The first thing that sticks in your mind about Camp SOLIDD is the bus trip. As a first timer, your friend sold you on the beach, the camp theme, the opportunity to get to know like-minded Christian girls and guys from other universities. But the cost of feeling that sea breeze is six hours, by bus. As the bus driver cuts rapidly into the next lane of traffic, you wonder, “Is this really going to be worth it?”
SOLIDD – Serving Our Lord in Dutiful Delight – is CERC’s Christian Fellowship for university students. Despite common beliefs that they’re one uniform crowd, SOLIDDs are spread across the Klang Valley and as far as Johor and East Malaysia, so despite having the same name, SOLIDD students from different universities rarely meet.
Most of their year is taken up “SOLIDD-ing” on their own campus anyway – like siblings in different towns, they have the same DNA; but really only get to see each other once or twice a year.
This year, the six SOLIDDs’ reunion took place over four days in April at Bukit Keluang beach, in Terengganu
All this means that Camp SOLIDD is a rare chance for Christian students to reunite. Whether in celebration or in concern, Camp SOLIDD is always a picture of Christian solidarity and always involves reflecting on the state of each SOLIDD’s ministry. For first timers though, it’s just a jolly good time.
Students dive into four days of bible studies by the beach, hikes up a seaside cliff, inter-SOLIDD games, and six talks surrounding a single topic crucial for the Christian life. The schedule is packed every year because Camp is designed to help each guy and girl see from every possible angle what God’s Word insists on: that they are living in God’s world.
Here’s my personal favourite quirk: At Camp SOLIDD, Bible study on the beach isn’t just a land-bound affair. Manuscripts are laminated so you can exegete in the sea, too.
The saltiest Bible study you’ve ever had
This isn’t limited to nature-focused activities: SOLIDD leaders don’t shy away from using their creative gifts in drama, suspense, sound and decor to get students thinking. At the House of the Offenders (HOTO) this year, students raced against time to escape a life-size, horror-house-style mystery by finding and solving theological clues. Everything in camp, from the talks to the games and decor, is focused on bringing students face-to-face with the gospel.
Students exercising their theological muscles under pressure: what does a woman in labour have to do with faith…
Camper Mike Tan was converted from staunch atheism five years ago, in Sunway SOLIDD. After two years in Singapore to complete his national service, he returned to study at HELP University. This year was his first time at Camp SOLIDD: “At Camp I can really see God’s hand at work in this ministry, because SOLIDD rests solely upon the bold and clear preaching of His Word.”
Students heard six talks on the nature of Christian faith.
He continued, “There’s no mincing of words, no sugar coating of our faith, but instead the real and raw realities of the gospel. And it’s all expressed in the intentionally planned out talks, bible studies, and camp activities.”
This year, Camp SOLIDD’s theme was: Faith as Small as a Mustard Seed.
Faith as Small as a Mustard Seed always feels relevant to SOLIDD – for many SOLIDDs, even something as basic as having a spot to meet on campus is never guaranteed. But this year, the theme was particularly urgent, as many of the SOLIDDs are passing into the hands of student leaders who are young in the faith. Their temptation as Christians is to bank on their own ability to have more faith. But the camp talks and Bible studies showed that the point of faith is not the believer’s will, but the object of his faith – God, who makes believing in Him even possible.
Mike has been the only student leader in his SOLIDD for nearly two years, and for him, the reality of ministry is evangelising, day-in and day-out. Under constant pressure to do well in studies, navigate opposition from his non-Christian parents, and reach out to non-believers (despite rumours on campus about his zealousness in evangelism), he struggles. The circumstances seem bleak: How can a single student do anything in a university campus of thousands of uninterested people?
“The mini sermon on David and Goliath on Night 2 has stuck with me. In 1 Samuel 17, a single shepherd boy stood up and defeated God’s enemy while God’s entire army was afraid of Goliath. The mustard seed-faith that God’s looking for is not self-conscious – it’s wholehearted fandom for God.”
“It was a sharp rebuke to me, to the times I had almost given up because ministry was tough, or because circumstances discouraged me to fight for Jesus to be preached on campus.”
At HELP SOLIDD, Mike Tan HELPs to save lives with the Word
Graduating students were also encouraged to continue modelling this God-obsessed faith for life, not just for their juniors to see. One of the ways this was done was through SOLIDD alumni like Zack and Christine Tan, who took time off from work to be at Camp SOLIDD.
Providing hard-won lessons from ministry and much-needed operational support, these alumni modelled what it means to not just survive in Christian duty, but delight in service to God.
Alumni recounted lessons and warnings from their time in SOLIDD ministry
Nissi, who has been a student leader in SOLIDD Online, has been doing ministry among her peers in Klang Valley colleges and universities since she was 17.
After Camp SOLIDD, she shared with me, “My friend who’s never been exposed to faithful preaching and Bible study enjoyed Camp SOLIDD so much. It made her wake up to what she’s been missing. Through my conversations with her, I was reminded that, amidst all the difficulties of student ministry, the DNA of SOLIDD is much bigger than our failures or successes.”
Caption: New to SOLIDD or been here forever, what we need remains the same
Reflecting on Camp SOLIDD as a whole, Mike ended his conversation with me like this: “This is my prayer for SOLIDD: no matter how big or small, or poor or rich we are, or whether we’re under persecution or not — even if we have nothing — we’ll keep preaching boldly because we don’t belong to ourselves and our ambitions or fears. We are God’s mustard seeds.”
“Hey Amos…your baba was from Sunway SOLIDD…you have to go to Sunway okay…NO, we need Amos for Chinese ministry, Christine was from TARUMT!”
As Nissi graduates from university, she is now passing the baton to the next generation. For her, a SOLIDD faith has come to mean more than just seeing success in ministry.
“The way you experience SOLIDD,” Nissi told me, “Is to go out there as a Christian and bring the gospel and the Bible to the people you know. Some people welcome the good news, but many don’t. You grieve for their sake, yet you keep going. You get tested, because the only thing that’s worth everything is Jesus and the gospel. Eventually, you grow in character, in love. From a tiny seed, God causes you to become a new person, capable of persevering in ministry to disciple other people who have the same goal, same mindset.”
“Faith as small as a mustard seed is who we are. It’s our origin story, our DNA, whether we’re large or small, to be SOLIDD is nothing else.”
If you want to be a part of a SOLIDD, find out more here!
