Last month was an exciting one at South Mountain Christian Camp. After six weeks of searching, we hired a new facilities manager to oversee maintenance on camp. Mark Oettinger has an extensive skill set and a real heart for camp ministry. He and his wife, Jill, will be moving here with their three kids in June—just before summer camp begins. Due to the nature of the job (being on call 24 hours a day when campers are here), we provide staff housing in the form of a three-bedro

We’re stronger when we work together. In Ecclesiastes 4:12, the kingdom of God is compared to a rope, not a chain. With a chain, if the weakest link breaks, it renders the other links useless. But with a three-strand rope, each cord is entwined with the others, making every piece stronger than it could ever be alone. When we as believers work together in our various ministries, callings, and professions, we make each other more effective. This is why my wife Jen and I are act

The weekend of October 28th was looking like a very empty weekend on camp, but that’s only because I didn’t know what God had planned. I had a speaking engagement at a church booked that Sunday, but we had no guests scheduled to be on camp. Things changed when I got a phone call from a supporter who wanted to bring her church youth here that weekend to do some work projects for us. This would be one week before our annual 5k trail race, so it seemed like a great idea to have

There’s so much work to be done, and I can’t do it all myself. Last month, God reminded me that I don’t have to. We have just a small handful of year-round staff members. Most of the time, this hard-working crew does an excellent job of keeping up with the camp’s needs. But, when May rolls around, there are more tasks that need to be completed than we are able to accomplish. Just in time, God sent us an army of angels to help. Rather than wings and harps, these angels had wor

The little electric golf cart rattled along the dusty, gravel roads of the camp, making more noise than you might expect. I raised my voice to compensate as I pointed out our disc golf course to my new friend Richard, making sure he could still hear me. Richard had never been to SMCC before, and he was full of questions about the camp, our programs, and our campers. When the tour was finished, Richard shook my hand, thanking me for my time. I saw Richard occasionally over the