Spring 2010 Newsletter

March 23^rd, 2010

Dear supporters of Cape Breton Bible Camp,

     We are grateful for your ongoing prayer and support for this vital work on our Island. Even though there are no campers on the grounds at this time that does not mean that it is a quiet time for us. There is much work being done in preparation for the upcoming camping season as well as long term planning. Each board member has tasks to accomplish to keep the work going forward. Here are some praise items, prayer requests and plans for the upcoming months.

Staff

     We give praise for the excellent staff last summer and we are busy recruiting for the upcoming summer. We have great news to share with you!! Rick and Danielle Carabin have taken the position of Camp Director for the summer. We are excited about this couple stepping in to this position as they are from the island and involved and connected to the young Christians on the island. They have a love and passion to reach the youth for Jesus and bring with them missionary experience, camp ministry and practical construction skills along with a fervent passion for evangelism. Please come and meet them at the camp banquet on April 17th at 6: PM.

     The next month will be busy with staff applications and interviews as each applicant is interviewed and references checked to ensure that we have a staff that is spiritually vibrant and fully equipped for the tasks they have to do. Speakers are mostly in place for this season. Please pray that God will put it on the hearts of His people to apply for the positions that are needed (cooks, lifeguard, counselors, directors, janitorial, maintenance, music and secretarial).

     Staff training will be on the weekend of May 28th-30th.

     Please think of those working at camp as missionaries and consider supporting them on a regular basis while they are at camp. Some of the junior workers are putting in long hours for $10 per day.

Camping Schedule

     The schedule for our camps this season is located here: Dates n' Rates

     Pray that we will see full camps this summer and that there will be many who will come to Jesus.

Advertising and Brochures

     We need you to be involved in promoting the camp to families and children that you know. Word of mouth is always the best advertisement. Give camp flyers out to them, or the website address www.cbbiblecamp.ca.

     Perhaps you know someone who cannot afford to send their children. You can sponsor them or contribute to the Keep A Kamper fund which is a way to help pay for camp for those who cannot afford it.

     Camp Brochures have arrived and are being distributed throughout the Island. Brochures have also been mailed to last years campers. Advertising is being done on local cable stations. Some are offering free spots and some are offering reduced rates. The website is updated and this years online registration is ready to go.

     We are offering early bird discounts for those who pay a complete registration by the end of April so we can get an early registration at Camp and then focus on camps that are lower in attendance to work on filling them. We also have bring-a-friend discounts of $20 per person to help increase enrolment. For every new camper someone brings the one who brings them receives a $20 rebate.

Camp Banquet and Giving To The Work

Giving by monthly Deduction

     You can give on a monthly basis by having a certain amount deducted for your account. We have a goal of $2000 a month that we would like to see come in this way. This would keep us from going into debt especially in the winter months. Power, oil and insurance bills do not stop after the summer months. It also enables us to plan new projects and deal with maintenance and repairs. We are at $835 at the present and we are grateful for each who is giving sacrificially. We hope to contact former Staff and campers to come on board with these monthly contributions so that future children may be able to enjoy the blessings that they have experienced. The fees received from campers do not even cover the cost of running the camp during the camping season so we do depend on gifts to build up and maintain the infrastructure.

Physical Plant and Equipment

• New tables for the dining hall have been purchased and delivered
• All the buildings are in good shape with regular maintenance needed
• More buildings need to be re-stained
• A water filtration system needs to be installed for the waterslide
• The tractor is in need of repair (radiator and hydraulics and starter)
• More trees need to be removed this spring due to the spruce bark beetle
• Some cabin steps need to be replaced
• Dining Hall floor needs to be painted
• High speed wireless is being provided by Seaside free of charge
• New playground equipment is being designed and hopefully built before the camping season
• The shower stalls in both the male and female washrooms need to be repainted
• Camp Workdays are as scheduled for Saturday, May 15 and Saturday, June 26

Financial Update

     Financially it appears that we will get through the winter season based on the following: First off, we have had a mild winter which coupled with a reduced heating plan, has slowed our oil usage. Also, the Cape Breton Firefighters Burn Camp agreed to pay this summerÕs bill in October which saved us going to the bank for additional loans. Hopefully attendance this summer will enable us to break even without their usual boost. Finally, we received a personal loan for the winter, repayable this spring. Our outstanding balance including loans as of March 2010, is $19,000. In addition to this loan, we are looking at purchasing and installing a much needed new play structure with an estimated cost of $3,000 if the funds are available.

     All in all, we continue to see the Lord's hand of blessing as we look forward to this summer's camping season. We do count our blessings for our prayer warriors, workers and our supporters.

Yours in the ministry,
Cape Breton Bible Camp Board

Pierre Chiasson
Tracey Morrison
Tom MacDonald
Ken Hunter
Winston MacEachern
Ian McCulloch
Bob Sparling
Garfield Lewis