Prudence, Posture and Provincial Guidance

The number of challenges and nuanced tensions that have arisen over the past year have certainly created a context for administration that have been unexpected and sometimes overwhelming. 


Last summer the decision was ultimately made to not proceed with summer camps in any of the NCEM facilities. This summer we are faced with difficult decisions once again. No one desires to cancel camp. However, it was brought to my attention very recently that there are still some misunderstandings out there in the ether about Arrowhead and our posture as a parachurch ministry in 2021. It has been my experience that for every concern that is brought to my attention there are ten more in hiding that fester and bubble up in the "later-on". With that in mind I want to take a brief opportunity bring everyone up to speed with respect to our posture as a Gospel ministry in light of Provincial guidances and plans moving into Summer, 2021.


What About Provincial Guidance?

Last summer it was announced early that summer camps would be approved to proceed with programs. However, the guidance for this was not forthcoming until the latter part of May. Because of the logistics of working with volunteers and communities, our planning typically takes place in February and March for summer camps. Once again we have been told we can have camp programs, but no guidance has been forthcoming. Yet we have to make decisions about the ministry right now for July and August.

It was said to me that if non-christian camps are running this summer, then no Christian camp has an excuse for not running a program. I can certainly understand the sentiment of this, especially in light of the idea that the Church is somehow being persecuted in ways that are above and beyond the rest of society. Fortunately, that sentiment is not an accurate picture of the situation in NB. The province has elevated the value of the Church and given extra dispensation to church for gathering. The reality is; the decision to change a program, to operate or not operate—is about the ability of each facility to adequately follow the provincial guidances. It is not a comparison across the table at other camp facilities or other churches, each ministry must determine how they can best honour God and serve the Gospel in their particular context. For example, my friends at another Bible Camp have been able to operate a half capacity camp because they have large cabins and can maintain social distancing for sleeping arrangements. We are not in as favourable a position with our cabin sizes. This is just one example of the multitude of details to be considered with respect to our program.


It is our position at ANBC that we will strive to follow the guidance of the Province with respect to Covid to the best of our ability. We believe this honours God well, and serves the Gospel in a way that rebellion would not. This may mean that our program will look different than "normal" this summer. We will celebrate whatever opportunities God sees fit for us to have and we will pursue those fervently. 

No Ministry For Two Years?

It was said to me that public perception of our ministry will not tolerate another entire year with no ministry. I am thankful to say, irrespective of what may be observed by the public, the ministry has continued to grow and function throughout the pandemic. The team at ANBC has been working very hard to develop, launch and facilitate a number of ministry initiatives aside from Summer Camps. The initial vision of the missionaries who founded and named Arrowhead Native Bible Centre was that it grow and flourish in a number of areas. For anyone who has read our Field Notes over the past 2 or 3 years, you will know that we have a variety of ministry arms serving a variety of purposes; podcasting, bookstore, pastoral care, compassionate care, Mission Barrel, these things continue to flourish and fill out the ministry. We are not idle at ANBC. 

The fact of the matter is, we have always believed that these ministries belong to God. He provides the staff, He provides the financing, He governs the Government that allow us to operate, He provides safety and camp speakers. This summer is no different. We are diligently striving to plan a program, but ultimately God will see His ministry run this summer as He sees fit. It is our desire to simply follow Him in obedience. In the same way that we have never measured the success of our camps on the number of campers that come, we do not measure it by it’s traditional function — it is not something less if it is done in a different way. The success of our camp is found in the clarity and consistent presentation of the message of the Gospel
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What About Staff?

The reality is that our programs all run on the faithful service of volunteers. Without the loving labours of those who wish to see the Gospel go forward we cannot run any programs. Many of our volunteers in recent years have come from Ontario, which will undoubtedly not be an option this year - and even if it does become an option it will in all likelihood be far too late to find anyone who has not already filled out their summer commitments. We are relying entirely on volunteers from NS and NB this year. This reality has an impact on what programs we are able to run in compliance with our own regulations. 

What Does it All Mean?

Certainly, our hearts desire would be to have a "normal" summer and normal camps. We love camp and we want nothing more than to see camps flourish and grow. We value the gospel highly and want to see it transmitted clearly and in a way that brings glory and honour to God. As we pursue the camps for 2021 and seek to follow guidances from the province, our hearts are striving to be settled in obedience to God, not rebellion and bitterness. We would love for you to consider joining us for a week this summer to assist us in running a week of programs. It may be day camps, it may be a micro camp, it might be a full on regular camp, perhaps a family camp or even a camp out. We will know the full nature of what the schedule will look like in coming days. 


As you pray, please consider all of the summer bible camp ministries in Atlantic Canada and across the nation this summer as we struggle to make decisions. That we would have wisdom and clarity and that our primary focus would be bringing glory to our Good and Holy God. 

The Centrality of Christ in Ministry

It’s simple, Christian ministry is about Christ. Holding the Son of our almighty Father as central to our lives and ministry isn’t particularly optional. We are commanded to make Christ the central figure of our lives; the main character of our story, so to speak. There are those who like to say that Christianity is something special because it’s simply about a “relationship”. But it is quickly forgotten that this is not a typical relationship where all things are considered equal. This relationship is one of complete abandonment to, and dependancy on — Christ. We cannot presume to live in effective obedience in life or ministry if we say with our mouths that we follow Jesus but refuse to make Him the central figure of our lives in submission, self denial, slavery and servanthood.

Taking a critical look at how we approach our relationship to our local church and the leadership God has blessed us with should humble us. If Christ is central to my life, His affection for His bride, the Church, will flow from my heart. Praying that my Church leadership holds Christ as central to their lives and ministry is my faithful responsibility, after praying the same thing for myself, especially when I think I’m right and they are wrong. Rage in the face of correction is seldom righteous in the hearts of sinful people.

It’s more than just words. Many affirm the theology of holding Christ central, many hate what it looks like to apply it. If Christ is not central to my life, it means I have set Him aside and placed something in His rightful place. The evidence of this is borne out in the fruit of our lives. We set Jesus aside when our testimonies are beautifully woven tales that grip tightly to our egos and keep the almighty “me” as central to the story. We set the work of God aside when our biggest concern is numbers or dollars or equipment. Christ becomes secondary when we rely on our traditions and pride instead of immersing ourselves in scripture and following Biblical principles. Compromise comes in many subtle forms and often zeal is gas to the fire of compromise.

What does any of this have to do with Arrowhead? Everything. Under the authority of scripture, submitting well to obedient and flourishing local churches and holding Christ central, that is what missions is all about. The Gospel, the story of Christ and His work, we love it. We love to share it, no matter how it’s received. If you love it, why not prayerfully consider coming to serve the Lord with us here at ANBC? Discipling and teaching, evangelizing and serving - together we can be an example of what it means to hold Christ as central to life.

Lisbon Falls Baptist Church

It was great to spend the weekend in Lisbon Falls, Maine at Lisbon Falls Baptist Church. I met with the volunteer team on Friday evening and then again on Saturday morning. It is always exciting to meet with our incoming teams and share their enthusiasm. I always feel like I'm at home in Lisbon Falls and it was great to be able to visit with so many friends on this trip. In addition to our volunteer orientation sessions, it was a privilege to open the Word with everyone on Sunday evening.

Chatting with the Matt and John in the parking lot, Pastor Alden will be bringing the group up to Arrowhead  for our second junior camp! I love these guys.

Small group discussion during our volunteer orientation sessions. 

It was so encouraging to enjoy some fellowship with these dear brothers. Their love for the Lord and enthusiasm for the Gospel is contagious.

Enjoyed some fellowship with Matt McGuire and Mrs. Michel after church service Sunday evening.

So... it's almost April!

It's been a while. I haven't had the gumption to compose a blog for some time. In fact, Liz and I were so very exhausted from last years activities, that we went into complete station keeping mode for January and February. We ran the book shop, maintained the financial books, maintained the buildings, hosted a couple of rentals and kept up with correspondence - but otherwise we intentionally tried to engage in rest. It was good, but it certainly highlighted the necessity for us to have a healthy balanced schedule - and Lord willing to find another couple who will come and serve with us here on a full time basis.

That is, in fact, our biggest prayer request right now. That another couple would consider coming and joining us in the roles of maintenance and kitchen management. We have some very exciting ideas for the growth of the ministry here at Arrowhead, I think the Lord is going to use this place mightily. We are eager to meet the couple that the Lord calls to join us!

Our year is shaping up nicely for 2016. We have an ambitious schedule for our summer camps, and I am very much enjoying connecting with church teams that we can support in ministering here at Arrowhead this summer. We are strongly encouraging teams to come and serve together, and have some fantastic opportunities for the team to take ownership of the ministry here.

I will be traveling to Gorrie, Ontario to facilitate volunteer training with the team from there in May. If you're from Ontario and would like to consider joining us this summer - you would be more than welcome to join us for that weekend.

Our computer suffered a catastrophic hard drive failure in February. It has set us back a little bit as far as preparing materials and correspondence. I think the greatest loss was our most current database. I have a database on back up - but it is over a year old - so we may have lost some of our addresses. If you would like to be sure that you are on the mailing list to receive our prayer letters or the Arrowhead Quiver - you can eMail your snail mail address to us at fawcetts@maritimers.ca

I hope to post regular blog updates from this point on - I would like to commit to one a week. We'll see what I can muster. Stay tuned.

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.

Cabin Leadership and Discipleship

Well, here we are — in that final stretch before our summer camps. June 1st... it's hard to believe it's here already!

There are (what at times seems overwhelming) numerous logistics to consider when it comes to planning our summer camps. It is during this time of year when we really feel the crunch of seeing all of these moving parts come together. It is certainly a process that has taught us the importance of relying on the Lord! One of the areas in which we strive diligently is in connecting with Gospel grounded and Gospel committed people who are available and qualified to serve as volunteers during our summer camps in any number of areas. As seems most often to be the case, it can be quite challenging to find enough qualified volunteers who are willing to serve as cabin leaders. This is not a role we fill lightly at Arrowhead, serving as a cabin leader is one of our most key roles; and it is not simply a job we assign randomly. Ideally, as challenging as it might seem, we like to see an adult serve as the senior cabin leader; committed Christians of 20-50 years of age are most effective in this discipleship capacity. It's no secret, it can be very draining to keep up with a cabin full of energetic youth, but this shouldn't scare you away from this opportunity to build into the life of a young person and actively share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You might be amazed to discover just how much energy you really have when it comes to camp.

We've begun to strongly encourage families and adults to come and serve during our summer camp programs; and we've seen great results in both the ministry and in the stretching opportunity it gives to the family as they serve together; and there are a number of ways that a family can come and serve together.

This year at Arrowhead we do have a number of volunteer teams coming and are excited to see folks coming out to partner with us in ministry. But we're still in great need of some cabin leadership for some of our camps. We need some male cabin staff for our teen camp (July 7-11); as well as a need for both male and female cabin staff for our last two junior camps (July 28 - August 1; and August 4 - 8).

We have a wonderful (and mandatory) volunteer training component that will help to prepare you for serving at Arrowhead; and hopefully challenge you with some of the aspects of communicating cross culturally in an effective, God honoring way. This training is taking place here at Arrowhead from June 27-29, accommodations and meals are provided. If, however, you are entirely unable to be here for this weekend - please don't let that discourage you. We are going to be offering modules of the training throughout the summer and may still be able to accommodate you.

It is a sacrifice to give up some of your summer vacation, but what better way to do that than for the sake of the Gospel; seeing it communicated clearly to young people; and building new relationships grounded in discipleship.

First Volunteer Training of the Year

On Mothers Day weekend we had the immense privilege of being in Lisbon Falls with our friends at Lisbon Falls Baptist Church. They had asked us to come and offer the volunteer training program for anyone coming to ANBC as well as those in the church interested in looking a little more closely at cross cultural communication. We had more than a dozen folks out and it was great to be able to look at the material with them.

We will be having a couple of different groups from Lisbon Falls join us this summer throughout the summer and are very much looking forward to ministering alongside them this summer.

It was nice to be in Maine for the holiday and spend some time together as a family for Mother's Day. Some friends made their home available to us and we were very comfortable while we were there.