This update from GCI Canada director Gary Moore concerns developments in GCI’s Canadian camps.
Leigh Smithson, camp chaplain at our SEP Silver Meadows camp in Alberta, visited the Winnipeg congregation recently to commission Clayton and Gillian Houghton as the new camp directors. Our thanks to Jennifer Pasanen for the wonderful job she has done as camp director for the last couple of years. Leigh commented: “Jennifer has done a fabulous job as director but desired a change in order to concentrate on the camps’ apprenticeship program. That program gives older teens a chance to experience camp as a volunteer in the hopes they will come back some day as camp workers.”
Leigh also commented on related matters: “The Winnipeg congregation includes a lot of enthusiastic camper-age kids and the parents and youth workers are full of energy—you can feel the camaraderie and fun this group shares for camp. However, it is costly to drive the many kilometers between their homes in Manitoba and Saskatchewan and the camp in Alberta. We are grateful to the GCI-Canada board for setting aside funds that we can use to help cover some of these travel costs.”
The purpose of both of our Canadian youth camps (SEP Silver Meadows in the west and Camp Connections in the east) is to evangelize and/or disciple those who participate. Many campers come with friends and many of those friends have never been taught about Jesus. It’s a thrill to reach out to these teens to present Jesus in a setting that is conducive to evangelism.
