THE JUDSON JOURNAL
Transcription
THE JUDSON JOURNAL
THE JUDSON JOURNAL NEWS FROM WHERE FAITH AND FUN MEET September 2015 WWW.CAMPJUDSON.COM Volume 13 Issue 3 Summer Camp in Review Summer Camp 2015 was a unique, challenging, and an inspiring summer. We were blessed with a fantastic staff and the feedback we received from parents and campers has been overwhelmingly positive. Our overall camper numbers were down slightly to 560 from 571 in 2014, but over 60% of our campers made the decision to take the next step in faith in devotion to Jesus, with some choosing Jesus for the first time, others recommitting themselves to Christ, and many others deciding to deepen their devotional life and intentionally seek to grow spiritually! 192 campers received scholarship assistance through our Every Kid to Camp program totaling nearly $50,000, thanks to the generosity of our donors, but as we head into the fall, we are still working to finish raising the last $10,000 to cover those scholarships. We faced our usual share of maintenance challenges (leaky roofs, broken water lines, etc) this summer, but the biggest challenge we faced was an outbreak of head lice during the second week of camp, which resulted in us ending Session 2 of camp early and the cancellation of our Session 3 camps (all half week camps). As a result of our experience, we learned a lot and adjusted our screening procedures for the remaining weeks of camp and are looking at some possible additional adjustments for next summer. We are grateful for the faithful support in prayer, giving, and volunteering of all of our alumni, friends, and partner churches. Erie Gives 2015 Breaks Records for ECF and Camp Judson Erie Gives was once again a huge success in 2015! In just 12 hours on August 11, Camp Judson received $25,709.95 from 144 donors as well as a 5% match from the pool of matching funds for Erie Gives. This sets new records both for the amount received by Judson through Erie Gives and the number of donors participating. Additionally, we ranked 23rd in amount received and 20th in number of donors out of the over 300 non-profits who participated! Overall, Erie Gives raised over $2.8 million from over 6,900 donors to over 300 non profits that serve the Erie area. We are grateful to the Erie Community Foundation for sponsoring Erie Gives, and to GE Transportation, Eriez Magnetics, Erie Insurance, Presque Isle Downs, an anonymous donor, and the Foundation for providing the prorated matching funds. We are also grateful for all our friends and supporters who pray for us and donate so generously! How You Can Help: Be An Advocate for Judson We are looking for individuals who are passionate about the Camp Judson ministry to serve as Advocates in their church and community! Camp Judson Advocates: Help us in promoting Camp Judson’s Summer Camp programs in their church congregation and in their local community by helping to recruit campers, volunteers, and summer staff. Help us in promoting retreat programs offered by Camp Judson and the use of our facilities for retreats and gatherings by churches and organizations in your community. Assist in gathering emails and addresses of individuals who would like to be added to the Camp Judson mailing list. Receive special Advocate mailings/e-mails to assist you in promoting the Camp Judson ministry in your church and community. Answer questions, share vision, provide feedback, and identify concerns that would help Camp Judson better serve individuals, families, churches, and the region at large. Support Camp Judson regularly through prayer. Volunteer and give to Camp Judson as they feel led. If you would be interested in serving as a Camp Judson Advocate, please contact the camp office by emailing judson@campjudson.com or by calling (814) 922-3834. Long Range Plan Update As the year draws to a close, the Camp Judson Board is prayerfully wrestling with a few final questions before bringing a Long Range Plan to completion and presentation to our friends, supporters, and partner churches. The Board began the planning process by seeking to prayerfully discern God’s vision for the future of the Camp Judson ministry, and reaffirmed our mission to help individuals take the next step in their relationship with Christ and to support and encourage both local churches and families. As the process has continued over the last two years, the Board has discussed many different things including both current and potential program offerings, activity opportunities, our current facility concerns, and our future facility needs. We hope to settle the final few questions on the Long Range Facility Plan at our November Board meeting so that we can begin to share this plan with our alumni, friends, and partner churches. We are grateful to God for providing the funds needed for this process, and we ask that you would pray that God would go before us as we prepare to begin the process of sharing, fundraising, and implementing the Long Range Plan for the future of Camp Judson. Help Us Send Every Kid to Camp As of September 15, we have not yet reached our fundraising goal of $50k for our Every Kid to Camp Scholarship Fund for 2015. Currently we sit about $11k short of our goal, with a little over three months left until the end of the year. Every Kid to Camp ensures that family finances are not a barrier to children and teenagers experiencing the love of Jesus at Camp Judson. This summer, nearly, 200 campers received scholarships from Every Kid to Camp here at Judson, and contributions from donors range from handfuls of coins to thousand dollar checks—all of which helps kids come to camp! If you would like to help us reach our goal, you can make a gift to the Every Kid to Camp Fund, by sending your tax-deductible donation to; Every Kid to Camp, c/o Camp Judson, 398 Holliday Road, North Springfield, PA 16430 or by credit card by calling the camp office at (814) 922-3834 or by visiting www.campjudson.com/ donate. Fall Workday Scheduled for Saturday, October 17 Our Fall Volunteer Workday is scheduled for Saturday, October 17 beginning at 9 AM. Volunteers are needed to help us prepare for winter by winterizing cabins and buildings, cutting trees and firewood, and completing some maintenance projects. Lunch will be provided for volunteers. If you are able to come and help us, please let us know by contacting the camp office at (814) 922-3834 or at judson@campjudson.com. Save Money on Your Electric or Gas Bill AND Support Judson! Do you pay an electric and/or gas bill each month? If your answer is yes, you have an opportunity to save money AND support Camp Judson through Ambit Energy every time you pay your bill!. Ambit guarantees an annual 3% savings against the rate to compare for residential customers. Additionally, each customer who joins Ambit through Camp Judson, Camp Judson receives up to $9 per month (depending on your usage) with no additional cost to the customer. Judson is already receiving monthly checks from Ambit as a result of some of our friends choosing to support us in this simple way! Call David White at 814 397-3740 or visit campjudson.joinambit.com for more information. Join Us for a Retreat This Fall or Winter! Looking to get away? We have a couple retreat opportunities coming up this fall and winter: Pray for Judson Fall Scrapbooking Weekend—Our scrapbooking weekends are always popular and usually fills to capacity, so we have purchased some more tables and have more spots available for the weekend! Come spend the weekend cataloging and sharing memories, spending time with friends, and relaxing away from home. The weekend is scheduled for November 13-15 costs vary according to the accommodations you select. Registration flyers can be found on our website at www.campjudson.com or have one mailed to you by contacting the camp office. Here are some ideas to guide you in praying for the ministry of Camp Judson: Winter Blast—Youth groups and their adult leaders love Winter Blast! Plan on joining us for a winter retreat for you and your youth group where we take care of all the planning, speaking, worship leading, meals, and activities, and all youth leaders need to do is to bring their youth and spend the weekend with them. Individual middle and high school students are also welcome to attend Winter Blast on their own. This winter we are offering three weekends to choose from: January 22-24, January 29-31, and February 5-7. The cost of the weekend is $90 per student and $55 for adult youth leaders. Youth Groups who think that they might attend should call the camp office to let us know, so to reserve space for themselves on the weekend of their choice. Camp Judson Wish List Here are some items that would be helpf` to receive as donations: Stamps (regular postage) 11” x 17” Copy Paper White Board Markers White Board Erasers and Cleaner HP 61XL Black Printer Cartridges Dish Towels Shower Curtain Hooks Liquid Dish Soap Pens Pencils Rolls of Duct Tape Earplugs Shop Rags Woodchips/Mulch Railroad Ties Skill Saw Cordless Drill GoPro Hero4 Video Camera Thank you for your time and help!! ul Praise for what God has done: For all the campers whose lives were touched through Summer Camp 2015 and that God would surround them with mentors and situations that will help them to grow in their faith in Jesus and to bear fruit. For our staff, directors, nurses, and volunteers who spent their summer loving and serving campers, and that God would help them to continue to grow and apply the lessons they learned through their experiences at camp. For the generosity of our donors through Erie Gives and throughout the rest of the year. Pray for our retreat and conference ministry Pray for our retreat and conference guests who are preparing to come in the Fall of 2015 and Winter of 2015-16. Pray for our Fall Scrapbooking Weekend. Pray for our Winter Blast Youth Weekends. Pray for new rental retreat groups (particularly on weekdays) to experience God through Camp Judson. Pray for God’s Provision That God would help us to end 2016 in the black, by providing the $11k we need to balance out the Every Kid to Camp Scholarship Fund and by providing the remaining $40k needed in undesignated giving from individuals and churches. Pray for the Camp Board and Leadership That God would bring His vision for ministry through Camp Judson to fulfillment. For our board and the consulting firm of Fletemeyer and Lee as we complete the facility master plan to serve the growth of the Camp Judson ministry. That God would lay the groundwork for the upcoming capital campaign to fund the improvements laid out in the facility master plan. That God would provide our board and leadership with discernment, wisdom, and courage as they lead the Judson ministry and make decisions for the future. For our upcoming board meeting in November. To join our e-mail prayer team, send a message to judson@campjudson.com. Thanks for praying! Northwestern Pennsylvania Baptist Assembly Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage CAMP JUDSON Box 65, 398 Holliday Rd. North Springfield, PA 16430-1208 814-922-3834 FAX: 814-474-6016 E-MAIL: Judson@campjudson.com Website: www.campjudson.com PAID Permit #6 Albion, PA 16401 Return Service Requested Stay Connected through Social Media! It’s Not Too Late to Get Your Copy 65th Anniversary Commemorative Books Search for the Camp Judson page and click “Like” to view the latest updates and photos in your newsfeed! Search for CampJudson (one word) and click the follow button. Or follow us directly by visiting: www.twitter.com/CampJudson Books are $20 (plus $5 if mailed) To get your copy, stop by the camp office, call (814) 922-3834, e-mail judson@campjudson.com, or send your check to: Camp Judson, 398 Holliday Road, North Springfield, PA 16430 If you would rather get this newsletter by email, visit our www.campjudson.com and sign up for e-mail updates! If you have any questions, comments, or would like to learn more about the ministry of Camp Judson, please contact us through our website: www.campjudson.com by e-mail: judson@campjudson.com by phone: (814) 922-3834 or fax: (814) 474-6016, or write to: Camp Judson, 398 Holliday Rd., North Springfield, PA 16430-1208