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.