Be Encouraged!

Being part of a place where people share life shaping experiences with fellow believers is an awesome privilege. To see people relax and focus on relationships with others and their Creator. To see them grow closer to each other and the Lord. This is truly what makes serving at camp worthwhile and incredibly rewarding. All of you who support the camp should share in that rewarding feeling! God moves at camp, people are open to that movement, and true change happens. December and the Christmas rush is upon us, so the next few weeks will see less people at camp, but many have come over the past weeks. Here are a few words from those who had the privilege to meet God at camp:

“God was working in ways to challenge us to first start by building genuine relationships with un-churched people, then in his time he will give us the power and words to speak to share Jesus…the camp facilities are awesome. The space is great for our retreat, being in late Fall it doesn’t matter what the weather is with the gym…” (a leader of a retreat for teens who are themselves peer leaders in their youth groups)

“Just getting men away from their normal environment to seek God is great…the being in the woods feel is great for guys in getting away…I can’t think of anything more that you can do. Thank you for making your facility available to minister to the world.” (a leader of a men’s retreat)

“God showed me through our devotionals that love is something we all need to demonstrate more…the atmosphere at camp is so relaxing and comfortable…” (a leader of a scrapbooking retreat for women)
All of this is certainly enough to encourage ones soul, and God continues to amaze us in his provision as well! A few weeks ago we held our annual fundraising dinner. The roughly 140 people who came out (perhaps you were there) celebrated all that God has done over the past year through Camp Mantowagan (nearly 100 kids and teens accepted the truth of Christ!) and laughed together over hilarious antics that have been captured on film over the last several years. Campers…turned counselors…turned full time servants of God shared their hearts, and one camper/counselor shared a poem about what camp has meant to him (read it below). God used this event to raise over $27,000 in gifts and pledges for the coming year! We have much to be thankful for, and we continue to praise God for his provision. Praise him with us and remember to pray for all of those who come to God’s camp in the woods!

The Lord does work in mysterious ways
He may take minutes or he may take days
The intricacies of his sovereign plan
are not to be seen by mortal man
It’s to his glory we’re called and for his glory we’re made
A glory that shines and never will fade
So fall into the arms of our sovereign king
Cast off your burdens, be joyous and sing
For the maker of mountains, the filler of the sea
has promised us heaven for eternity
So when you see a glimpse of his work in your life
Know that your journey will not end in strife
His plan for you will soon be made clear
His heavenly reign is drawing near
His ways are a mystery to us it may seem
But there are times when he may deem
That it is fitting, that it is right
To catch a glimpse of his glorious light
We may not see it in miraculous fashion
It may be a smile or a new Christian’s passion
The work of the Lord is a mystery at times
But you can be sure he’s at work in our lives
So thank the Lord for the times when his plan is made clear
For the times in worship when you feel him draw near
Be thankful for those times when he does see fit
To maybe, just maybe, show off a wee bit

by Ryan Salyards - Camper/Counselor

Autumn Leaves and Retreats

The beauty and color of autumn leaves greeted those who have spent time at Camp Mantowagan over the past few weeks. Only our amazing Creator could imagine the beauty of trees, and only He could make their sleep so vibrant! Camp is blessed to wear such a colorful robe during this time of the year. Have you seen it? Many have…and here is a slice of what they experienced while they were challenging ordinary and making connections at your ministry…Camp Mantowagan:

“This weekend our group bonded with one another. It was nice to see them compete against each other and grow closer to God and one another at the same time. Some students rededicated their lives to God and others realized their need to grow closer. Camp gets students away from the distractions that normally occupy their time and provided an environment where they can enjoy God’s creation.” (a leader of two weekend retreats, one for Jr. High and one for Sr. High)

“We had a good time getting to know each other better. The weather was so perfect and of course the food was excellent. (How many cinnamon rolls can you eat in two days?) Camp Mantowagan was such a blessing. It’s always nice to know that it will be in tip-top shape when we arrive. Thanks so much for your ministry there.” (a leader of a church family retreat…if you have been around Camp for long, you know who made those cinnamon rolls!)

The retreat season is in full swing and people of all ages are taking advantage of the opportunity to get away and build relationships with others and God. Want to experience that for yourself? Find out if your church has a retreat. If they don’t, maybe they should! Perhaps you should be the catalyst that makes it happen. Talk to your Sunday school or ABF, small group, or youth group, maybe they’ll be interested. Make sure they know why a retreat is valuable (read previous blog entries for help in that regard). Perhaps this year, or next, you too will witness the splendor of our Creator’s tapestry of leaves at Camp Mantowagan!

5 Weeks of Eternal Success!

It seems that parents agree…camp is worth the cost…even in tough economic times. The past five weeks of West Penn District Camp have seen the second highest number of campers since Mantowagan began running summer camps in 1977! 496 kids and teens escaped their routines to spend time in the woods building relationships and planting roots. 42 young adults poured into their lives, and were in turn pushed closer to God through the challenges of counseling. Dozens more directors, speakers, cooks, and nurses gave weeks of their lives to make an eternal impact.

Rewinding two months finds many “unknowns” and “what-ifs” bouncing around in my mind. How will we get everything ready, will the water and waste systems work, will our numbers be down, what if someone gets hurt, what if our counseling staff is sub-par, what if, what if, what if… An amazing number of things have to go right for camp to be an eternal success, and things go wrong so easily! It is the ultimate peace to believe that it is God’s camp, His campers, and His counselors. God is in control. It is He who softens young hearts and gives counselors just the right words to say. He who keeps the facility running and He who makes camp an eternal success.

What an awesome, incredible, and exhilarating experience when we witness God do all of the above! The facility worked. Numbers were up. No one was badly hurt. The counselors lived their faith and proved to the next generation that you can actually LIVE what the Bible says. It was my great privilege to work alongside these young adults and see them grow as Christ-followers while impacting lives at the same time. Truly lives were impacted as 44 kids and teens accepted the truth of Christ and many more planted deeper roots in their faith.


Thanks to all of you who make it possible. Perhaps you paid a camper’s fee or encouraged a teen to try it out. Maybe you handed out brochures or prayed daily for the campers. Maybe you’ll be the one to follow up in the life of a teen after camp. Perhaps you support the camp year-round through prayer and giving. However you are involved…thank you! My prayer is that you will be blessed because of your ministry.

Keep praying for the ministry at camp. We have started into four weeks of summer camps run by churches from outside of our district…pray that young lives will be impacted! Pray that the facility will continue to function well and pray for God’s continued protection over those he has brought to Camp Mantowagan!

Is camp worth the cost?

The past year has been a tough one in terms of our nations economy. Many jobs, retirements, and "toys" have been surrendered to an economic black hole. Naturally, this finds many families seeking ways to cut back on spending. A recent article in The Wall Street Journal titled "Cutting Back on the Kum Ba Yah", discussed many families having to make the tough decision of not sending their kids to camp this year. The article contends that this decision is a consumer spending decision like any other. The author writes, "For many familes, camp is an annual tradition that teaches kids independance, keeps them busy during the slow summer months and gives parents some alone-time in the house." By this definition, camp may be a luxury that needs to be cut from the budget for a year or two. However, this definition falls woefully short in defining the Christian camp experience.

Camp is a place for kids, teens, and adults to get away from the daily routine that can be so stifling to growth and spiritual development. New experiences, friends, challenges, and glimpses of God's glory are the norm at camp. The opportunity to step outside of the normal routine of life and evaluate how you are living and serving your creator...what is the value?

Camp is a place for breathing in all of God's amazing creation. Going to camp for a week, a weekend, or even a day takes you outside of four walls to where God’s creation shouts his name! See him as you walk in the shade of green leafy trees, hear him in the soft rippling of water around your canoe, feel him in the heat of an evening fire as you sing praises to his name, and taste him in the coolness of water after hiking to the top of a lofty overlook. Witness his majesty in the infinite stars of a calm summer night, understand more fully his forgiveness in the pure white covering of a winter snow storm, and learn to trust in him while hanging from a rope on a rocky cliff. All of this awaits at camp...what is it worth?

Camp is a place where connections and life-long relationships are formed. Living alongside friends and strangers in the temporary camp community will deepen existing friendships and create many new ones. These peer-to-peer relationships are forged on the challenge course, in the darkness of a mission impossible night game, or around a glowing fire. They are friendships that touch a deeper level than most and may indeed last for a lifetime. Also lasting for a lifetime are the mentor relationships formed between campers and counselors; counselors who are truly living their relationship with God and modeling that relationship for all to see. Campers see that "cool" people think that it's "cool" to live as a follower of Jesus. These earthly connections are signposts on the journey leading to true connection with God - and that is truly what camp is all about. Knowing that kids are shaped by their peers and mentors - how expensive is the alternative of not exposing a child to these positive relationships? Camp is a place where foundations, roots, are formed. Decisions are made and life courses are charted and set. The number of people in full-time ministry who made a formative decision for Christ at camp is astounding...ask a few of these dedicated ones and see for yourself. When the storms of life are raging, camp provides a beacon for the drowning soul to look back upon and exclaim, "God was real then, and he is real today!" The camp experience can direct the path of a person's entire life. What is the cost of not providing that experience for a child? For your child?

Yes, this year has been a tough one, and if camp is simply a way to keep the kids busy and give parents some free time, it may be budgeted out. But, camp is so much more than that!

The Wall Street Journal missed on their definition. Given the more full definition above, camp is a non-negotiable. After all, how can you cut life formation out of the budget? Whether it's for a week long summer camp, or a weekend winter retreat, camp provides a truly authentic, life shaping experience...PRICELESS!