Piedmont Bible Camp expands its ministry to encourage the campers all year.
by Karine Sanchez
“It is a gift to hear my child excited about the things of God,” a camper’s mom wrote recently. “Thank you!”
We wanted to maintain contact with campers after the camp, so we created Piedmont Bible Outreach—a college outreach for which students receive class credit. Throughout the year, those involved in this outreach pray for the campers. Along with this, campers are contacted through email, and also receive a monthly e-newsletter. This includes a devotional thought, camper and camp staff updates—and even challenges encouraging them to do things like reach out to their community or share what they learned at camp. “Every month, campers email me back with their stories of how they accomplished the challenge, or how they were blessed by the devotional thought,” reports Eva, assistant camp coordinator.
“We pray for Piedmont every day,” one camper shares.
Piedmont’s impact on campers is evident—but with the current pandemic, how to move forward with this year’s camp was a challenge. COVID-19 has thrown a curveball at our plans for this summer, but the Lord has still allowed us to connect with the campers in wonderful ways. We have been hosting Zoom meetings every Tuesday and Friday. Past counselors, pastors, evangelists, and foreign missionaries have been sharing inspiring messages, focused particularly on the times we are living in. How do the campers feel about it? “I really enjoy the speakers for the Zoom meetings and what they share with us!” one camper relates. Through these Zoom meetings, they have been blessed to be able to fellowship with like-minded believers.
“The Zoom meetings are fun and I get motivated about the Bible. Can I ask my friends to join?” another camper asked. They aren’t just content to receive the blessing—they also want to share it with others!
What can you do to help? Pray, pray, pray—for Piedmont, for the campers, and also for new staff who are passionate about camp ministry. You can also donate for our camp. We need funds to improve our facilities, provide quality content, and bring worthy campers to camp. Maybe you have resources for young people or a creative challenge for us to include in our next e-newsletter. Send us your ideas at: biblecamp.piedmont@gmail.com. We’d love to hear them! Always remember: youth are a great investment!