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.
A heartwarming news report of the impact World Renew volunteers made in the Meridian community.
World Renew Disaster Response Services
Mr. Willie presented with a wall hanging for his kitchen
L-R Mr willie daugher, Pat Buist, Gary Van Noort, Bev Van Noort, Jack Buist
This post was written by Matt Graybill, Executive Director and was part of PLFC's April 2020 newsletter update Check it out!
The following a summary of the reflections that Matt Graybill, Executive Director, shared at the dedication of Tall Pines Fellowship Center on August 30, 2019.
Matt Graybill, Executive Director, shares reflections from the Growing the Pines Capital Campaign journey
Our theme for the weekend is “God is Faithful.” It’s a fundamental truth about God’s character. He is faithful. It is supported numerous times in scripture and expressed through covenants in the Old testament and prophesy of the coming of Jesus Christ. We see the faith of God’s people as well. One of my favorite passages of scripture is Hebrews 11. It’s commonly known as the “heroes of faith” chapter. By faith Abraham… By faith Noah, and so on.
When I reflect on the reason why we’re here in Tall Pines this morning, it’s to celebrate God’s faithfulness. Not just because we have this new facility. It’s because there is a place like Pine Lake.
Expanding on that chapter of Hebrew, I decided to reflect on the “heros” of camp.
Hand written minutes from the first meeting of what would develop into Pine Lake Fellowship Camp
By faith a group of people met to talk about starting a camp in Nov. 1965
By faith, the funds were put up to by 74 acres and three horses
By faith, Family Camp started in 1967
By faith, the Lodge was dreamed and constructed and changed the trajectory of Pine Lake. That facility is nearing 20 years old.
By faith, many people have come into relationship with Jesus Christ.
And by faith, in the fall of 2008, Pine Lake launched the “Growing the Pines, Building the Future” capital campaign. If you were at Camp Sale in 2008, you may remember watching the appeal video for the first time. This campaign vision was to expand ministry capacity and construct a new facility, Tall Pines Fellowship Center, to meet the needs of the PLFC Association and other churches in the southeast region. The vision was clear, but there were still questions: 1. Can we (Pine Lake) raise that much? 2. Where will the money come from? 3. Would camp be able to meet its operating expenses? 4. Would other fundraisers suffer? 5. Will this ever be accomplished?
Over the last 10+ years, God has provided answers to each of these questions!
Funding is complete and $459,000 has been raised, which meets our campaign goal.
The money has come from many faithful donors, organizations, and PLFC budget surpluses.
Pine Lake has met and increased its budget each year of the campaign with no shortfalls (42% increase since 2009)
PLFC has added fundraisers like the 5K Trail Run & and experienced increases in existing events like Camp Sale
Construction will soon be completed.
By faith this all happened. He is faithful.
Timeline of Construction:
2008 – Kickoff of campaign resulting from 2-3 years of long-range assessment and planning the goals is to raise $80,000 for site prep, foundation, & steel shell construction
Spring/Summer 2011 – Foundation prepared, slab poured, and steel shell erected
Spring 2012 – Phase II – Framing on Lodging end begins
2013 – Plumbing, electric, insulation, and drywall installed in the Spring.
January 2014 – Volunteers from ON serve for two weeks and finish the first floor lodging for our First guest group to reside there (Midway Baptist Church Youth Group)
Spring 2015 – Framing on kitchen/office end begins
Good Friday 2016 – First guest group stays in top floor lodging end (Amor Viviente Church Retreat)
2017 – Framing and rough finish on North and South walls of the Meeting/Gym are completed.
May 2018 – PLFC Staff move into new office space!
Summer Camp 2019 – Meeting area AC installed & 2 BR apartment ready for occupancy (Suzanne resided there for the summer)
Week before Labor Day 2019 – Kitchen installation & set up!
To Come: Meeting/Dining area to be finished & Kitchen appliances installed
A few of many Work Teams & Folks who helped!– Diener Construction, Dale Kanagy, Duane Maust, Amor Viviente, Cliff Maust, Members of Des Allemands Mennonite, Jubilee Youth Group, Jubilee Camp out, Glen & Pat Detwiler, Cal & Shirley Hostetler, Bob Wideman & Co., James & Rachel Metzler, Wayne & Polly Comardelle, Two groups from Ontario who framed, 8th St. Mennonite, & so so many others.
A Vision Realized.
For so long, we only imagined what a finished facility would be able to accomplish for his Kingdom. And because of God’s faithfulness, we’re on the cusp of completing this capital campaign project. It’s can be easy to look back over the course of 11 years of this endeavor and forget all the effort involved. There were intense times of decisions and construction (periods of lamenting), followed by of delays in raising funds, and then those steps repeated. But through it, we see God’s hand in providing people to fund not only this project, but annual operations God provided skilled labor and volunteers to work on the building, as well as many others who prayed, consulted, advised, encouraged, and fed others.
From the outside, this is only a building, but it’s what happens on the inside that counts. The shared mission of reconciliation to God, His creation, & one another is the heartbeat of Pine Lake. It unites Association members, charter churches, campers, thousands of guests, staff, & volunteers in prayer, corporate worship, community, Christian service, and celebration.
And so we celebrate together and dedicate this gift to be used for His glory! Amen!
Glen Detwiler & Matt Graybill share memories
A captive audience on a day of celebration
Butch Clay, President of PLFC Board of Directors, shares a devotion at the dedication.
Gerald Beade, shares a laugh & memory with Glen D.
At Pine Lake Fellowship Camp, campers experience an authentic program filled with games, activities, moments, and conversations that point towards JESUS.
The JOY in shared worship as the entire camp sings Jesus Loves Me (Camp style) around the campfire.
The sound of a cabin group’s LAUGHTER as they walk across a sunny ball-field
The FLAVOR of fresh mint leaves handpicked picked from the herb garden.
The initial shriek of fear turned to ENTHUSIASM as a camper scoots off the zip line platform for the first time and realizes that he/she can do things that seem scary.
The WONDER in a camper’s face as she peers into jars of preserved snakes and lizards native to her own backyard.
The overwhelming sensation of the HOLY SPIRIT calling a camper draw nearer to Jesus
The moment when a camper recognizes that he/she truly BELONGS to a community and are part of God’s plan
Canoeing at Family Camp
This article was part of the August 2018 PLFC newsletter. Want to see what else was in that issue? CLICK HERE!
Sarah is a camper who came to camp this summer with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. For over a year, she wanted to take the step of baptism, she felt to embarrassed too bring it up with the adults in her life. Embarrassment and fear are two emotions that can hinder growth.
At camp, the counselors create a safe place and welcome campers to share about their faith or things they struggle with. Campers also can encourage and challenge cabin mates to take the next step in their walk with Christ.
Sarah felt comfortable enough to approach her counselor and share her hesitation and embarrassment to be baptized. Sarah received the encouragement needed to take the next step of baptism into her congregation. In the weeks after camp, her parents informed Pine Lake that she has asked about being baptized.
The song that we sing quite often at campfire is, Be Bold, Be Strong. It seems to fit quite well with Sarah’s week.
BE BOLD
“Be bold, be strong For the Lord thy God is with us
Be bold, be strong
For the Lord thy God is with us
I am not be afraid; I am not be dismayed
‘Cause I’m walkin’ in faith and victory
‘Cause I’m walkin’ in faith and victory
For the Lord thy God is with us”
Praise the Lord for giving Sarah boldness to declare her call to be baptized and draw closer to Jesus!
This article was part of the August 2018 PLFC newsletter. Want to see what else was in that issue? CLICK HERE!
For 8 weeks this summer, Pine Lake buzzed with the activity of children and youth laughing, racing around the lake, shouting bible verses across the swimming area, and learning more about God’s love for them. Each summer, I am encouraged by new stories of how God uses the experience of camp to impact His children in different ways.
My favorite example from this summer is from a grandparent who wrote to us about the impact of camp on her grandchildren. Her granddaughter told her all about the fruits of the Spirit, and her grandson now loves to play chess, and plans to be a Leader-in-Training. Much to her chagrin, they still insist on singing “Little Red Wagon” every car trip. Thank you to all who volunteered, prayed, donated, or supported camp this summer in another way. For that family, and for many others, God continues to use Pine Lake to touch lives!
Family Camp 2016 marked a milestone in the history of Pine Lake Fellowship Camp’s ministry. The weekend was centered around the sessions & activities, but there were many opportunities for people to share with one another about how God is currently working in their lives. The communal feeling is a huge part of the weekend. Over 200 people spent time at PLFC to help celebrate! Whether it was your first or 30th time at Family Camp, your presence at PLFC was welcomed.
The Legacy Panel was one highlight. Titus Bender, founding visionary of PLFC, & others took part in a panel where they shared from their hearts about the early years, development, & other struggles of camp. Audience members took part in asking questions & sharing about their experiences. Panelists included: Titus Bender, Glenn Myers, Gerald Beadle, Shawn Beadle, & Jeff Landis. The discussion was moderated by Duane Maust.
“The mission of Pine Lake Fellowship Camp is to draw people of all ages and of diverse backgrounds into renewal of Spirit, body, & soul and into reconciliation with God, creation, & each other.”
Our theme for the weekend was “Celebrating 50 Years of Renewal & Reconciliation.” Glenn Myers shared a message on the subject of renewal at our Saturday morning session. Butch Clay shared a message on reconciliation on Sunday. What a weekend it was to celebrate the faithfulness of God’s people! People who heard His calling and chose to follow Him in what would become Pine Lake Fellowship Camp. It also demanded many others to join the vision in each of the following 50 years. Countless times, it was mentioned how PLFC has developed into something beyond what was comprehended in the late 1960’s. Perhaps the highlight for the early generations was to see so many young people at Family Camp, knowing that the future ministry of Pine Lake is in good hands for the coming generations.
And so it is that we pray for each person who comes to camp. We pray that he/she will meet God & grow in his/her faith for years to come. May God continue to bless Pine Lake Fellowship Camp.
“Father, be with us. Draw us to thee. Kindle each spirit and make it a lamp to glow in thy glory, radiant for thee at Pine Lake Fellowship Camp.” –Gladys Rutt, 1982
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped make the weekend a huge success. From providing meals to helping with the zip line, you played an integral part! Thank you!
