Comments on: Camp Durango

By: Dillon ADger

Dillon ADger — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:00:08 +0000

hey todd, my dad was the guy who kept saying he was your stalker at the camp. Do you remember him? That was extremly funny. I would just like to say thank you. so… thank you. XD

By: IG0

IG0 — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:48:57 +0000

It was so much fun. i loved it there. i became closer to God when i was at that church camp. im still close to Him now. im already telling people what ive learned. this was m first church camp and it was amazing. thank you

By: Aryn (Vista Grande)

Aryn (Vista Grande) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:32:49 +0000

O my Gracious you really touched me this last weekend my mom and i listen to all your music all the time and your Christmas cd is listed to year round =) You are so inspiring as a christian and as a singer because im a singer. now when im at church im not just reading the music of the hymnal book im meaning what im saying!!

Flipped,
Aryn
ps CHRISTIAN SINGERS RULE!!!!!

By: Hope

Hope — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 18:34:51 +0000

Hey Todd, Matt, Sam, and Bryan! Just thought i’d let you know how thankful i am for you leading worship at Durango. I love the way that you said you should know what you’re singing, the praise team leader at my church always says to think about the words. i do, but i never thought about what you said about actually meaning and just humming along if you don’t mean. Theres so many times i can think of at church when i’m just reading the words off the screen, but now i’ll think of it differently. I also liked how you “flipped” worship because i think some people get so caught up in being up at the front and just get into songs emotionally, but they may not be thinking of God, and the whole flip thing helped.
Hope white deer fbc
ps you have an amazing voice!!!

By: Hogan Hostas

Hogan Hostas — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:57:52 +0000

Todd,
This year was my second year at Student Life, and I must say that you deffinitely inspired me. I am a major fan of yours, and when I heard you were going to worship with us in Durango, I was thrilled! I enjoyed all of the music and worship. I was at first one of those kids who just sang the songs; now I can actually sing for the meaning and God knows I mean what I say. Although I don’t personally know you, I feel as if you are my brother in Christ and I thank you so very much! Thanks for allowing me to hear Christ through you this past week!

Love in Christ,
Hogan Hostas
Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church
Flower Mound, Texas

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:07:56 +0000

Hey, I sing on my praise team back home so sadly that means when I am suppose to be praising God through my singing sometime I let my mind wonder to other things or I sing things I don,t know the meaning of. That really put a hendrecne on my relationship with God. I quit feeling like he was there and it got so bad that I felt completely ignored by him. Well the second night at camp Todd and Ben really stressed not singing unless we knew what we were singing and our hearts were in it and Todd started to sing the chours “Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna in the Highest” so I said to God, “look I dont know what the meaniing of Hosanna is so Lord I will not sing this.” not even two seconds after I prayed that Todd explained that Hosanna means Save Us and for the first time in a long tome I felt like God was actually listening to mw. So I just wanna say thanks for Todd and his band in leading an amazing week of worship and for helping me come closer to God.

By: Hannah Middleton

Hannah Middleton — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:33:51 +0000

Heyy Todd-
I just wanted to let you know that the way you led worship was amazing! I have never seen someone completely push the focus away from themselves and towards God as you have! Also the songs were meant just for us! The first night we were there we found out that our pastor was resigning! It was a HUGE shock for all of us! We were so upset that we wouldn’t be there for one last sermon under our beloved teacher! I kept on asking “Why?! Why did God send us all the way out here far from home during this time!” But during the week I saw God miraculously work through the hearts of our youth group! We heard Ben Stuart talk about how everything happens for a purpose and it made me realize that God had planned this whole situation out before time began and that he had us there for a reason! The words from the song “reign in us” confirmed that and fit our situation perfectly! “You thought of us before the world began to breathe and you knew our names before we came to be. You saw the very day we’d fall away from you and how desperately we need to be redeemed! Lord Jesus come lead us, we’re desperate for your touch! Oh Great and Mighty One, with one desire we come, that you would reign, that you would reign in us! We’re offering up our lives, a living sacrifice; that you would reign, that you would reign in us! Spirit of the Living God fall fresh again; come search our hearts and purify our lives! We need your perfect love we need your discipline; we’re lost unless you guide us with your light” During this week I saw God work through our youth group and draw us together! Just as he saw to it that a king would rise up from Jesse he will provide a leader for his church! God uses the weak and broken to manifest his glory and he will use our church to do just that! Even if our beloved teacher is stepping down, God will never leave us! We need to recognize that it is God we worship not Pastor Matthew! Matthew would have never wanted us to look at him that way! We need to praise him in every circumstance! Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” If our church sticks together during this time we will not be broken by Satan’s attacks!! “You hold every moment, you calm my raging seas! You walk with me through fire, and heal all my disease! I trust in You! I trust in You! I believe You’re my healer! I believe You are all I need! I believe You’re my portion! I believe You’re more than enough for me; Jesus, You’re all I need!” We as a church need to rest in that and look to God for guidance! Anyway sorry I wrote all of that I just wanted to let you know that God used you, your band, and Ben Stuart to help lead us through this trial! James 1: 2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Trials are used to strengthen us in our faith! To God be the Glory!
Hannah Middleton
Sylvania Church
“God will by your side whenever you fall, in the dead of night whenever you call, so please don’t fight these hands that are holding you! His hands are holding you!” –“by your side” by Tenth Avenue North

By: Dax

Dax — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:31:22 +0000

Hi Todd.I was their at Durango.Two words:Life Changing.I was there with sylvania church,and as you can see from Mason Montes,Jacob,and Renee(my mom),you had a pretty big impact on us.Mason(12) and Jacob(14) are my friends,and I know you worked,along with Ben,as a tool in our lives.

Thanks,
Dax
P.S. I have a facebook,and it would be alot easier for you to find me,then for me to find you!

By: Renee Stevens

Renee Stevens — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:14:06 +0000

Hey Todd! Writing to say thanks for getting out of the way and shining the light of God when you sing. I love how its never about you, always him. This week was miraculous. We found out Saturday night our pastor of 22 years would be resigning the following morning. Preaching his last sermon and we were 700 miles away. Whoo hoo. Not ideal, I thought at first (to put it mildly). But God’s plans turned out to be so much better than mine. He so used you and Ben to put a divine arm around us and hold us as only He could have. When we sang “Jesus your all I need” I cant begin to tell you how that healed our hearts. And “I beleive that your my healer, I beleive your more than enough for me, your my portion”. Wow, what a balm for an open wound. Thanks, Todd. I have been praying for your (somewhat) new marriage and your upcoming album. I never forget you, my brother.
Renee
Sylvania Church (afflicted but not crushed, perplexed but not despairing, struck down but not destroyed.)

By: Jacob

Jacob — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:39:54 +0000

todd,
everybody at my church that went to camp 2 years ago all voted last year that we should go to the durango camp this year, and i’m pretty sure i can safely say that we’re all glad we came. earlier in the week we were all talking about how you’re different from a lot of other singers in that you don’t get all pumped up and go crazy when you’re on stage, or that like when you walk out and everybody starts screaming, you just ignore it, pick up your guitar, and start leading worship, and i myself love the way that you don’t just sing a few songs and say a few words here and there, but that the WAY you sing the songs and say the words, it really shows that you really mean what you say and really love God and want to spread that love to others, which makes me start to get nervous every time you put your guitar down because it makes me think that we might be moving on to something else, and i start quietly saying to myself, “no, don’t stop. keep singing more songs,” because you really make it to where you aren’t just singing words, but that you are lovingly singing to god with the purpose of praising him and being closer to him. all this to say, never stop doing what you were meant to do here on this earth along with the rest of amazingly gifted and talented players in the band, and thank you all VERY much.
Jacob
Sylvania Church