A Very Good Day For Camping

On Sunday, November 15th, I traveled to Allentown to join the congregation of First Baptist in celebrating the baptismal ceremony of a mother of one of our past campers named Jeremy.  Following his first year at Lebanon he returned home from camp having given his heart to Jesus Christ and told his mother that he needed to find a home church.  They visited churches and eventually ended up calling First Baptist of Allentown "home."  About a year ago Rev. Leslie Martin baptized Jeremy!  Rev. Martin has credited Jeremy's enthusiasm for Jesus as the reason that Jeremy's family now attends church regularly and for his mother seeking baptism.  I was blessed to be a witness to the power of God in the life of a young man that gave his heart to Jesus at Camp Lebanon. A baptismal ceremony is always a wonderful celebration of the new life that we find in Jesus Christ, and that event on it's own would have made my day wonderful. But there was more!  Later that evening I read an email from Jennifer, who attends First Baptist of Woodstown.  She shared with me her story of three young ladies, two being Jennifer's own daughters, who were baptized during worship that very morning. Each candidate wrote out a testimony for their parents to read as they prepared to enter the baptismal waters. All three girls wrote that it was their time at Camp Lebanon which opened their hearts and led them to the baptismal pool!  Jennifer shared that all three girls have been raised in the Woodstown Sunday School system, have attended youth group and church services for years and yet give testimony to the week that they spent at Camp Lebanon as being their Spiritual turning point.

I thank God for the calling He placed on my heart for the ministry of Camp Lebanon.  I know that this ministry changes lives, I see it all of the time.  Yet, I know this ministry is only as powerful as those that support it allow it to be.  I ask you to continue to support this powerful ministry with your prayers, with you finances, with you trust and with your presence.  Let us work together to keep all of our baptismal pools filled and ready.