Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Summer Draws Nigh

As summer approaches there is lots going on here at the Center. This past Saturday we had a few folks come and join us to help with some of the property clean-up that is in much need of doing! We can't thank those of you who came out to do this work; it is such a huge benefit to the ministry here.

It was great to have Ed out to help clear some of the hurricane damaged trees.

Tom & Kyle cleared a ton of fallen trees.

Darren & Tammy worked so hard at helping us clean up the leaves and deadfall.

Matthew was so kind as to haul away the garbage wood, we filled three truckloads.

Mike and the ladies BBQ'd us a yummy lunch.

Mike worked tirelessly with us clearing the leaves and deadfall.

After the work day on Saturday we prepared to go to Miramichi on Sunday morning where we had the opportunity to give a ministry update and open God's Word together with the folks at Calvary Baptist Church. It was such a blessing to be able to be with them there!


On Monday we had Matthew & Leonard back to help us with the driveway. It was getting to the point where it was nearly impassable without some difficult. So it is a huge blessing to have this much needed repair done to the lower driveway.


Tuesday, May 19, 2015

2015 NCEM Eastern / NorthEastern Field Conference



This past weekend we traveled to Bright, New Brunswick to Greenhill Lake Camp where our NCEM Eastern/Northeastern field conference was hosted. It is always a blessing to be able to be with our mission family; it is especially nice that our executive took the time to travel all the way out East to be with us.

We enjoyed fellowship with friends and colleagues as well as a number of sessions with guest speaker Doug Loveday. As always we were very comfortable and enjoyed the hospitality of the staff at Greenhill Lake.


Ivy & Nadia exploring the bunk beds!

It was a privilege to have Martin Bear and pastor Carl O'Donnell join with Chester Dana and minister to us in music. 

Our field directors Mark and Ruth-Anna Dana organized and planned the conference for the benefit of the missionaries working in these two fields.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Faith and planning summer camps!

It can be humbling and challenging to strive to make plans for summer camp programs in our context. At Arrowhead we operate entirely on the volunteer service of Christians who are committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Planning programs and running camps in this context can require a great deal of faith. If I've learned one thing in my six years here at Arrowhead so far, it's that no matter how much work I do, or how prepared (or unprepared) I may feel; God has a plan, a perfect one, that with obedience and stewardship I can proclaim His Glory through!

It can be easy to forget, especially at this time of year, as I labour to build programs, schedule events and recruit numerous staff volunteers to fill various vital roles; it can be easy to forget that this is God's ministry and He is already working in the hearts and minds of people that He wants to serve Him here at Arrowhead. I can get so focused on all of the many tasks at hand that I can lose sight of the actual Gospel purpose of our work here!

It became clear to me a number of years ago that badgering people to come and serve at Arrowhead is not helpful or productive; primarily because it can result in people coming with a superficial sense of responsibility instead of a Holy Spirit led desire to serve. But to balance that out - it is necessary for me to make folks aware of the Gospel opportunity that exists in serving in any number of capacities in our summer programs! With that in mind, I wanted to take the opportunity here to make you aware of some rather urgent needs for our upcoming summer ministries with Arrowhead. But please, do not think of this as your opportunity to "go help Arrowhead". This is an opportunity for you to come as an ambassador from your local church and engage in fulfilling the great commission in a cross-cultural context. An opportunity to step out of your comfort zone, for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and give of your talents and abilities to those who have yet to know Christ.

Day Camps - We are planning and scheduling two weeks of out trips from Arrowhead. Each week, will, Lord willing, see us visiting four different First Nations communities and offering an afternoon Bible Club style of program. But for this program to be possible we will need some volunteers to come and stay with us at the Center for each week and travel with us. So, if you have the gift of music (playing an instrument and/or singing) we would love for you to consider joining us. We also need those who can lead games, serve snacks, facilitate activities, paint faces and even do drama! Each week it would be fantastic if we had 15 or so volunteers.

On Site Camps - We are planning to host 3 weeks of on-site camp here at the Center, the first week to be teen camp followed by two weeks of junior camps. The opportunities to serve are many, we've seen the Lord use people with all kinds of skills in all kinds of ways, here is a short list of some specific areas that we are seeking volunteers to fill; but please, if you don't see something on this list that appeals to you don't be discouraged there are more opportunities!
  • cabin leaders - we like to see individuals 20+ years old serve as our senior cabin leaders. It is a wonderful experience that you will not soon forget. Having a more mature believer as the leader in the cabin provides for rich discipleship opportunities for both the campers and the junior cabin leaders.
  • musicians - we have some wonderful God Glorifying music that we like to sing for our gathering times at camp, but we require wonderful God Glorifying musicians to play the music for us.
  • lifeguards - we are on a waterfront, so finding volunteer waterfront certified lifeguards can be a challenge. Last year we were unable to offer a waterfront program for our summer camps, this year we are hoping to re-establish that program.
  • maintenance - there is always something on the blink during camp - so we always need a "jack of all trades" around who can help keep us afloat.
  • supervisors - we have many activities, games, challenges and events, all of which require staff supervision and participation.
  • medics - although we have already had volunteers commit to serve as our medic for our on site camps this year. This is often an area where we struggle to find qualified volunteers, so it might be something to consider for another year. Qualification for this role can extend from first responder training on upward.
  • kitchen - this is another area that is vital and we can always use help in. To serve in the kitchen it is helpful to have a food handling certification.
  • boat driver - this role requires only a boat driving license, but is also a key activity for our campers.
You can get a good picture of Arrowhead from our Facebook Page by clicking HERE. You can also visit our page on NCEM's website by clicking HERE.