For some, summer brings a slower pace. For others across our state, it signals a season that accelerates with activity, ministry, and opportunity. At Camp Siloam, we are grateful for the rhythm of summer and the chance to partner with incredible Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) ministries such as Super Summer, Praise and Joy Works, Engage Camp, and the many Vacation Bible School weeks taking place across Arkansas. Together, we share a common mission: to proclaim the good news of the Gospel and help children and students grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. 

This summer at Camp Siloam, our focus centers on Identity in Christ as we walk through the book of Daniel. God’s Word is filled with powerful promises about how He sees us. In Christ, we are loved, forgiven, created in His image, and described as His workmanship. Our worth is not self-made—it is God-given. 

Daniel and his friends understood their identity before they were ever taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar. Though their culture changed and their circumstances shifted dramatically, their identity remained anchored in the truth of who God said they were. Because they knew they belonged to the Lord, they were able to stand firm when everything around them changed. 

That truth remains just as relevant today. Within our families, communities, and churches, circumstances will inevitably shift. Seasons of uncertainty, challenge, or transition will come. In those moments, an important question arises: Are we living according to our circumstances, or are we living according to the unchanging truth of God’s Word? 

Here are two reminders that help anchor us in our identity in Christ: 

1. Who Jesus says that I am never changes. 
Scripture reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that in Christ we are new creations. Our identity is rooted in Him—not in feelings, failures, successes, or the unpredictability of life. When we belong to Jesus, our foundation is secure. 

2. I belong to God, so I can trust Him. 
In Daniel 3:18, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego declared their confidence in God, even when facing the fiery furnace. They trusted Him not only for deliverance, but also with the outcome. Their faith was not dependent on how God chose to act; it was grounded in who God is. They understood that His presence was enough. 

This truth is easy to affirm and often difficult to live out. Yet throughout Scripture—and in our own experiences—we see that even when prayers are answered differently than expected, God remains faithful. Because we belong to Him, His presence is sufficient. Not the outcome, but His presence. 

As you move through this summer, I pray that the Lord brings Camp Siloam and the many ministries happening across our state to your mind. May we pause to pray—for God to move, for lives to be changed, and for summer 2026 to be a season of spiritual growth and transformation for children, students, and adults alike. 

When circumstances shift, may our identity remain steady. Because in Christ, who we are never changes.