Christmas Greetings!
“And Mary said: ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior…’” Luke 1:46-47 NKJV
In the Christmas story, there’s a stark difference between the wealthy wise men and the poor shepherds. The wise men brought extravagant gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh when they came to worship. The shepherds brought only themselves. The end result, however, was the same: great rejoicing. That’s because it doesn’t matter how much you have to offer to God. The only thing the Lord wants, the only thing He’s really interested in, is YOU. When you give yourself to Him, you’ll find yourself rejoicing.
That’s what Katy discovered. When her mom dropped her off at summer camp, she practically dumped her out of the car. There was no goodbye and no hug. She just drove off. Katy felt abandoned, worthless, and unloved.
She was very shy and withdrawn, but through her week of camp, Katy began to respond to the love of God expressed through her cabin leader. It wasn’t too long before she started laughing and smiling. She began to believe that God really does love her and that He values her. Finally, she surrendered her life to Christ and received His free gift of salvation.
She was baptized in our pool, and the rejoicing on that day was a thing of beauty! Katy’s smile shone brighter than ever as she hugged her new friends, and they celebrated her new life with Christ.
This has been a year with numerous challenges, but we still find opportunities for rejoicing. There have been occasions of pain and grief, but we also see so much for which to thank the Lord. We were so glad to be able to have in-person summer camp once again. Sixty-two of our summer campers, like Katy, made a public profession of faith and were baptized here. We were thankful for the return of our church retreats as well as our creation science programs for school groups. We also saw more growth in our wilderness camping programs, offering camps in Spring and Fall.
Over and over again, we witnessed people experiencing the presence of God during their time here. Many of them were broken and hurting from immense loss and grief. Others were just thankful for the opportunity to get away from the bustle of daily life. In every case, people had the opportunity to connect with the Lord and experience His love. Hearts were healed, spirits were refreshed, and hope was restored. We rejoice with each one.
As we move forward into 2022, we are filled with anticipation. We’ve been able to make progress on our new Multi-Purpose Building this year, and we are excited to see how construction progresses in the coming months. This building will increase our capacity, empowering us to reach even more people.
We are so thankful those of you who have partnered with us in ministry. When you give to South Mountain Christian Camp, you are giving kids like Katy the opportunity to develop faith, gain hope, and experience love. Every prayer, every volunteer hour, and every donation makes a difference.
If you would like to join us in this important ministry, you can give online through the donate button below, or mail your donation to South Mountain Christian Camp at PO Box 9, Bostic NC 28018.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year from South Mountain Christian Camp!
I'd love to send you a free copy of my book, Footsteps of Faith, and/or a copy of O.A.'s book, Fingerprints of God. If you've read either one of these books, you'll likely enjoy the other. If you haven't read either one, we want to send you a copy of both, free of charge.
In fact, these books can make great Christmas gifts. That's why we're offering up to six free copies of each book--so you can bless others with them. There is no charge for the books, but donations are appreciated. Place your order using the button below, or call 828-245-3322.
