Summer Camps 2014

The gang at the beach during the Cape Breton Camp Out.

It has been a big summer, and I must apologize for not posting regular updates throughout. After our power outage week, we spent a lot of time playing catch-up; so I thought I'd give an overview of the entire summer in one post here.

Some of our team serving during the week of Day Camps!

This year we once again offered a week of day camps in communities. These day camps included, face painting, bouncy castle, a BBQ, puppets, music, games and a sketch board Gospel presentation by Kirk Hubick. These events were well received and gave us great opportunity to connect with campers and moms & dads as well. Lord willing we will plan to do two full weeks of day camps next year!

Gathering time in the dining hall during the power outage.

Our Teen Camp was quite eventful; although the after affects of the hurricane turned out to be relatively minor, New Brunswick suffered mass power outages that in some cases lasted for weeks. At Arrowhead we were without power for 128 hours. This made for some interesting changes to our approach to the week - but our volunteers felt they were up to the task, so we proceeded with the camp. A generator arrived with one of our volunteer teams from Ontario - and although it had not been in service for about 10 years, Jerald Hayden was able to keep it running long enough for us to save our 6 freezers and one fridge full of food for the summer. Thanks to the kind gifts of a couple of donors we were able to afford a new generator as well, so now ANBC is equipped with two generators going forward. Initially we had a bucket crew hauling water from the lake for washing dishes and flushing toilets - but when it became evident that the outage would last indefinitely we ordered in porta-potties. We saw the Lord work and we heard the Gospel preached by Kirk Hubick; our efforts were more than worth the while!

Junior Camp #1 saw campers come from a number of different communities. It was encouraging to make inroads into some communities that we have not had at ANBC for some years. Although this week saw a number of trips to the hospital - the Lord offered His protection and there was no one seriously injured. It's amazing to me to see how God uses what appears to be bad for His own glory. This seemed to be a theme this year as He taught us to rely on Him in everything. Micah Hiltz was with us this week and once again it was awesome to hear the Gospel clearly and fully declared for the young people.

This year we changed our approach to the Cape Breton Camp Out; our intent was to engage in a family camping experience for our campers. With a mindset of doing those things that we would do with our own families were we to go tenting in Cape Breton. It was a rousing success - we saw amazing opportunities in spending time with the kids and genuine relationships sprout as we enjoyed our time together in Cape Breton. The trip included whale watching, a visit to the Fortress of Louisbourg, hiking, tenting, BBQ, swimming and of course smores. Kevin Strout and I (Grant) shared the devotional times - he shared from the Word in the morning and I shared for evening devotions. We were very pleased to hear the kids asking excellent questions and really wrestling with just what it means to repent and believe!

We had planned a Junior Camp #2, but unfortunately due to a lack of committed volunteer staff we were forced to cancel the week and revamp some of our scheduling. It can be discouraging to think about it in human terms as a failure - but it certainly does not fall outside of God's Sovereignty and He knows exactly why and with what purpose He saw fit for it to be this way. This week break gave Liz and I a couple of days to recuperate and prepare for the next week.

Tie dye this year fro crafts... was a big hit... if a little messy...

This last week of camp was our smallest, but by no means any less important. Andrew Ardern came and shared the Gospel chronologically with the campers through the week. We saw a large staff emerge (somewhat unexpectedly) and once again hear the young people engaged in confronting the issues of repentance and faith in their own lives.

Although we did not have a lifeguard this summer, I didn't hear one single complaint from camper or staff about not swimming. The attitude and focus of our team was contagious and the atmosphere at camp was excellent throughout the summer. I am truly thankful for the wonderful teams that arose each week for the sake of the Gospel and for the honor of the Lord. It is humbling and exciting to see and hear such dedication to Gospel clarity.

We are looking forward to an interesting fall - you can pray for us as we drive to Pinawa, Manitoba at the end of this month for the NCEM General Conference. This conference occurs every three years and it is a requirement of the mission that the entire mission body be in attendance. We're looking forward to seeing everyone, but are not sure what the 40 hour journey will be like for Ivy.

This September will also bring our annual ladies retreat, we are excited to have Carol Keuhner joining us for the weekend and look forward to her messages "So that Christ may be exalted!" We encourage you to join us for this excellent weekend of fellowship and time in God's Word. 

We will also be hosting a charity fundraiser banquet at ANBC in September - more information on this will follow very soon. But with Fawcett baby #2 on the way it has become necessary for us to re-evaluate our living situation. In order to accommodate another bedroom and give us some space for storage, a home office and guest room - we are looking at a small building project this fall. We will need to complete it before the snow flies in order to be ready for Ivy's baby sister.

We thank you all for your ongoing prayer and financial support as we seek to serve the Lord at ANBC - we are excited to see where the Lord is taking the ministry of NCEM in Atlantic Canada and are so pleased to have you be a part of it with us.

You can look at a fantastic library of pictures from this summers camps by visiting our Facebook Page, simply click HERE.

Some lessons in God's Sovereignty at ANBC

It can be easy to slip into the mindset that we are in charge of our ministries — to forget that, in fact, God has everything well in hand and most certainly under control.

This past week was a challenging one for us here at Arrowhead, and it served to be a stark reminder that, in fact, no matter how much we may strive to be fully prepared and equipped for our summer camps; God can, and does, have farther reaching plans. So, with this reminder we are encouraged.

We would ask you to join with us in prayer for a number of issues that have arisen with respect to our summer camp ministries.

• We are still awaiting permission and a venue to host a day camp in one community. We ministered there last summer, and were well received - we are still waiting for social services to confirm our attendance there.

• We were informed this week, that a community that we normally have a large number of campers from has made the decision to not fund any summer camping activities for the youth excepting that which originates from their own recreation dept.; this has the potential to have a dramatic impact on the ability of campers to come from that community to summer camp. We have received some sponsorship funds, this may help to some degree.

• We found it necessary to cancel the second of our junior camps (July 28 - August 1) due to an almost complete absence of volunteer staff. We are making arrangements with communities that had been scheduled to come that week to come on the other weeks.

• We had to cancel our 3rd annual Charity Golf Classic that was scheduled for yesterday - due to low attendance. This has generated several thousand dollars of income for ANBC in years past, which has been very helpful to our summer programs. Although this was initially discouraging, we have seen the Lord providing in amazing ways this summer that far outweighs what we may have lost to the tournament.

• We found out this week that the lifeguard that we had lined up was unable to re-certify for her waterfront lifeguarding qualifications. She will, thankfully, still be able to join us for our summer camps, but not in the role of lifeguard. We have made some new inquiries about finding lifeguards for even just one day for each week of camp. New Brunswick has a dramatic shortage of lifeguards, so this is also a prayer request.

• As we enter our last week prior to the camps, there is a great deal of work to be done here at the Center. Please pray for energy and wisdom as camp hurtles toward us.

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.

valuable volunteer positions to fill

It is by the sacrificial giving of time that our summer programs are able to continue at Arrowhead. Connecting with volunteers and making known the opportunities to serve is a big part of our summer camps. Here you will see a variety of opportunities to serve, there are quite literally opportunities for everyone, perhaps you will feel led to join us in one area or another.
Speaker (ages 18 & up)
At Arrowhead we use a chronological gospel model. This is something that we communicate to each speaker that we invite. Teaching of the attributes of God is where we begin and something we emphasize throughout the week. The programs during our camp programs are built around this model. Many of the games, music, illustrations and activities point to the teaching for the day. There is another opportunity to serve as a camp speaker than during our gathering times. Each week we have a special guest serve as a speaker for our staff devotions time in the morning. This is a vital ministry, as we face physical and spiritual challenges throughout the week it is important to remain focused on the Word.

Cabin Leadership (ages 15 & up)
Generally speaking we like to have 12 cabin leaders on deck for each week of camp. Often we don’t need to staff all of our cabins, but in the event we have a full camp we don’t want to be short handed.  Each cabin will have a maximum of 7 campers and always will have two cabin leaders. Ideally we have an adult as the senior cabin leader, someone who is spiritually mature enough to guide conversations of a spiritual nature and maintain a healthy level of discipline. Our junior cabin leader program usually sees young people ages 15 and up serve alongside a senior cabin leader; this position is assigned based on maturity. It is a great opportunity to serve, and so often it is neglected as an option because it is presumed to be a position for teenagers, but that is not the case. It is a vital discipleship role that we highly value at ANBC.

Program Co-ordinator (ages 17 & up)
This is a vital role during our summer camp programs. The person in this position directs the tone and atmosphere of the camps throughout the summer. Organizing staff and ensuring the everyday operation of the program. Tasks ranging from cabin inspections and meal announcements to leading the gathering times. Ideally we would like to find a summer intern who would serve with us from mid June until mid August. But we understand that this can be a difficulty, especially considering the volunteer nature of our positions. If there were a high school senior or college age student who was interested in coming to serve in this capacity, there is the possibility that we could assist in presenting this as a summer missions project and support raising.

Camp Medic (ages 18 & up)
For this role we require someone with training as a “First Responder” or better. We have had nurses, paramedics and first responders serve with us in the past, and would welcome volunteers who work as doctors as well. This role is a bee sting, bumps and bruises role; it also requires dispensing prescribed medications as well. Anything requiring treatment is referred to the hospital. Without a camp medic, there is no camp - this is a mandatory position.

Lifeguard (ages 18 & up)
ANBC is located on the edge of Grand Lake, with over 300 feet of water frontage. We have a swimming time twice a day and operate a ski boat for tubing. In order to make use of our waterfront we require a waterfront certified lifeguard. Without this position filled we cannot have swimming - this was the case last summer for two of our weeks of camp.

Assistant Lifeguard (ages 16 & up)
It is vital that we have an individual with a bronze cross/bronze medallion minimum certification, to serve as our assistant lifeguard. This individual reports directly to the senior lifeguard.

Licensed Boat Operator (ages 16 & up)
Each week we like to have at least 2 individuals who are licensed to operate our ski boat for pulling campers and staff on a tube. If this is something you are interested in, licensing is not difficult and we can direct you to the appropriate website.

Kitchen Crew (ages 13 & up)
Each week of camp we need to have a head cook with a food handling and safety certification. This individual manages the kitchen and oversees the dish crew. Generally there will be 2 assistants to the head cook in the kitchen and 3 young people serving as dish crew. The dish crew will often be a place where young teens will serve for the first time. Children 12 and under are not permitted in the kitchen.

Activities Crews (all ages)
Activities times are huge during our summer camp programs. Having reliable individuals serve to ensure that everything is prepared and runs smoothly and that equipment is cared for is no small role at ANBC. These crews can be involved in  anything from games and challenges to crafts.

Music Team (all ages)
Music is an important part of ministry. Learning and leading the music that we select for our summer camps is an important area of service. It is necessary for us to have people, each week, that will serve with us in this capacity.

Drama Teams (all ages)
Each of our gathering times is diverse and offers an opportunity for almost everyone on staff to minister. Our drama team is one such opportunity. Once a day there will be either a puppet or drama presentation that will complement the teaching.

Janitorial Crew (all ages)
There will always be a head of the janitorial team to help those who are serving in this capacity. The janitorial job is often overlooked as “not so glamerous”, but it is of such importance to the ministry. Can you imagine if no one was cleaning the toilets, or sweeping and mopping the floors? There are always several positions available each week in this department - however everyone is given the opportunity to serve on this crew at some point throughout each week.

Maintenance Crew (all ages)
We generally have one or two individuals who are assigned to serve in this capacity. There is inevitably repair and maintenance that requires doing during the summer. This crew serves to handyman anything that requires it. If we have a larger crew there are often projects that can be tackled