The temperatures have reached the 90's, mowing is a weekly job, mosquitoes are pestering, and the frogs are chirping - summer is finally here!
We want to thank you for your support, encouragement, and patience over this past year. Praise the Lord, as of May 29, we are able to operate fully with no restrictions for the summer camping season! We are so excited to see the hill alive with the sounds of fun, laughter, and the awesome power of the Holy Spirit!
We are going to do a couple of things differently this summer out of an abundance of caution - but rest assured Camp is open for business! If you or your loved ones have been on the fence about registering for camp this summer - don't wait any longer! We are still accepting registrations at this time, and have plenty of room for your little (or big) ones to join us! Camp Northfield is a place where your child can come and get away from the everyday. At camp, your child will be able to get outside and enjoy God's creation, fellowship with children their age, make lifelong friendships, and most importantly, hear God's Word preached. Over the years, camping ministries in general have seen a downward trend in camper attendance. It's our prayer to see this year be a banner year for Camp Northfield! Please pray with us, and take action! If each of our supporting churches could send just 5 campers - what a summer this would be!
With more campers, comes the need for more staff! We are still in need of several staff members in order to operate safely and effectively this season. Working at Camp Northfield is a life changing experience! Pastors, please encourage your young people to prayerfully consider this opportunity. Having served on staff in our teen years, my wife and I can honestly say Camp had a lasting impact on our young, formative minds. Now that we are older, and in this position of leadership, we have a strong desire to minister to our staff and encourage them to grow in the Lord. It's amazing how much a life can be affected for eternity in just six weeks of camp! Listed below are the positions we still need filled:
Boys Staff (ages 14+): 3 - 4 needed
Girls Staff (ages 14+): 2 - 3 needed
Girl's Counselor (18+): 1 needed
Boy's Counselors (18+): 1 - 2 needed
Programs Leader (18+): 1 needed
Kitchen Staff (16+): 1 - 2 needed
Please pray with us that these needs be met soon. We are trusting in our Lord to bring us the ones we need!
Work is picking up here on the hill. It seems as though every weekend, we have had men and women here helping prepare the grounds for the coming season. We have recently begun work on the RV/camping sites. It is our goal to have 4 sites open and operational for the season. There is work being planned on Boy's Cabin 1 & 2 to repair the shifting foundation. The water in the shower houses, boys cabins, speakers cabin, and boys staff building has been turned on and everything is in working order! A new drain was dug in front of the Hilltop to redirect rainwater and prevent erosion near the building. Grass seed was scattered next to the maintenance garage and is growing nicely. Camp was blessed to receive a generous donation of 8 yards of mulch and 8 yards of gravel to get the Hilliker landscaping looking sharp! We are so very thankful for the hard work graciously put into camp by our supporters every year - we couldn't do it without you! If you have a desire to come help, don't hesitate to give us a call! We guarantee there is always a job to be done!
For the past several years, the camp has received an extremely generous donation of flowers from a nursery in Somers, CT. Unfortunately, this year they are unable to provide us with that donation. Please be praying with us that the Lord provides for this seemingly small, but important need.
Since sharing with you our new "Shop for Camp'' ministry a few months ago, camp has been showered with blessings! Some of the things purchased for camp include 10 new walkie talkies, a fork lift attachment for the tractor, touch-free paper towel and soap dispensers, laundry soap, batteries, cleaning rags and brushes, and hand sanitizer stands. There are still several items on the list, most of which are things we could really use before the camping season begins. The link to the list is posted below and on our website under the "Support" tab.
Unfortunately, we have made the decision to not open the pool for this summer. There are repairs that need to be made that just cannot be accomplished correctly before the season. I will bring more details soon on what those repairs include and what we will need financially to complete them. For many years, we have been able to get by with "patch work" repairs, knowing that the time was coming that it would need more extensive attention. Lord willing once these repairs are made, we will be able to operate the pool for many, many more years to come. Thankfully, camp has built up a good list of fun water activities that help the campers stay cool in the summer heat!
On April 17, we hosted a wonderful evening of celebration for Camp's 60th Anniversary! It was a sweet time of fellowship as we reminisced together on the last 60 years. If you missed it, don't fret! We will be celebrating all year long! Make plans now to join us for our 60th Anniversary Labor Day Barbecue. In 1971, for Camp's 10th anniversary, we had over 400 in attendance at this event. What a sight it would be to see this number matched this year!
We premiered a video at the Anniversary Banquet on the history of camp's property and the origination of some of our buildings. It is posted on our website under "Our Story." If you have 8 free minutes, check it out! We also unveiled Camp Northfield's Museum! It is located in the Hilliker Lodge and will be available to tour at each event this year and throughout the summer season.