Please pray that God’s people will come along side the camp during these next few months so that we might accomplish all that needs to be done to have another awesome summer camp season. Please also pray for our Summer Staff, Deans, and Faculty as they prepare to serve God and our campers at LaMoine this summer.

I thank you for all you do as supporters of our ministry. We can’t do it without you! May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless LaMoine Christian Service Camp!

Happy New Year everyone!

I know it is only January, but I am already starting to get excited about what is planned for 2010. This year’s schedule of events is posted on our website www.lamoinecamp.org. Seniors, you won’t want to miss our Musical Lollapalooza on May 21st. The summer staff is also coming together nicely with, hopefully and prayerfully, all experienced staff returning for another year. The theme for this year is “Escaping to Paradise”. We want our campers to know that for a few days this coming summer they can escape the doldrums of the everyday to the paradise of LaMoine Christian Service Camp. And even more than that, they just might claim the promise of the everlasting paradise in heaven while they are here, read Luke 23:39-43.

As I share with you some of what we are working on here at the camp, it is because of God’s grace and your giving that we have this ministry to share in.  Please continue to give so that LaMoine might continue to impact youth and adults for Christ. I pray that 2010 will be the best of years for you, your family, your church, and your camp.

Serving Our Savior Together,
           Doug
Doug Hamer/Director

Money for Phase 2 (New Bathroom/Storm Shelters) on hand - $35,319.84

Upcoming Events
January 11th – South Area Men’s Fellowship/Madison Park Christian Church, Quincy, IL
January 18th – East Area Fellowship/Table Grove Community Church, Table Grove, IL
January 22nd – Camp Team Meeting at the Camp for Ministers and Camp Deans
January 25th – North Area Men’s Fellowship/Stronghurst Christian Church, Stronghurst, IL
January 25th – 28th – National Christian Camp Leader’s Conference in Lexington, KY

Wow, can you believe it’s already November? This year has really flown by. The majority of the leaves have already fallen around the camp and winter is just around the corner. I do love this time of year though; the cooler weather, seeing the deer on the property, hosting many retreats of various types, and of course Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The activity around the camp will keep right on going through the fall and winter months. We will host our annual Junior High Fall Retreat in November as well as 4 rental retreats. Do you realize that over the past 5 years the camp has hosted an average of 40 retreats per year? The income from these retreats totals more than $110,000.00. That’s compared with total rental income of less than $25,000.00 for the prior 5 year period. What a blessing it is to be a part of so many retreats. I really enjoy serving the needs of our rental groups and getting the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with them. Your camp Board of Directors will also meet in November to, among other things, discuss our next step for replacing our bath domes.

There is much to do here at LaMoine that will help us draw even more youth and adults to this blessed place. I want you to know that we are committed to making plans that will maximize our ministry opportunities and then waiting on God’s people for the funds to continue our growing ways. This holiday season, please celebrate with me everything that God is allowing us to be a part of at LaMoine; the summer camps, the rental retreats, and the changed lives. While it is God that brings about the increase to His Kingdom, it is you who are faithful in your giving to this ministry. Your gifts of prayer, money, and volunteer help, are what allow the camp to continue to provide a place where people of all ages can come to experience God in a personal and meaningful way. May God be ever glorified by what we do together at LaMoine Christian Service Camp.

Dear Friends of the Camp,

It is hard to believe that we are already half way through this summer camp season. So far, we have seen a countless number of smiles, heard endless screams of joy, shared in loud and enthusiastic singing of praises to God, have had many unique and interesting interactions with the campers, and have witnessed several baptisms in our pool. Nothing can compare to the blessings of summer camp at LaMoine.

Right now we have 62 soon to be 4th graders and their faculty volunteers at the camp. As I write this letter, our campers are enjoying an 82-degree day swimming in the pool and taking part in other organized water gamer. After dinner they will be getting their group photo taken and then worshipping in the open air chapel. This Dean really likes to utilize the outdoors as much as possible. Later in the evening, I'm sure they will wrap up the day with snacks from the canteen and a time of singing and devotions around the campfire.

I am so thankful that our kids have a place like this camp to spend a few short days of their summer. Recently, a parent told me how thankful he was that his girls have been able to come to this camp for the past few years. He said that this year especially, he really noticed a change for the better in them when they returned home. I thank you for being a devoted and faithful prayer partner, volunteer, and partner in giving and I ask you to continue to pray for our campers, staff, and faculty as we all work together to glorify God this summer at LaMoine Christian Service Camp.

Click HERE to see more photos!

Serving Our Savior Together,

Doug

Doug Hamer/Director

It was such a blessing to have the caricature artist, Jamie Green, back this year as well as the regular appearance of our kettle corn volunteers. The kids really loved the pony rides, as well as the big dual slide and the “Dunk-a-Dean” tank. The swimming pool and climbing wall were also busy. The balloon sculptor and face painting really helped to give the camp a festive atmosphere. The adults loved the food, guided tours, fellowship, and watching the kids have so much fun. Once again, it was the silent and live auctions that were the favorite activities for most guests. Our Member Churches really showed up by providing plenty of really well done baskets for our silent auction. The LaMoine Area Woodworkers again did an awesome job with preparing several quality hand-made wood items for the live auction. These wood items add so much to our auction each year. I also want to say a big “THANK YOU” to all the businesses and individuals that donated items for the auctions and garage sale.

The silent and live auctions brought in more than $5,500.00 with an additional almost $600.00 coming from the garage sale. The garage sale brought in a whopping $631.28. The generosity of those who attended also brought the camp $326.86 in kettle corn sales and $131.86 from the caricature artist. After all of our expenses, the camp was left with just shy of $5,000.00.

Not only did the Open House & Auction provide some income to the camp, but there’s just no telling all the ways in which the Open House may have opened doors of opportunity for the camp to be blessed and to be a blessing to others in the future. The day would not have worked out so well without the help of so many people willing to give of their time, money, and talents, and so I say a big “THANK YOU” once again. May God bless you and your family, and I hope to see you out at the camp again this summer.

See More pictures of the event here.

To God be the Glory,
Doug Hamer
Director/Open House & Auction Coordinator

I believe that giving to God’s work with youth is the best place to invest of your time and money because nearly 80% of all who accept Christ do so before the age of 12 and 85% by the age of 18.

I know it is only January, but I am already starting to get excited about what is planned for 2009. This year our theme and emphasis will all be related to the words of Jesus from the gospel of John.

                     “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’?
                             I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields!
                                          They are ripe for harvest.”
                                                  John 4:35 (NIV)

First we want everyone to realize that LaMoine Christian Service Camp is a harvest field. Just in the past 8 years alone, 467 youth have accepted Christ at the camp during our summer camp programs. Can you imagine the size of the harvest when you consider that the camp has been here for nearly 52 years, and another 10 years in Camp Point before that? We also want all our camp partners to know that the fields are ripe for harvest now. “Open your eyes and look at the fields” to see that the harvest is ready and now is the time to do all that we can to bring the harvest in. It is the eternal lives of our youth that we are talking about and we cannot allow them to rot in the fields of today’s culture and influence. We must be urgent about making this camp a place that will draw youth here to this harvest field. Let’s prepare the soil at LaMoine right now; not in “four months more” or 4 years more, but now.

I thank you for your willingness to join God, me, and so many others in the life-changing work of the camp. We covet your prayers and giving, that the harvest might be bountiful. May God bless you in 2009 and may God continue to bless LaMoine Christian Service Camp.

The camp Board and staff are committed to making the Phase II improvements to the camp debt free. We currently have about $9,000.00 on hand for these improvements. We are accepting “seed money” donations now, in order that in God’s timing these gifts might produce a harvest. The harvest to come is not new and improved buildings, but the souls of our kids and their friends that will be given over to God and strengthened in faith at the camp. We are confident that the Phase II plans will contribute significantly to drawing more kids to the camp increasing the Kingdom harvest. Will you help? Just mark your check “Phase II Harvest” and pray for the seed money needed to move forward. Thank you and God Bless You!