

And so, for the next several hours, I patrolled between our office tent and the dumpster, picking out discarded things and intercepting scouts with wagons full of perfectly good food. To be fair, you need to understand that during the Jamboree, each morning troops would come to the commissary tent and draw food for the day, but at the end of the day any and all unused food was to be returned to the commissary or turned in at a tent next door for donation to local food pantries. But… there were exceptions. Perishable foods, such as fresh fruits and some meats, could not be returned because they could not be legally accepted by food pantries in West Virginia. Fortunately, I was under no such restraint and so, I redirected as much of this as I could to the back of my pickup truck. On several occasions I meant to get a photo but got busy and forgot each time. Still, by the time the last troop of scouts departed, I had collected a bunch of practically new 2 x 4 boards, five large soup pots, a mostly new plastic bucket from Lowe’s, five or six boxes of oranges, a half a box of apples, several plastic totes of various sizes, a full set (or more) of plastic mixing bowls with lids, a bunch of water bottles, about ten boxes of snacks and lunch items from jerky to chips, to nuts and cereal bars, as well as a couple reams of paper, a stapler, staples, mosquito repellent wrist bands, and a bunch of other stuff.

By noon, Josh and I had repacked and loaded everything in my truck and covered it all with my bungee cargo net, said our goodbyes to the people who had become our Jamboree family, and began our trip home. But first, we drove up the hill to take a photo (above) of our empty camp after our village of two-thousand scouts and scout leaders had departed. After an hour or two on the road we stopped for lunch at Wendy’s rather than eat more of the trail food we’d had for two weeks, filled up on gas, refilled on caffeine, and continued north. Sometime later, we unexpectedly lost a lane to construction (I might have been a little tired) and, while I successfully avoided all of the orange traffic cones, there was, apparently, a sign that stuck out into our lane a bit farther that the cones, and as we passed, it reached out an bit my rear-view mirror. No other damage, but I will need to buy a replacement for that on Ebay this week. In any case, we arrived home safely by dinner time, were welcomed in my driveway by my lovely wife Patti, and the smiling, laughing greeting of our grandson. We sent some oranges home with Josh and his parents and unloaded all of the food before dark to keep neighborhood critters from helping themselves.

After carrying all of my stuff to my room, the remainder of my evening was pleasantly spent sitting in my recliner and babysitting the little guy.

By ten o’clock, our grandson was asleep and, having been awake since 4:00 am, I was completely exhausted and fell into bed.

I think that I may add one more post to this series to fill out a few details and wrap up a few loose ends so stay tuned. Otherwise, you are welcome to hang around because this is where I post my weekly sermons, monthly newsletter articles, and other more occasional writing projects. If that appeals to you, I invite you to hit the subscribe button that appears on this page.

Let’s meet here again soon.

Blessings,

Pastor John.

Chaplain’s Blog – Day Twelve

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Fog rises from Subcamp Delta Two

Chaplain’s Blog – Day Twelve

July 30, 2026

by John Partridge

My morning was ordinary. I was up before 6:30 am, and to breakfast before 7:00 am. After breakfast I read a little and then walked through our camp to check on the Chaplain’s Aides with each troop in my half of our subcamp to see if they had finished the requirements to earn a special Jamboree patch. I found a few, but unfortunately, most of them were already out of camp so, I determined that I would try again in the afternoon when they were back in camp to make dinner and before they all left again to go to the closing show.

When I returned to our headquarters, I was told to be ready for whenever a driver would be available to take be to the far side of camp where my truck was parked so that I could bring it nearby for loading and departure tomorrow. When my ride finally came, it went to the wrong parking lot (a closer one) and asked if they could change vehicles so that we could ride in a regular truck instead of a four-wheeler for such a long trip. I agreed, but needed to go to the final chaplain staff meeting and group photo first. Once that was done, we successfully retrieved my truck, and not long after that I tried once again to find my half of the Chaplain’s Aides. One of our scouts with Down’s Syndrome was very happy, and his leaders (and a parent, I think) took pictures of the presentation. I managed to find most of them and presented the award patch to those few who had completed the requirements. A few more might bring me their completed forms tomorrow morning before they board their buses for home.

Later this evening, we all headed to the main Jamboree stage and amphitheater for the closing show. I stayed for a while, but returned to camp as it started to get dark. With my hearing loss, I really don’t enjoy the shows very much and after sitting for over an hour, I was getting uncomfortable anyway. Instead, I returned to camp and started writing rather than staying up even later to post this.

As I mentioned, the first bus is scheduled to pull out before midnight, and we just saw those buses pulling in now so it will likely be even earlier, as soon as that troop returns from the show and can get loaded. One or two more are scheduled to arrive at the Jamboree welcome center around 5:00 am, a bunch around 8:00 am, ten more at 9:00 am and the scouts should be gone shortly after noon. With any luck, the staff will be mostly loaded and the camp cleaned up shortly after that and we will be released to head home. Some of the troops even chose to pack their tents this evening and sleep under the stars to save a little time in the morning. No matter how much fun we have had, I think all of us are ready to head home and sleep in our own beds.

Navy skydivers bring the American flag

I am still hoping to post one or two more blogs before I wrap up this series so stay tuned.

Hopefully, we will meet here again soon.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Chaplain’s Blog – Day Eleven

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Clouds over Subcamp Delta Two

Chaplain’s Blog – Day Eleven

July 29, 2026

by John Partridge

Unlike yesterday, today was filled with activity from end to end.

I was up at the usual time, and headed to breakfast not long after seven, then returned to camp, took a shower, checked my messages, sent a few messages and emails, and then headed for the far side of camp to the Faith and Beliefs area. On the way there, I stopped at several tents and earned patches from the National Park Service, got my scouting belt branded with (part of) the 2026 Jamboree logo, talked to some folks at the Sea Scouts tent, checked out a couple displays, and watched the Jamboree band. At the Faith and Beliefs area, I earned patches (and other things) from several places, including a few extras to give away to friends at the American Legion. At the Jewish tent, I was given the privilege of reading from a copy of the Torah, and by the end of my time in that area I had my “patch sheet” signed by at least seven denominations, which earned me yet another patch for my collection.

At that point, I looked at my watch and realized that I only had 20 or 25 minutes to get back for a meeting (and ice cream) so I speed walked back. Even though I arrived a little late, I still had plenty of time to get in line for ice cream, watch an awards presentation for base camp chiefs (snore), and then stand for a group photo of our Contingent Operations team.

Once I returned from that, I got to sit down for an hour or so before I had to head over to Delta Medical for my shift at the hospital from four to eight. While there I talked with a number of young people who had been injured as well as their friends who found themselves stuck in a waiting room for an hour or two. I also spoke with a few of the hospital staff (what they do isn’t easy) and a couple parents of injured scouts. Once I completed my shift at the hospital, my friend Terry drove me to subcamp Echo where Josh, my Chaplain’s Assistant, was receiving a certificate along with a few other young people designated as “Aides to Chief.” While I arrived towards the end of their meeting, they were appreciative of my being there and of my mentoring of Josh for the last two weeks. Then, before it got too dark, Josh and I hiked back to our home at subcamp Delta Two. Overall, LOTS of miles walked today.

Tomorrow, we will be allowed to bring our vehicles to our subcamp from the faraway parking lots where they have resided since we arrived two weeks ago. In the afternoon there will be more group pictures, and in the evening we will have the big concluding stage show. At least one of our scout troops will leave for home after the final show, others will leave starting around five in the morning and, if all goes well, all of the scouts will be on their way home by lunchtime. Both during and after that, we have equipment that must be packed up, and other things that must be done before the area is declared “clear” and we are given permission to go home.

In any case, that is what we *expect* to happen. It remains to be seen whether it actually will work out that way.

Meet me back here tomorrow, and I’ll let you know.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Chaplain’s Blog – Day Ten

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The stage at tonight’s Basecamp Bash

Chaplain’s Blog – Day Ten

July 28, 2026

by John Partridge

Unlike yesterday, today went much as I expected, but that doesn’t mean that I accomplished much.

I had originally thought that I might spend some time today on the other side of the lake checking out the exhibits around the Faith and Beliefs area and around the Summit Center. But the weather forecast was for two inches of rain and strong thunderstorms, so instead I just planned to stay near our camp and be available.

Watching the rain from our pavilion

I did visit a couple troops in their campsites and follow up with some of the folks that I mentioned in earlier posts, but overall I didn’t do much except try to stay out of the rain when it was raining, and try to stay hydrated and in the shade when it wasn’t (because it was hot and humid).

After dinner, I headed down the street to the Delta Basecamp Bash, a concert, but also games (tug-of-war, twister, watermelon seed spitting, an inflatable animal “petting zoo”, and others) along with some free samples of food, but also a few concessions. The chaplains were asked to be a “visible presence” so my friend Doug and I went over for a couple hours and then headed back. Everyone seemed to find something that they liked and was having a good time. Doug and I, both of us being extroverts (him more than me) had fun just stopping periodically to meet new people and chat them up.

I will head for bed soon and, although more rain is expected overnight, tomorrow is supposed to be clear and cooler so, perhaps I will try to go see some things tomorrow before I have meetings and a shift at the hospital tomorrow.

Let’s meet back here again tomorrow.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Chaplain’s Blog – Day Nine

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The moon hides behind the clouds above Subcamp Delta Two

Chaplain’s Blog – Day Nine

July 27, 2026

by John Partridge

Today did not go according to plan.

But doesn’t that hold true for much of our lives?

As a chaplain at the Jamboree, it is common for me to hold my plans loosely. Other than the big stage events and my hospital shifts, plans often change during the course of the day. When the day started, I anticipated that I would meet with the young woman who was struggling with homesickness and take her to the archery range, because that is an activity in which she had expressed an interest. I found her after breakfast, but was called away briefly to talk to a scout leader from the troop that had scouts with disabilities. Some of our subcamp leaders had noticed that after the better part of a week, some of their leaders were starting to fray around the edges and so we offered to find ways that we could give them a break or make some tasks easier. In any case, when I returned, my young friend had disappeared and I didn’t see her again until the end of the day.

A Divine Appointment

However, when I was walking to the far end of our subcamp to talk to the scout leader (noted above), I stopped to pick up some trash, turned around, and was met by a leader from a different troop who had tears streaming down their face. I was immediately identified as a chaplain, and asked to pray for them. They said, “I am nine days sober and struggling.” And so, we prayed, talked, and I offered a hug, which was accepted. I also offered to make a connection to a friend who counsels people in recovery, and we connected on social media in case they choose for me to make a connection to my friend. I really was at the right place at the right time all because I was asked to carry a message.

Not much else happened for the rest of the day…until this evening when a Scoutmaster asked for “someone” to talk to a scout that had a difficult experience with another leader on the other side of the camp and was a bit shaken from the experience. And so, once again, I walked with this leader to his camp and we chatted about his experience, discussed what was likely to happen next (if anything), and what our staff would do to support him.

During the day, I also received a bag full of the Chaplain’s Aide patches to pass out as the scouts serving their troops as chaplain’s aides turn in the completed requirements. I also read the messages on the communication app that is being used by our chaplains and watched as my colleagues dealt with scouts that had broken bones riding (crashing) mountain bikes, a scout whose friend had been killed by a falling tree in a freak accident at scout camp, another whose friend had been killed in an automobile accident, another with a parent in the hospital, and another scout who had been taken from our subcamp to Delta Medical (out MASH hospital) overnight. Out chaplains really do have to be flexible and adapt because every day is different, and like much of life, things rarely go according to plan but it all looks like ministry.

Let’s meet back here tomorrow.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Morning Fog over Subcamp Delta

Chaplain’s Blog – Supplemental

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Chaplain’s Blog – Supplemental

“I have absolutely no idea where I fit in.”

July 27, 2026

by John Partridge

This is not today’s regular recap of my activities. Instead, I had one more thing that I wanted to share yesterday and ran out of time before I called it quits and went to bed. At worship yesterday (just one of many opportunities for scouts, scouters, and staff), I so appreciated the opening remarks that I approached the young woman, Amanda, afterward and asked her for a copy of her words. I expected an offer of an email, but she immediately pulled her own paper copy from her clipboard and handed it to me.

I wanted to share this because, while not everything will translate to church on Sunday morning, these are words that we should all remember, and say out loud, in our congregations. Also, if any of you know Amanda, or if she sees this herself, please let me know so I can add her last name and give credit where credit is due.

The 120-Second Welcome: “The Open Well”

Hey everyone, welcome! Take a deep breath. Look around.

If you are standing here right now because you looked at the schedule, saw all the different structured services, and thought, ‘I have absolutely no idea where I fit in.’ let me tell you: you are in the exact right place.

Whether you came here with your entire troop, or you wandered in solo – welcome home.

“My name is Amanda, and I’ll let you in on a secret: my own spiritual journey has been anything but a straight line. I’m a Millennial, and throughout my life, I’ve had seasons of deep faith, and I’ve had seasons of big, messy doubts.

But what I’ve discovered by exploring the world is that asking the hard questions, doubting, and being authentically you… isn’t the opposite of faith. It’s actually how we grow. It’s how we make belief our own, rather than just copying someone else’s homework.”

In Scouting, we talk a lot about Duty to God. But what does that actually mean when we all come from different backgrounds – or no religious background at all?

Think of the Scout Oath and Law as building a well. It’s sturdy, it’s reliable, and it’s built by our shared values. But a well is meant to hold water. Today, ‘Duty to God’ is about how we fill that well.

This Open Faith Service is exactly that: an open well. We aren’t here to hand you a bucket of pre-packaged answers or fit you into strict theological box. We are here to create space.

“So, if you have a vibrant faith tradition, we celebrate that with you. If you are questioning, hurting, doubting, or just figuring it out day by day, we celebrate you, too.

There are no requirements here today. No expectations. Just a simple reminder: you are welcome here.

Let’s take a moment to reflect, listen to some music, and explore what Duty to God means on our own unique journeys. Thank you for being here, and let’s fill the well together!”

Good stuff. Thanks Amanda.

As always, I will attempt to post my daily recap this evening.

Until then…

Blessings,

Pastor John

Chaplain’s Blog – Day Eight

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Chaplain’s Blog – Day Eight

July 26, 2026

by John Partridge

Well, today was an easy day… sort of. I was up, as usual, a bit after 6:00 am, showered, shaved, and headed to breakfast. After that, I put on my dress uniform, waited for a while, and then left for church around 9:30 am. I arrived a bit early because even though I wasn’t personally involved in anything up front, I correctly guessed that they would ask the Methodist pastors to participate in serving the communion elements at the end. In preparation for that, I had also asked a couple of the Chaplain’s Aides from our subcamp to be ready to assist as well.

The worship service was nice and the message was good. Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett from the West Virginia Annual Conference presided over communion and I spoke with her briefly both before and afterwards. I was assisted in serving communion by one of the scouts with Down’s Syndrome and he was not only thrilled to help, but did a great job as well. During my conversation with his leaders I found that he had accidentally lost the small form we had passed out at the Chaplain’s Aide meeting a few days prior, and he needed a new copy so that he could earn the special Jamboree Chaplain’s Aide patch. So, later that day, I stopped by their troop campsite and dropped off a new copy for him and a spare for his leaders.

Several conversations happened throughout the day with both our subcamp leadership and with the young woman that I mentioned had been struggling. At least one of those conversations seems to have made a difference and we seem to be moving in a positive direction. I have some plans for tomorrow or the next day that, I hope, will also move us in a positive direction.

Finally, our day concluded with a doozy of a fireworks display that lasted *much* longer than I expected, particularly when they have already notified us that the *big* fireworks display will be after the closing ceremony on Thursday.

In any case, let’s meet here again tomorrow.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Chaplain’s Blog – Day Seven

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Chaplain’s Blog – Day Seven

July 25, 2026

by John Partridge

When I woke up this morning, I really didn’t have a plan of what I intended to do and, as it often does, life filled in the vacuum. I thought that maybe I would take the time on a sunny unstructured Saturday to visit some of the booths and displays, especially those in the Faith and Beliefs area. But it was not to be. While I was at breakfast, I was greeted by one of the Catholic chaplains with whom I shared a tent at the 2019 World Jamboree and he asked that I take the time to speak with him when I was done eating. I did so, and the core of that discussion was that he had been having a conversation with a young man who was raised Brethren, was currently Methodist, and was exploring a call to ministry. The difficult wrinkle was that he was engaged to a Catholic girl and was wrestling with the possibility of becoming Catholic, though he understood that would mean that, being married, he could not consider a call to ministry.

My friend had advised him that he should never consider becoming Catholic if his motivation was to please his future wife or her family, but only if he was fully convinced of the truths held by that faith. In any case, we agreed to meet later that morning with another staff member, a Methodist lay person, who had also been counseling the same young person. Upon my return to camp, I met one of the folks from Mental Health who was working to assist one of our scouts with Autism so that he could be accommodated at the fishing merit badge area but that also meant that transportation would have to be arranged (and that can be difficult). After a visit with the young man and his father, and more discussions with Sam, our chief subcamp Commissioner, I headed back up the hill to my meeting outside the dining hall, both with my friend Bill (the priest) and the Methodist lay person, but I also ended up joining their ecumenical chaplain’s meeting (I think). With those conversations concluded, I returned to have lunch, after following up and finding that all had been arranged and coordinated for the trip to and from the fishing merit badge area.

After all that, I thought maybe I would still be able to head over to the other side of the lake to explore, but by then I was informed of a staff meeting that was being scheduled before dinner, but early enough to make a trip to Faith and Beliefs difficult. So, I took a short nap, read a little in my book, and waited for the meeting. But… while I was doing that, I was able to persuade one of our young adult staff to have a conversation with me. This young lady has been struggling (though I won’t say more than that here) and I have been trying to gain her trust. Our conversation was ultimately cut short so that we could attend the staff meeting, and after that we headed for dinner.

After dinner, several of us Chaplains (and Chaplain’s Assistants) met a new chaplain that arrived today for the second half of Jamboree (while we had earlier said goodby to one who had only been able to attend the first half). We held an impromptu commissioning service, laid on hands, and prayed over him before we all headed back to our own subcamps.

While more things happened “in the background” regarding several of the above items, not much else really happened this evening other than making plans to attend worship tomorrow, and me camping out and working on this blog while many of the scouts played music outside, traded patches, and generally had a good time.

I hope to see you all again here tomorrow.

Blessings,

Pastor John