Amy
I am Amy Gillespie, current co-director of CYF camp. It has been an honor to be involved with high school camp at Walter Scott – from camper to counselor to director to parent of a camper. In my “real life” I am a reading and math interventionist at an elementary school, but my greatest joy is being a mom and wife!
I direct camp because camp impacted my life. Cam Walter Scott was and is a refuge for me. It is a place where I am enough, I am loved and I find connection. I want that for all youth. Today’s world is overwhelming and camp is a way to find something deeper – something more.
I have so many favorite camp memories, but my favorites are all of the little moments. Moments where love and peace and acceptance sweep over the room and cover us all with the Holy Spirit.
This summer, I look forward to meeting new high school campers. I also look forward to sharing CYF week with my sons (who are campers) and serving during JYF week while my daughter is a camper. Hanging out with Clayton is a bonus also!
Zack
Hi, I’m Rev. Zack Mapes, a lifelong member of the Disciples of Christ, having grown up attending the First Christian Church of Springfield IL. I currently serves as the Pastor of the First Christian Church of Sterling IL, having began this ministry in July of 2018 shortly after graduating from Christian Theological Seminary. I have a beautiful wife, Ashley, and two wonderful children, Anna and Noah. My goal with the camping program is to see it thrive. Having been impacted by this very camping program myself, I can attest to its merits and the many lifelong memories that are formed. I attribute a great deal of my own call to ministry to the camping program, and hope that the continuing of our program can give others a chance to discover who they are and what they are called to do. In my current role as a director, my hope is that I can help foster a space that encourages this self-discovery, while enriching the faith of all who join with us! Choosing a favorite memory is a difficult question. I can probably highlight a memory from each year as being one of my favorites. If I had to narrow it down, I would say that my favorite memories are the friendships and connections that I made. I can remember the feeling of sitting outside, waiting for your camp friends to arrive, and being so excited when the church van from that town pulled in. I can remember the feeling of not seeing someone for a year, and then being reunited at camp and feeling like no time had passed. Camp friendships are a special thing. I am looking forward to seeing who surprises me this year. Each year, there is always a student who has changed quite a bit from the last year. Some get more mature, others grow a foot taller, some come out of their shells, and so much more. It is always a joy to reconnect with the Youth, and to see how much they have changed over the past year.
