Blog

One Last Gift to Open

Campfire 2019 on the Island
December 2020
Dear Friend of Pine Lake,
This was certainly not the year we hoped for, nor expected. As the last pages of the calendar fall away, it’s tempting to box up the woes of 2020 and label it “The Worst Year,” while looking toward a brighter new year in 2021. Before we close the box completely, I invite you to pause and join me in recognition of the ways God has worked at Pine Lake throughout this year.  We look forward to what God has planned in 2021!- Suzanne
 

The act of thanks-giving is holy protest against cynicism, covetousness, fatalism, entitlement, self-pity, joylessness, discontentment, self-sufficiency, greed, arrogance, and apathy. – Duke Kwon 

 

God’s Work at Camp in 2020!

Strong Financial Standing at Year’s Start

  • Pine Lake started the year 2020 off with a budget surplus from 2019.  In January, Pine Lake anticipated a year of sizable growth with expanded summer plans and an increase in guest group reservations. Today, we recognize the 2019 budget surplus as God’s provision to sustain Pine Lake through a year of uncertainty.

New Partnership Boosts Camp’s OutreachWorld Renew Volunteers at a house dedication

  • After pouring every bit of energy into rebuilding parts of the local community affected by tornado damage, volunteers with World Renew (a disaster relief group) refueled and rested in the natural setting of camp through January and February. Their leaders still gush over their comfortable lodging at Pine Lake.

New Volunteers Came to Camp

  • Throughout the winter months, five retired couples volunteered at camp and helped with everything from new lighting around the Pavilion to finishing the Tall Pines gym. Their reward for their hard work: the knowledge they served where and when they could, with the bonus of a warm winter and even warmer community.

Pine Lake Community Gathered in March Work Day was a great time to catch up!

  • Cleaning, wood splitting, raking, fellowship over smoked chicken, and more. Caring for camp at Work Day was especially poignant as the last major camp event before the cascade of COVID-19 closures and cancellations began.

Wildlife at Pine Lake

  • Mr. and Mrs. goose hatched 6 fuzzy goslings at Pine Lake in the spring, and nurtured their family at camp for most of the spring! Wild turkeys and deer showed their faces more, too.

Neighbors Fishing

  • Neighbors and community members were able to enjoy the serenity and retreat experience of camp when they came to fish during the long gaps in between guest groups.  Several voiced that fishing at Pine Lake was a needed restful escape and a delight.

Summer Staff Stay Committed to CampersPine Lake From Home camper zoom

  • When the tides shifted on summer camp and we had to cancel, every single summer staff agreed to volunteer. They all wanted to help in whatever way they could to make camp happen for campers at home. The staff found ways to encourage and nurture both campers and each other. At the end of the summer, a zoom camper declared her favorite part of camp, “Meeting everyone, so now I’ll know people when I come to camp next summer!

Thirty People, One Gorgeous QuiltQuilting Retreat

  • Veteran and rookie quilters gathered at the Camp Quilt Retreat & Workshop to complete the Camp Quilt, a symbol of the community of Pine Lake. A former Pine Lake camper who now lives far away came to quilt, spend time with old friends, and introduce her daughter to Pine Lake.

Family Fun in a New Way

  • Several parents said, “We needed this,” and the wide smiles on their kids’ faces confirmed it. For the 10 families who gathered for Family Escapes in July & September, camp continues to be a place where kids (and adults) can unplug, be wholly themselves, and feel God’s closeness.

Homeschoolers Came Home to Camp

  • For some, Fall Homeschool Camp Days were a return to a familiar place. For others, a new love for camp blossomed as they flew down the zip line, roasted cinnamon apple slices over a fire they built on their own, and more!

Deep Family Bonding

  • Dads and kids built more than birdhouses as they stepped out of their normal routines and made new memories at Dads & Kids Weekend in October. Between boating (and splashing) on the lake and getting lost in worship music at campfire, fathers and children experienced adventure and retreat together.

A Nation-wide Auction

  • The support of so many Pine Lakers from all over the country was both humbling and thrilling. People who’ve never been to Pine Lake before bid up items made by people who hold Pine Lake dear in their heart.

Go Local, Get Delicious

  • Chess squares, coconut cream pies, jambalaya, barbecue, and more! United in spirit, though divided by distance, churches and individuals worked together to raise money in their own communities through mouth-watering means! Des Allemands Mennonite, a former Camp Sale host church, put on a craft and bake sale in their town and raised over $1,100 dollars! In Jackson, Rhoda, Jody, and company pulled off a full fledged barbecue plate sale with sides, pound cake, banana pudding, and optional delivery. Local people shared their warm memories of Pine Lake as they bought plates!

 

Camp Sale By the Numbers
 

The Engine of Camp

While the board of directors stewards Pine Lake and the year round staff oversee operations, volunteers are undoubtedly the engine who keep Pine Lake going.  Our volunteer layout looked very different, but was rich in deep support. From winter service workers last winter to Jeff Landis jumping on the mower and John Opel doing dirt work, many of camp’s essential needs were met.  Dozens of hours were spent around the camp quilt and filling the wood box this year.   The volunteer virtual summer staff spent time leading worship and connecting with Pine Lake From Home campers.   

There’s no doubt, volunteers are the engine that keeps Pine Lake moving! 

Here’s a list of what was done this year, powered by volunteers:

Facilities:

  • Painted boys & girls bathhouse
  • Pavilion cleaned
  • Cabins cleaned
  • All Tall Pines and Lodge windows washed
  • Tall Pines gym panels finished
  • New exterior lights on the Pavilion
  • Wood shed stocked
  • Cleaning and organizing the old office
  • New Tall Pines dishes unboxed, washed, and stored
  • Outdoor furniture at Tall Pines sealed

Fundraising:

  • Camp Quilt quilted, bound, and finished
  • Barbecue fundraiser
  • Bake Sale
  • Craft and Bake Sale
  • Gumbo & Jambalaya Sale

Grounds:

  • Shelter campsites raked and trimmed
  • Creek/lake dirtwork
  • swamp trail Pressure washed
  • Picnic tables and benches pressure washed
  • Semi-annual raking around Shelter campsites, basketball court, Bender, Lodge, and perimeter of Tall Pines fields
  • Flowerbeds done and mulched
  • Pines around Tall Pines trimmed

Administrative:

  • Files organized and accessible
  • Photo archives organized
  • Summer Brochures sent out

Programming:

  • Family Escape Weekend activities
  • Summer Camp Zooms
  • Camp in a Box assembly

Tall Pines Fellowship Center is Complete!

With the help of our Winter Service volunteers December through February, the gym walls were prepared for the final step for interior finishes.  In late March, a local contractor finished installing the wall carpet! Following many years of donor support and volunteer and skilled labor, Tall Pines Fellowship Center is “officially” complete. Praise God! We give Him all the glory and are grateful for his provision in this journey.   We look forward to the next group who will enjoy Tall Pines Fellowship Center!

 

2011-2020 Galleries

 

2020 Photos


This post was part of PLFC’s April 2020 newsletter update.  Check it out!

May 2020 Newsletter

Summer Camp 2020 Suspended

Summer Camp 2020 Suspended

[youtube] hJhzArCC5hk [/youtube]

It’s with great sadness and a heavy heart that I inform you that the Pine Lake Fellowship Camp Board of Directors along with our year-round staff have made the decision to suspend Pine Lake Fellowship Camp summer camp programs in 2020.   Our strong commitment to the health and safety of campers, families, staff, and volunteers will prevent us from being together due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  It is clear summer camp cannot be the nurturing and encouraging environment we know and love with physical distancing and other difficulties.   This decision is our best effort to care for and prevent an outbreak in each of our camper and staff communities.  This decision includes overnight and day camp programs.

I know that this comes as a disappointment to each of you.  It is to each of us as well.   Since last Fall, countless hours of time and energy have been invested in preparing for another amazing summer of ministry!

  • Most summer staff were hired.
  • Facilities received facelifts with the help of many volunteers.
  • New and exciting features and activities were prepared.
  • We have all been praying for campers and staff

It pains us to think of Pine Lake’s rolling campus to sit empty this summer.  To know that each evening, no campfire will burn on the Island, that instead of campers and staff singing worship songs to God under the stars, they’ll be at home.  The challenge course, where campers in cabin unity, friendship, and self-confidence will instead serve as lonely platforms and old telephone poles in the woods. There will be no staff meeting where a summer staffer joyously shares that they prayed with his/her camper who decided to follow Christ at campfire the previous evening.  To think about these not happening breaks each of our hearts.

While we can’t gather with one another in person, we can come together in prayer. Please join us in praying for the following:

Campers and their families:  We realize this is yet another loss in a series of losses this spring.   While there is no summer camp to look forward to, we know that God is present everywhere, not just at Pine Lake.   Pray for God to be at work in the activities, lessons, and relationships they experience this summer.  May they lead to a deeper faith in Christ.

Summer Staff: These servant-hearted young people have been anticipating and preparing to serve and nurture campers this summer. Pray for God to use their energy to nurture young believers and grow in their faith this summer.

Year-Round Staff:  After months of preparation for summer camp 2020, we now pivot to re-imagine how the mission of Pine Lake can be carried out in the new circumstances we all face. May God continue to use Pine Lake to increase His kingdom.

We trust in God’s promises.  We trust that He is working all things out for his good and that even though it feels like we’re walking in the valley, he is still God. 

We are planning on alternative ways to connect with campers and families this summer.  They cannot replace summer camp, but we hope that they will bring that same camp feel and nostalgia to each of you. 

Thank you for your past and continued support.  We'll see you next summer.

God Bless,

Matt Graybill

Executive Director


ALREADY REGISTERED FOR CAMP?

Parents who have already paid a deposit or any amount over are asked to choose between the following options:

  1. Receive a Full Refund
  2. Donate to Pine Lake Fellowship Camp

Please reply to an email that was sent to you or contact our office with your choice of the above options (info@pinelakecamp.com).

 

Faith in Cheese

faith in cheese

faith in cheeseBut blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the streams.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.
-Jeremiah 17:7

 
I bought too much cheese. Never mind that I can barely consume one small block of cheese before it molds, or that we should avoid overbuying right now. As the words “global pandemic,” “unprecedented,” “stay-at-home order”, etc. swirled in my head, I plunked 2 fat bricks of cheese (one mozzarella, one cheddar) into my cart, and felt a fleeting wave of reassurance.

The need for reassurance is natural; it’s human. But reassurance via cheese? God offers a reassurance far richer than stockpiles of cheese or toilet paper, the news, the stock market, or any government we might (unintentionally) place our trust and time in.

Jeremiah reminds us that true confidence comes from the Lord. As we reach out to Christ for nourishment, He fills us with knowledge of His unfailing power and love. We can stand tall in times of uncertainty and stress, knowing we have no reason to fear, for our Lord walks with us. No matter our circumstances, when we draw strength from Christ, we can bear His fruit and share His love and peace with the people around us.
How can you intentionally place your trust in God? What are three things you can do to share God’s love with someone else?


This post was written by Suzanne Opel, Program Director and was part of PLFC's April 2020 newsletter update  Check it out!

April 2020 Newsletter

Hands and Feet of the Church

Mr Willie presented with a wall hanging for his kitchen
Mr Willie presented with a wall hanging for his kitchen

Mr. Willie presented with a wall hanging for his kitchen by members of World Renew.

 “In His service, World Renew volunteers,” were the final words at a home dedication Meridian resident Mr. Willie on March 20.   Mr. Willie had a tree fall on and destroy part of his home during an EF-2 tornado in April 2018.  As a result, he was left with no kitchen or bathroom for two years and had to use homes of other nearby family members.  “Now, l live in a mansion,” said Mr. Willie thanked World Renew facilitators Gary & Bev Van Noort and Jack & Pat Buist after the dedication.  

For nearly two months, dozens of volunteers helped rebuild the back side of his house in just 5 weeks.  World Renew: Disaster Reponse Services “set up camp” at Pine Lake from February 6-March 20 to provide relief to homeowners affected by the tornado.  In that time, PLFC was the host site for 95 volunteers who served at Mr. Willie’s and several other storm damaged homes.  After working in the rain and mud each day, volunteers kicked back each evening to renew their strength and energy with conversation around the table or a walk around the lake.    One group of volunteer students from Grand Valley State University even spent a few days at PLFC cleaning cabins and painting bathhouses.   Then students prayed over the cabins for campers to take their next step with Christ this summer.  Praise God!

Ms. Mavis Scott’s home was built from the ground up in only 5 weeks by another group of volunteers from Orland Park Christian Reformed Church (Illinois).  At her home dedication on March 12, dozens of volunteers, community leaders, and partner agencies gathered to give her the keys to a new home.  She is thankful for a home “that isn’t falling down” (Watch Ms. Mavis in her own words).  This church even secured a $20,000 grant to help Ms. Mavis.  As hands and feet of the Church, each volunteer gave their time, skills, and finances to demonstrate Christ's hope to not only people in need, but an entire community.  Pine Lake is humbled to have played a supporting role in this example of love.  The Meridian community as well as our Pine Lake staff are inspired by World Renew’s mission and call to service. Thank you to each volunteer and partner agency for your role in this mission.

WTOK Ms Mavis

A heartwarming news report of the impact World Renew volunteers made in the Meridian community.


This post was written by Matt Graybill, Executive Director and was part of PLFC's April 2020 newsletter update  Check it out!

April 2020 Newsletter

FAMILY CAMP (Homecoming)

Family Camp weekend is Pine Lake’s annual homecoming event. Some folks come to spend time with their nuclear family, some to connect with the family of God. Either way, this weekend is all about relationships! Whether this is your first time to camp or you’ve been to Pine Lake a thousand times, Family Camp is a great weekend to rest in God’s creation, be nourished in your faith, and have fun with others! Activities abound for the adventurers, while those more keen on lounging and chatting have a wide array of scenic seating to choose from!  Buckle up for a wonderful weekend as we draw nearer to God, nature & one another.


LODGING

Please contact info@pinelakecamp.com or 601-483-2267 to reserve lodging.

Coming for the day?

Meals are provided by volunteers from PLFC Charter Churches.

If you’re interested in helping provide or serve food, contact info@pinelakecamp.com

PRICES

Room with AC: $60/night

Tall Pines Apartment: $90/night

Cabin: $10/person/night ($40 max/family/night)

Suggested donation of $5/person/day

 

 

 Want to help someone in need attend a PLFC Retreat?

Donate to Retreat Scholarships

 

12