Church Families & Friends of Camp Northfield, God is good! In just over three months, He has brought in over $66,000 for our Pool Project! Perhaps our favorite blessing from this fundraiser has been the number of 'old acquaintances' of Camp who have reached out to express their support. This money was raised by several hundred men and women who responded to God's call to give - and we are so thankful for them!
Work on the pool began in late March. The site has been prepped and we are simply waiting on the pool company to squeeze us into their already busy schedule! Lord willing, this will take place within the next few weeks.
If you would like to donate towards the remaining amount, you can do so through our donation portal, or by check. If you choose to mail in a check, please write "Pool Project" in the memo Iine. Any monies raised over our goal of $70,000 will go towards the purchase of equipment, chemicals, or maybe even a fun accessory or two for the new pool!
Mark your calendars for our Spring Work Day on May 21st. We will need all hands on deck as we prepare for the Men's Retreat the following weekend. We will focus first on getting the Hilltop Lodge and Chapel sparkling clean, then we will turn our attention to some light grounds work. Pack a lunch, bring your family, and come enjoy a fun day of fellowship and service! Dessert will be provided. If you would like to attend, please respond to this e-mail by Thursday, May 19th so we know how many to expect.
Men, join us for this year's Men's Retreat on May 27th and 28th! You will notice that we swapped the Ladies and Men's Retreats on the calendar this year. We made that decision to accommodate our special speaker for the weekend. We're thrilled to welcome back former Camp Director Jeremy Losier as this year's Men's Retreat speaker! When the Losier family answered the Lord's call to the pastorate in 2020, they were met with the reality that the events of that year would keep them from saying goodbye to the dear friends they made during their time here at Camp. What a blessing to have this opportunity to not only say 'farewell', but to also fellowship and reconnect with Pastor Losier and his family! Registration is open on our website. Check-in will begin at 5 p.m. Friday evening. We will be able to accommodate large groups or men who wish to come alone. Don't delay too long in registering, we fill up fast! There is an option to attend just Friday evening or Saturday if you are unable to attend the full weekend. Simply choose the appropriate option on the registration form!
Preparation for spring events means the summer season is just around the corner! We are thankful for the several boys and girls staff applications we have already received, but there are three very important positions needing to be filled: Lifeguard, Nurse, and Counselors. Please pray with us that these needs be met in the Lord's timing. All positions are crucial to the operation of Camp. LIFEGUARD We are so thankful for the Lord providing Camp with a new pool. But with no lifeguard, it will sit unused this summer, and no one wants that to happen! The good news is the age limit for receiving a lifeguarding certification is quite low - only 15! The better news is that Camp will cover the cost of any young man or woman who is willing and able to take a lifeguarding course. There are prerequisites to the American Red Cross' lifeguarding course: you must be able to swim 300 continuous yards, retrieve a ten pound brick from 7-10 feet of water, and tread water for two minutes. Class dates and availability vary depending on location, so if this is something you or someone you know is willing to take on, let us know soon! Camp's lifeguard will be an official member of Camp Staff just as with any other position. CAMP NURSE It seems as though we have to put out a plea for a camp nurse nearly every year, but every year God meets our needs! The reason it is so important that we find a nurse for each week is because with no nurse, there can be no campers! The Camp Nurse does need to be licensed in the state of Massachusetts, but don't let that scare you away! The application for the license can be done completely online, and we can help walk you through the process. If you are a registered nurse, please consider serving Camp for a week (or two or three!) this season! If you are not, please spread the word and pray! COUNSELORS What an important role counselors play in each one of our camper's lives! Both my wife and I served as counselors here at Camp in the late 2010's. Those weeks and months changed our lives completely! You want God to do a mighty work in your heart? Be a Camp counselor! It's a commitment, and some might say it's even a sacrifice. But we can personally attest to it being 110% worth it! Our counselors need to be at least 18 years of age or a high-school graduate. They should be in good standing with their local church, and live an exemplary Christian life. A counselor at Camp Northfield should be willing and able to work with children as young as 6 and as old as 17. Churches, consider aiding in off-setting the financial burden that forgoing a 'real' job brings to these young people. Many of our counselors are preparing for or are in the middle of college. They often have to weigh the financial implications in committing to a summer at Camp.
We know that the Lord will supply our needs this year just as He has done for the past 61 years! We are ready and excited to see what this upcoming season brings. Please be in prayer for the staff, counselors, campers, and our family. Pray that the Lord will begin preparing hearts now, so that a mighty work can be done this summer!
Yours for Christian Camping, Tom and Christi Jackson