Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to our Pine Brook Camp friends and family!
As 2020 comes to an end we just want to say thank you to everyone that joined with us to complete this crazy year. It has been a challenge for sure, but more importantly there were victories and so much encouragement!
Even though we were disappointed that youth camps and guest hosting couldn’t go on as planned, we were blessed by so many of our past campers, parents and volunteers that offered us prayers, shared notes of encouragement and gave sacrificial gifts so that we could continue moving forward.
As I write this, the face of Christian Camping in New England looks different. There are a few camps that have closed and won’t open their doors ever again. While this is discouraging, we know each of these ministries had special ties to families, campers and alumni and have carried the message of Salvation and Hope in Christ to many generations! We join together with many others, lifting up in prayer the leaders of those ministries and those who have been impacted by their closing. Their faithful ministry and closing will have a ripple effect throughout the church of New England.
While this has been a challenging year for Pine Brook, I can report that we are making plans for 2021 and beyond. As a staff we are hopeful that it will be a great year. We have been making plans for the summer and are looking forward to serving our youth. There are many things to consider in this Covid/post-Covid era. There will be new requirements to fulfill and new protocols to follow. We can imagine some parents will have concerns and other families will have financial restraints. But in all of this we know God is in control and we are forging ahead! We covet your prayers as this planning takes place.
While many things were closing and on hold this season we launched Fusion Fellowship. Our hope is that Fusion Fellowship will shape Pine Brook Camp for the next generation. It is designed to help young people continue to grow in their faith-walk with Christ. The essence of this program is to bring people of different generations together in order that the older would disciple and lead the younger. The program is, by design, geared towards teens and young adults, but it also brings fellowship and purpose to the adults participating.
Fusion is, fellowship, food, worship, fun and learning. It’s building a firm foundation of faith through ongoing discipleship and is key to helping young people mature in all areas of life. It is fundamental to Spiritual growth. We are excited that this program has launched and we invite you to participate if you have interest. Information is updated regularly on our website and social media platforms so that people know when and where Fusion is happening.
We still have work to do as we approach 2021 and are working to raise an additional $35,000+ to help us continue until June. This amount is based on gifts that have come in as well as a Federal Loan that we received. This is an estimated amount based on our financial obligations, which is roughly $6,000 a month.
As we work towards 2021 we need your support. While we are accepting one time gifts to reach this goal, we are also hopeful for partners who can give on a quarterly or monthly basis. You can keep track of our progress on our website and social media as well! Reaching this goal is crucial as we approach the 2021 season.
We are so grateful to all of our families, volunteers and supporters. Without you we wouldn’t have made it through this year. Thank you!! We are blessed to have you as part of the Pine Brook Camp family!