WSS July '10 Ministry Report"Thank you for an incredible week for (our) family. Can't say enough about the impact. But, I'll tell you that our eldest son (who participated in Camp Caleb) was deeply moved by the ministry and growth he experienced. He's been talking about it with me non-stop ever since. We thank the Lord for this and everything that happens at WSS to glorify Christ, propagate the Gospel, and edify us. Please pass along our gratitude to all on the staff."-- Family Camp active-duty member "Thank you for obediently providing and maintaining a most special place on this earth...as a recipient of seeing WSS's impact on my family's next generation, I am most grateful indeed..."-- AO! parent
Priority Obj. 1.2Foster mentoring relationships which will allow OCF members to reproduce themselves
across generations: During week #6, the team comprised of Tom & Shirley Uber, John & Carol Knubel, Sarah Hemingway and Christy Kaiser led a tremendous week of mentoring 14 active-duty families through sharing their individual stories focused on "Living with Jesus: the Adventure of a Lifetime". For Family Camp week #4, speaker Pastor John Waldrop spoke on the very relevant topic, "The Call", to a record 24 families (11 active-duty) and 6 singles who came for the Senior Staff Reunion week. Scott & Lisa Bedrosian acted as mentors among the guests, leading productive times of prayer before each morning's breakfast and men's and women's discussions. Priority Obj. 1.3Identify, communicate, and implement programs and culturally relevant methods across OCF that meet biblically sound fellowship needs and enhance personal growth and effective ministry outreach. The whole WSS summer program was oriented around this objective. While guests experienced good biblical teaching and application discussions, our numerous special activities provided a great venue for sharing God's love among one another in true Christian fellowship, whether at our Open House, Sunday evening campfire, nightly "family hour", special theme dinners, or talent & skit night. Couple and individual quiet times in the mornings brought many opportunities for communing with the Lord in the beauty of His creation that marks this special "place apart, a place of the heart." Priority Obj. 2.5Exhort, equip and encourage members to seek opportunities and implement efforts that reach beyond the local fellowship to affect the larger military community for Christ. During week #5 of Family Camp, COL Jim Meredith, USA (Ret.) brought insightful messages to 13 families around the theme "Saints as Soldiers in the Crucible of Military Ministry". Guests were challenged to live out their faith boldly and become "Jesus with skin on" to their fellow soldiers and shipmates. The Gospel is to be lived! Jim & Laurel Karr assisted as mentors to this mostly active-duty group. Priority Obj. 3.3Train and equip local OCF leaders to teach and support biblical marriage and family. During SFC week #3, Dr. Gary Phillips brought messages around the theme "Family Matters" to a full house of 15 families and 3 singles. Gary brought tried-and-true principles of biblical marriage and parenting that were well received among the guests. Jett & Linda Taylor assisted as mentors this week and did a great job of leading morning prayer times and the separate men's and women's discussion groups. Priority Obj. 4.3Successfully execute the OCF Growing and Building Campaign, achieving all Phase 1 and 2 objectives During each week of July, I led a briefing and tour of Heritage House that totally excited guests' imagination and expectation of the future possibilities for operating in the new building in spring/summer, 2011. Other Ministry HighlightsCamp Caleb conducted six camps this month, two of these were double sessions (i.e. CC Jr./CC Adventure and CC Adventure/CC Challenge. These youth camps were led by Senior Staffers Josh Thompson, Jared Noetzel, Sarah Jones, Caroline Pilgrim, Joanna Morrison and Suzanne Jaquish, with Kristen Mahaffee acting as chef. AO! conducted 4 sessions in July for a total of 48 teens. This is a great program where teens are encouraged to learn trust in Christ through personal and group devotions as well as various challenging activities such as white-water canoeing, rock climbing, rappelling, hiking, white-water rafting, camping and preparing their own meals. AO! Senior Staff leaders were Curtis Bowden, Brian Livingston, Kristina Rehberg and Heather Campbell. WSS Senior Staff are a great group of college-age young adults. We couldn't conduct the summer program without them. Family Camp Senior Staff are: Josh Johnson, Dean Graham, Janine McCormick, Kay Washechek, Megan Moore, Tori Halvorson, Jake Solem, Sarah Bryan, Christiana Halvorson, Emily Gue, Ryan Arnold, Marijean Waring, Steve Jones, David Roberson and Sarah Hayes. Prayer RequestsPray for all our troops who are separated because of deployments. Pray for their protection and spiritual growth and for victory in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pray for marriages and families to grow stronger through the hardships of deployments. Praise God for great progress on Heritage House. Pray for all the workers for safety and for our Christian witness to them. Praise the Lord for reaching 100% of the Phase I goal of $7.8M at White Sulphur Springs. Pray for all OCF members to continue as stakeholders in "declaring His power to the next generations" by participating in Phase II objective of raising funds for needed expansion at Spring Canyon. Please pray for our son, H, to do well in his PA program at GWU as he works through his year of clinical rotations at various medical facilities in the east. Pray for our daughter, Joy, as she prepares for her wedding in August. Pray for WSS Senior Staff as they head back to college, that they will stand for Christ and live out the Gospel. Pray for all the guests who came to Summer Family Camp that they will return with a solid commitment to live boldly for Christ in the military society. Warmly in the Savior, |