By Nate Marshall Last weekend our 4.12 students had their first Leadership Training Summit for the year! The summit is a special Christian retreat weekend held three times a year for students in the 4.12 program. We made a special focus on Jesus’ call to believers to be “the salt of the earth” and “the…
DetailsBy Miriam Ankerbrand, Group Events Coordinator One of my best memories as a teen was going with my church to a nearby camp for a Christian retreat weekend. The teachings learned over that weekend have resonated in my mind to this day almost 40 years later! Now as an adult, I look forward to those…
DetailsThis is my 31st year serving as a public school missionary. What a joy to start another year of Bible Adventure classes! Another year of sharing the love of Jesus with students. Another year of mentoring students in their Christian walk. I have seen so many lives transformed. Recently, I attended back to school night…
DetailsBy Rachel Shively, 4.12 Coordinator In a very fast paced culture, most people quickly move from one season of life to the next and never truly take time to reflect on what has brought them to a specific moment in life. However, when the season of summer camp wraps up here at Joy El, a…
DetailsBy Justin Kipe Director of Camping Ministries One of the key benefits of holding a Christian retreat at Joy El is the time spent away from the routines and distractions in everyday life that keep us from connecting deeply with the Lord. We often hear from retreat leaders of the value their campers experienced in…
DetailsBy: Jackie Boyer, Assistant Director for Bible Adventure/CIA As Assistant Director for Bible Adventure/CIA, I’m always interested in learning how people became involved with our Bible Adventure (formerly released time) and CIA (Christians in Acton for Middle School Students) programs. Last month, I was talking with summer staffer Winter Saunders and she told me how…
DetailsBy Aaron E. Ziebarth, Executive Director Every once in a while I receive a question something like this from a parent. They haven’t sent their child to camp before and they’re a little unsure. I’d like to assure you that this is a wise decision developmentally for your child. The sense of community and life…
DetailsBy Aaron E. Ziebarth, Executive Director Recently while reading the book “Good to Great in God’s Eyes” by Chip Ingram, I saw the significant value of a week-long Christian summer camp experience. Ingram writes, “Dr. Jack Haskins, a professor at the University of Tennessee, spent 12 years researching the effects of media and how people…
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