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| December 2009 | Volume 58, Issue 7 |
Note about Camp Brainerd Task Group:
Over the last year, a special Task Group of the Lehigh Presbytery has undertaken a study to determine whether or not camping ministry is important for the Presbytery. Pastor Bob and Kim Ward had the privilege of serving on that Task Group. While it quickly became apparent that camping ministry in some form ought to continue there was some question as to whether it was viable and economically possible to continue supporting the Presbytery’s camp at the Brainerd Presbyterian Center.
A group of friends and alumni of the camp heard of its closure was being considered and proposed that they be given an opportunity to see if they can make the ministry at Brainerd feasible. The Task Group was impressed by their enthusiasm and their willingness to have measureable benchmarks to access their progress. The Task Group voted to recommend that the ministry at Camp Brainerd be continued for next year with clearly defined benchmarks including raising $34,000 from donors and increasing camping attendance by 15%. Should those goals not be met, the Presbytery will discontinue camping ministry at the Brainerd property beginning in 2011, provide scholarships to other Presbyterian Camps for at least one year and evaluate how best to do camping ministry in the future. The Presbytery voted in November to adopt the Task Groups recommendation to continue the camping ministry in the Lehigh Presbytery for 2010 with the benchmarks established with its main focus on the Brainerd Presbyterian Center.
Olivet has long been a supporter of the Brainerd Presbyterian Center and we have held special offerings over the last few years to support its ministries. Our Youth Group has gone on several retreats and some of our young people have attended summer camp there. The Session believes it to be important that the ministry continue and have decided on a different approach to raise money to assist the Camping ministry. Beginning in December and throughout the next year we have placed a water jug in the rear of the church. We are asking all those in attendance each Sunday to drop one dollar in the jar. If just thirty of people do this, we will have raised over $1,500 by the end of November next year. But with our attendance hovering between 60-70 people we can even do better than that.
So please if you are able consider giving a dollar each week in worship to help save Camp Brainerd. If you would like to make a donation to the camp directly you can mail a check made out to Friends of Brainerd, 1301 M. Easton Belmont Pike, Stroudsburg, PA 18360 or you can of course make a check out to Olivet and mark that it is for Camp Brainerd.
