Spring 2020 Newsletter
My salvation and my honor depend on God, He is my mighty rock and my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:7-8
We are standing in the midst of very uncertain times, facing the outbreak of Covid-19, seeing people desperate to understand how to protect their families and question what in the world is going on. As Christians, we hold the answers. God is still in control, God cares beyond our full comprehension and God has a plan even in this. Into this darkness we can bring the light of God’s love, His message of salvation and hope in Him.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and bring you back from captivity. Jer. 29:11-14
These are certainly times for us to trust God with each and every step we take. Our first step is to plan our spring and summer ministry, to be ready if camps cannot happen, trusting the Lord has a plan whatever way it goes. Sharing God just seems much more important now!
Spring May 1-3 Going Deep
The purpose if his weekend camp is to introduce youth to faith and give them an overview of the Bible. We are almost at the 30 camper limit mid-March.
May 16-18 – Children’s ministry for a Family Retreat - Cancelled
Haven – Afterschool program Thursdays in Minden, sharing God’s Word and love in a safe ‘haven’.
Spring Banquet – May 23rd
Due to the COVID-19outbreak we are pushing this forward a month.
Pioneer Baptist Church
Theme – Camp is a puzzle made of many pieces – where do you fit?
Sponsor a table of 8 for $135
Monarch Bible Camp brings the Word of God, His love, truth and message of hope to children at summer camps and afterschool clubs. 2 Timothy 1:6 is a reminder to stir up the gift that is within us. Paul laid hands on Timothy to stir up his gift. God gives each of us gifts to use in the body of Christ. When we use our gifts our ministry becomes like a well-oiled wheel. The Holy Spirit is the oil that makes the ministry run smoothly and be fruitful. God chooses us like He chose Moses to step out in faith and exercise the gifts by saying, yes Lord.
Some years back, after completing a few sign language classes, a young deaf girl came to our church. I was asked to help her in Sunday school. Later it became obvious that for her Mom to stay for church the girl needed me to sign in church. I was nervous, feeling that I was not equipped. I asked the pastor to lay hands on me and pray for God to anoint my hands and my mind. God honored the prayer and I was able to sign in a way she understood. I was delighted when she would smile and light up as we sang worship together.
Monarch needs the help of many gifted people to continue reaching out to children in our communities.
Our banquet will give you opportunity to be a part of the big picture. Your puzzle piece is important so please join us on April 25th! Or contact the camp to discuss how you can help.
Submitted by Board Member Lois Bryan
Summer
- June 29-July 3 Missionary Training
- July 6-10 West Guilford Day Camp
- July 13-17-Minden Day Camp
- July 20-24-Coboconk Day Camp
- July 26-31-Resident Camp-Endobanah
- Aug. 3-7 Fenelon Falls Day Camp
- Aug. 10-14 Haliburton Day Camp
- Aug. 17-21 Eagle Lake Day Camp
Ongoing -Hiring Summer Missionaries
Please pray that God will send incredible young people who will grow in serving Him and will bless our campers with their love and dedication.
For 2020, we are not running a VBS in conjunction with our Missions Training. We want to invest more into our Summer Missionaries, to equip them to stay strong by giving them some tools to strengthen their faith and be able to defend it. We are looking for people to invest in these young people by sharing tools, stories of faith and helping equip them. If you can assist please let us know. The more people who cheer on and value these Servants the greater their strength.
Our Missionaries tell the story of camp best!
Something that stood out to me was how my family only ever prayed at funerals. We never talked about God or heaven. My grandma and some friends, believed in God and they would tell me about Him and try to explain the Bible to me. It wasn’t until my sister passed away that I was asking more questions. Why did it have to be her and then one day it clicked. There is a time and a place for everyone. It wasn’t until my second or third week of camp that I saw the connection my fellow Missionaries have with God. With help from friends at camp my faith was strengthened. The first time I think I ever noticed God’s work clearly was when I got to Monarch Bible Camp and saw how much the kids wanted to open their hearts to God. I saw God working after I gave my Testimony at Resident camp and saw how sharing my journey impacted the campers and fellow Missionaries. Many things in my life have changed and I always found myself wondering, why? There must be something else other than what everyone keeps telling me. Hearing my fellow Missionaries talk about how they put their faith and trust in God and let Him take the wheel, I wanted to know more and I will continue to grow in the knowledge I received over the summer. Darci Dixon
Whether I was planning on it or not, I ended up at Monarch Bible Camp for the summer. I was recommended to play for a rugby rep team and was planning on that for the summer. Plans changed though when the Camp Director, Teresa asked me to serve this summer at camp. God kept pushing it on my heart that it was the right choice. When I spoke to Teresa about the position she suggested, she said she saw some-thing in me and with my past experience serving at camp and in ministry years before, she felt I had something to offer. Before I decided to work at Monarch I was backsliding from God and my relationship with him. The weekend I volunteered with my mother, Teresa and some other missionaries for a Christian Conference, was the first time I got back into the swing of things and started praying again. Even after that weekend I wasn’t as strong in the Holy Spirit as I once was. So coming into the Staff Supervisor role where I would be teaching devotions and coming along staff to help them spiritually was nerve racking to say the least. I didn’t think I knew what I was doing and I still don’t know if I do, but whether I knew it at first or not, I was gaining just as much as the staff were. God showed himself to me throughout every day of the summer. I may have not realized how much I missed having God in my life until this summer. A new longing to learn more about God and to have a better relationship with Him came through while being around other Christians so much. I also gained a new view on situations and everyday life. I learned how I really don’t know as much as I may think and I need to give more things to God. One of the things I need to give to God is more appreciation. Madalyn McClean
A reminder of the impact of camp 2019.
245 campers
42 Salvations
22 Recommitments
57% don’t attend regular Christian programs or church
Our slogan is: We Bring Camp to your Neighbourhood.
We bring camps to small towns where there may be little evangelical outreach. For many of our campers, Monarch is their source of Christian education, whether that’s at an afterschool group or a special event or camp. For many, Monarch is where they first hear of a God who loves them and wants a friendship with them. At camp, they hear from Missionaries about their personal struggles, who still choose God. At camp they see young people serving God, loving them, wanting the best for them and praying for them. There are few ministries as impactful as camps, for those who attend and for those who serve. At camp, Missionaries learn to trust God in times of joy and times of struggle. They learn valuable skills to be used in the workplace. They learn that Missionary work is rewarding, challenging, exciting, frustrating, but more than anything they learn that they can serve God and make a difference in another person’s, a difference for eternity. Praise God for all HE does in camp ministry and how He invites us to be a part of it. Pray what your part may be, what piece of the puzzle you hold.
Humbled, yet proud to serve our Lord!
Barrie + Teresa Ward
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