Today is June 1st and the 7th Annual Open House & Auction is just days away. There is a lot to do in the next few days to make the camp look its best for the big day. The summer staff all start tomorrow, so they will be a big help. Of course there is a lot of orientation to take them through as well as training them for their individual camp responsibilities. We’ll also be visiting a V.B.S. in Bowen together this week.

Then on Sunday, our first campers will arrive. At this time of year, I once again get to witness first hand what is so special about this camp and why we all love it so much. It’s just all about the kids. What a place we have here to teach our kids about Jesus. I was reminded of this just a few weeks ago when I received an email from a past camper. Here is an excerpt from that email.

 “…I’ve gone to LaMoine since 2nd grade and went to Hi-teen 2 for the final time last year. I have changed my major from Aerospace Engineering to Youth Ministry and will be attending Lincoln Christian College this fall. Camp was a huge part of the reason I made this decision, and my weeks at camp were some of the best of my life. I made friendships I’ll have forever and I learned lessons I’ll never forget. I just wanted to thank you all for everything, and I wanted you to know of the impact going to LaMoine has had on my life. Thank you and God bless!”

All I can think of to say at this time is “Thank you”.  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, for supporting this ministry with your prayers, money, encouragement, and volunteer efforts. I believe God smiles when He thinks of LaMoine Christian Service Camp; a special place blessed by Him, protected by His Spirit, and loved and cared for by His people.

I thank you as always for your financial gift and your prayers on behalf of the camp. We count on God’s blessing and your support to make LaMoine Christian Service Camp everything that it is to so many. Very soon summer camp will begin and once again we will be given the tremendous opportunity to be a positive influence in the lives of over 1,000 youth campers and adults.

I want to make sure you know that you are invited to the camp’s 7th Annual Open House & Auction on Saturday, June 6th. Enclosed is a flyer that will show you all the fun things that will take place on this day. Please come and enjoy the camp with family and friends. This event is also a perfect time to invite neighbors and co-workers with children to the camp so that they can see our wonderful facilities and grounds, meet our exceptional staff and volunteers, and hopefully become comfortable with sending their children to our summer camp programs.

Finally, I just want to remind you that the information below about the “Seed Money” packets and the “Kingdom Harvest” income is all about the money we are raising to build new bathroom/storm shelter facilities at the camp. You can find out more details on our website, www.lamoinecamp.org under the support the camp section. You can also give directly toward this goal by putting “new bathrooms” in the memo section of your check.

Thank you again for your partnership in our ministry with youth and adults. May God bless you and LaMoine camp this summer as together we look forward to another season of Kingdom growth; one camper at a time.

 “Seed Money” Packets Distributed – 152, “Kingdom Harvest” Income to date - $5,411.35

It is April 1st today and finally it looks as though we will have a dry day with comfortable temperatures. There is much to do to prepare the camp for the upcoming summer season and so the nice weather is a welcome sight. As a matter of fact, today Jon and Evan are cleaning the socks from our septic system multi-flow tanks; a pretty messy job. Very soon now our member churches will be scheduling their spring clean-up projects at the camp. After a long winter, it is so good to see all the many familiar faces coming out once again to serve at the camp.

It is hard to believe that in two short months the camp will be alive with the sights and sounds of summer camp. I can’t wait to see the size and depth of “the harvest” that God has in store for us this season. Please pray that everything we do at the camp this summer will be pleasing to God and that He will pour out His blessing on everyone who visits this special place.

I want to give you a couple quick updates. Many of you know that we were trying to purchase the acre of land with a trailer adjacent to the camp on the SE corner. This property was sold to a private individual after she significantly outbid us. I have spoken with our new neighbor and she desires very much to be a good neighbor and a camp volunteer. Also, I want to update you on our “Seed Money for a Kingdom Harvest” program. At the bottom of these monthly letters, I will give a running account of how many packets have been given out and how much money has come in. You can find further details of this program on our website at www.lamoinecamp.org/support.

Finally and most importantly, I want you to know how thankful we are for your love and support of LaMoine Christian Service Camp. We greatly appreciate and need your prayers, financial gifts, and volunteer efforts. We can’t do it without you! God bless you and hope to see you soon. 

“Seed Money” Packets Distributed – 139, “Kingdom Harvest” Income to date - $3,503.00

Thank you so very much for your financial gift to the camp ministry. Your gift will be used to support our efforts in providing a Christian camping environment that challenges youth and adults to love and serve Christ. There is no doubt that this camp is a better place and a more effective tool for God’s work because you have chosen to partner with us.

The month of March always brings thoughts of another camp season. Last week our water bottles and registration brochures arrived. This week we will receive our summer camp T-shirts as well as our Open House & Auction flyers. Mid-month, we will have our Summer Camp Kick-Off Meeting where the churches will receive all the information they need to promote summer camp and register their kids. Churches will also receive their spring cleaning projects, food barrel items, and kitchen help schedule. I thank you in advance for all you do as volunteers for the ministry of LaMoine Christian Service Camp. We can’t do it without you!

Also in March we are kicking off our “Seed Money for a Kingdom Harvest” program. All the money raised from this program will go toward replacing our current bathroom facilities with new bathrooms that will accommodate more campers and serve as the camp’s storm shelters as well. If you would like a Seed Money Packet which includes details of the program, $5.00 seed money, and a list of ideas for growing your seed money, just contact the camp.

We at LaMoine Christian Service Camp are thrilled to serve God and you! It is an exciting time of year as all the plans start coming together for the fast approaching camp season. We are equally grateful that you are a part of our camp family. Thank you again so much for your continued prayers and support.

Just recently all the area Ministers, summer camp Deans, and Camp Board Members were invited to the camp for a morning of fun, food, and fellowship. It was a great time for some of the new faces to our camp area to meet some of the not so new faces and for them to visit LaMoine Christian Service Camp for the very first time. I also had the opportunity to share with these camp partners and leaders my excitement for Christian camping and retreats, and to update them about what we are currently working on here at the camp. I want you to know that I am very encouraged by the commitment of our Member Church Ministers to the ministry of the camp.

In the afternoon, I met with the summer camp Deans and we discussed how we can work together to make this year’s summer camp the best experience possible for our campers. After all, we want our campers to come back year after year; that we might have many more opportunities to strengthen their faith in the Lord and their love for His Son, Jesus.

We appreciate your financial gift so much and I hope that you receive joy knowing that you have chosen to support a ministry that is so very effective in reaching youth and adults for Christ. Christian camping and retreat experiences provide opportunities for youth and adults to cultivate a love for God like nothing else can. What a blessing it is to have this camp in our area. May we always be thankful for this blessing and may we continue to give our best to this ministry.

Dear Friends of the Camp,

Thank you for your financial gift to the camp. Our Christian camping partners were very generous in 2008 and your gift now shows that you plan to support our work once again this year; and for that I am very grateful. 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.

Thank you for your gift to the camp. As a financial partner, you are vital to the fulfillment of our mission to create a Christian camping environment that will challenge youth and adults to love and serve Christ. Let me update you on the newest and most exciting news at the camp, which is certain to increase our effectiveness in accomplishing God’s mission for us here at LaMoine.

The camp has entered Phase II of our Stewardship Program. In Phase II we will bring current facilities up to a higher standard and 100% utilization. Our first priority in this phase will be to replace our current bath domes. After that we will direct our attention to our cabins, chapel, and old dining hall. The new bathroom facilities will be long lasting, low maintenance, and accommodate more campers than our previous structures. They will be constructed so that they can serve as the camp’s storm shelters as well. A contractor and architect are working now on plans and a preliminary budget.

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!

Wow, where has this year gone? It’s already November. I thank you so much for your financial gift this month to the work of the camp. Your faithful giving helps us to continue the mission of LaMoine Christian Service Camp year round. You may wonder what we do during the winter months, and so below is a partial list of what the staff will be working on for the remainder of the year.

• Maintenance: Prime and paint the old dining hall roof, prepare all the buildings, equipment, and grounds for winter, tear-out and replace the kitchen in the small multi-purpose building, general cleaning before and after retreats
• Programming: Host the Junior High Fall Retreat and the IL State Christian Camp Worker’s gathering, plan the January Camp Team Meeting
• Promotion: Give camp reports at the Area Fellowship Meetings, prepare and send out the Fall/Winter Hickory Chips mailing, work on the 2009 Summer Camp brochure and a promotional postcard for a targeted mailing
• Rentals: Host 6 separate retreats in November and December (This year we will have hosted a total of more than 40 retreats)
• Other: Work with a contractor on drawings, prints, and a budget for new bath houses, develop an online registration system, meet with the camp Board Committees, take some vacation days

As you can see, we have much to keep us busy. I thank you for allowing me to serve God and you here at LaMoine. 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. From all of us at the camp, have a blessed Thanksgiving time with family and friends and “thank you” again for partnering with us in the work of LaMoine Christian Service Camp.

• 1021 youth campers, 260 faculty, and numerous other volunteers
• 68 campers came forward to accept Christ or rededicate their life to Him
• $9,390.63 given to missionary organizations
• Great weather (only a couple hot or wet days)
• No major mechanical breakdowns or facility repairs required
• No major camper injuries
• Countless friendships made, youth encouraged, and faiths strengthened