Lacy Apfelbeck, founder of Edge of the Red Sea Ministries — a Christian nonprofit based in St. Francis that helps families and individuals find physical, emotional and spiritual healing — believed it was a God moment when Extreme Faith Camp in Trego, Wisconsin, needed volunteers.
She stepped up to be a chaperone on a prayer team, and through this work, she got to know the hearts and minds of seven girls as the leader of their small group. Extreme Faith camp offers weeklong summer camps for youth in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
“Today, we live in a world of isolation,” Apfelbeck told Rachael McCallum, producer of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show, for an episode set to air at 9 p.m. July 4 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. “We’re behind our screens and our phones. And so even when we think we have friends, it’s just this chatting back and forth. But at (Extreme Faith) camp, it’s really an opportunity for them (campers) to actually get to know each other and to talk about God.”
In this community, Apfelbeck said, kids get to grow together and discover that they oftentimes struggle with the same issues, such as insecurity and peer pressure.
“There’s a huge pressure with how we dress, looking (the part),” Apfelbeck said. “At camp, that kind of just falls away. They’re able to even talk about that struggle. And then in turn, it just draws them closer to the Lord as well.”
While in her prayer group, Apfelbeck introduced methods of therapy used in her organization Edge of the Red Sea Ministries, such as eliminating “cross talk,” which refers to providing comments or feedback while a member of a group shares. The girls shared with Apfelbeck that it felt good to talk openly, and to not be judged when sharing their thoughts.
Apfelbeck’s advice for young teens is to plug into their youth ministry or youth groups. She also suggests that teens and parents ask each other tough questions. She said teens should start “rebuking lies.”
“We start that when we’re younger and it really grows when we’re adults. ‘I’m not enough’ is usually the overall theme that I think everybody has,” Apfelbeck said, talking about her experience at Extreme Faith Camp. “I’m not pretty enough or I’m not this or I’m not that. Just renouncing those lies in the name of Jesus. As their heart softens, they’re able to take that to confession, and they were able to take that to adoration and then they also found areas where they had need for forgiveness for themselves, for other people in their lives, whether it’s a family member or a friend. … That’s something that we need to do.”
To hear more from Apfelbeck about her experience as a volunteer at Extreme Faith Camp, tune into “Practicing Catholic,” which repeats at 1 p.m. July 5 and 2 p.m. July 6.
Also on the program, Jacqueline Lucca, an aspiring writer and parishioner of St. Paul in Ham Lake, shares how the blank page is deeply tied to her relationship with God. And in a repeat episode, Bob Beck, the director of marketing and operations at Franciscan Retreats in Prior Lake, shares how retreats are like spiritual vacations.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, “Practicing Catholic” can be heard after it has aired at archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
