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Summer Offering 2010: Info Coming Soon
Summer Offering 2009: “Breakthrough: Jesus Loves & Transforms”
During your camp week this summer, we will explore six stories of Jesus in which he reaches out to the forgotten, the sick, the poor, the outcasts and the oppressed. Our 2009 summer offering is an effort to do as Jesus did by reaching out to help similar persons in our own local community.
The Roanoke Rescue Mission was founded on the belief that people, with God's help, have the power to change their lives. For 60 years the Roanoke Rescue Mission has provided comprehensive care to those in crisis in our community. The homeless, the hungry, the impoverished: all have found a warm welcome at the Roanoke Rescue Mission. Men, women and children have found a safe place and compassionate friends in their darkest moments. Because the Rescue Mission is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it is an essential part of our community's safety net for those in crisis. www.rescuemission.net
Roanoke Area Ministries is an ecumenical, urban ministry that serves the Roanoke Valley by providing safe shelter for the homeless, a nutritious lunch, and emergency financial aid to those in need. The R.A.M. House doors are open 365 days a year from 8:00am to 4:00pm. www.roanokeareaministries.org
100% of your offering benefits these programs: 50% to Roanoke Rescue Mission; 50% to Roanoke Area Ministries.
Place all offering donations into the OFFERING BOX near the registration table at Sunday’s check-in in the Gym, (checks payable to “Camp Bethel Summer Offering”). More information at www.campbethelvirginia.org/offering.
Summer Offering 2008: "Called To Care: Handle With Care"
The Environmental Grant program of the Outdoor Ministries Association (OMA) works to encourage Brethren camps throughout the country to develop new and innovative programs in the field of Environmental Education and Spiritual Ecology. This program seeks to fulfill the church's stewardship mandate (see Creation: Called to Care, a position paper of the 1991 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren).
Camp Bethel is a long-standing member of the Outdoor Ministries Association (OMA). Each year OMA is able to award environmental grants to camps who request funding for a special project aimed at caring for God's creative Earth. Periodically, OMA member camps work to replenish this fund and help more camps in their calling to "Keep and Heal the Creation." In order to do this, we need your help, because "All of us share the same breath."
Please pray for the camps for whom your gift will help. Please pray for the thousands of persons who will live and learn how to "Handle with Care" because of their experiences at these camps. 100% of all gifts directly benefit these programs.
Place all offering donations into the OFFERING BOX on the registration table at Sunday’s check-in in the Gym, (checks payable to “Camp Bethel Summer Offering”).
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Summer Offering 2007: “Every 30 Seconds: Fighting Malaria in Sudan”
Every summer, our campers, families and staff give generously to a worthy cause. Through our summer offering, we’ll remove a major stumbling block from the life journeys of the poorest of our sisters and brothers.
Malaria kills as many as three million persons annually worldwide, with 90% of deaths occurring in Africa. Most who die are children: 3000 per day in Africa; one child dying on average every 30 seconds.
There is currently no widely-available vaccination for malaria, and anti-malarial drugs are becoming less effective as the parasite becomes more resistant. One of the most effective anti-malarial methods is the use of insecticide-dipped mosquito nets over sleeping children's beds.
Camp Bethel is working with New Community Project (www.newcommunityproject.org) and partners in the African nation of Sudan to fund the production of mosquito nets by women's groups in affected communities. Our offering will directly purchase material for nets, sewing machines and provide training and life-long skills for seamstresses in affected communities. Moreover, our offering will directly save lives, so please give generously.
Life-saving mosquito net: $10; Sewing machine: $150.
Please pray for the families for whom your gift will help. Place all offering donations into the OFFERING BOX on the registration table at Sunday’s check-in in the Gym, (checks payable to “Camp Bethel Summer Offering”).
2006 SUMMER OFFERING: "Striving Together for Peace"
Every summer, our campers and staff give an offering to a worthy cause. Our 2006 offering, “Striving Together for Peace” will directly support two crucial needs of the EYN (Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria), our Church of the Brethren brothers and sisters in Nigeria.
In early 2006, reprinted cartoon images of the Prophet Muhammad sparked protests and riots around the world. Nigeria is an African country with 50% Islam and 40% Christian. On February 20 five EYN churches were damaged, burned or destroyed in Maiduguri, Nigeria as thousands of rioters held a three-hour rampage.
Our summer camp offering will show that we “let the Peace of Christ rule in our hearts” (Colossians 3:15) as we respond to these difficult times with faith, hope and love. 100% of your gift goes directly to peace efforts in Nigeria: 50% of our offering will directly help rebuild the damaged/destroyed EYN churches; the other 50% of our offering will directly support the efforts of the newly formed EYN Peace Education Committee to bring Muslims and Christians together in peace.
Make summer camp offering checks payable to CAMP BETHEL SUMMER OFFERING.