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New pavilion boosts effectiveness

I was preparing a document today… it’s a Pavilion Project Campaign finance and construction update. You’ll see it soon in the fall newsletter. And I got to thinking about the real purpose of the building and project. You see, during the course of the project I became overwhelmed at times and forgot why we were doing this. I lost perspective among the many details and decisions.

We originally set out to do this project to enhance and further BBC’s mission. The new building makes camp easier to run, makes camp more fun on rainy days (and we get a lot of those!) and of course, expands non-summer programming opportunities. This is where our mission begins to shine. A camper who is here multiple times each year typically develops their faith much more quickly and seriously. On top of those things, it makes the state happy. Let’s just say they were very unhappy with the old building (especially the “commercial” kitchen).

One thing that was evident this summer: it was a huge boost in summer operations. I found that staff seemed to have an easier time planning and running activities and storing and retrieving supplies. I think this gave them extra energy for making camp the best they could for campers. And the kitchen… the kitchen staff and volunteers worked so much faster… they could stage a whole day’s work and take breaks in the afternoon and get out at a reasonable hour. That just wasn’t possible in the old kitchen.

I overheard our new Program Director, Dan Laubach, talking about the benefits of the new pavilion when giving a tour recently… “It’s great even on rainy days. I can have dodge ball over there, cards out on that porch, 9 square here, arts and crafts on that porch and there’s still room for people to walk from place to place!” I think this highlights the point I’m trying to make about the new building being just want the camp needed to boost operational efficiency and to make camp as good as it can be for the many campers who utilize it. This is saying nothing of the rental opportunities and partnerships that are starting to crop up. More on those topics another time.

Here’s to hoping you don’t get lost along the way during your next overwhelming season in life. If you do, step back and try to remember why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Tuna

The Vibe of the Auction

Apple cider, maple syrup and donuts, oh my! Have you ever experienced the BBC auction? Let me give you a glimpse into the things that touched me this past weekend:

Campers come and help sell the items on the live auction by presenting the items to the audience – little do they know what an impact that has on the sale of the item!

Counselors and staff return with donated items- or they are like “mystery shoppers”, proxy bidding for those online bids that have been submitted.

People travel from places far & wide to come spend a day in the beautiful countryside and support camp.

A fabulous auctioneer from PA (Sandy Alderfer of Alderfer Auction Company) comes with his entourage to most definitely get more money per item with his perfect blend of humor, compassion and philanthropic encouragement.

Items are baked, chopped, squeezed, pressed, fried, ground, and cooked with loving hands to provide nourishment for the crowds and yummy additions to the sale!

Oh yes, and then the money…. People pay crazy amounts for everyday items. 15 people chose to simply donate $200-$400 each to send a camper to camp. And a wonderful “matching donor” (Glenn and Diane Moyer) agreed to double what was raised per dollar for any amount raised between $20,000 and $40,000.

Maybe it is because I didn’t grow up going to auctions that I am just awed by it all. Maybe because I truly love BBC – the place that it is, the kids, staff and counselors, and all that it represents. Maybe it’s because I know that there is something bigger than me out there, and He always shows himself to me when I’m there. Whatever the reason, I left the 2013 BBC Auction with a thankful heart and a happy soul. And the icing on the cake is that through all of this we keep making progress towards this wonderful goal of keeping the camp alive and thriving for generations to come. With the additional money raised, we have now raised well over $1 million towards the goal of $1.8 million for a new pavilion at camp.

For more information on that project (Mission Possible: The Pavilion Project) see the website or sign up for emails or text updates.

Flo

(aka Beth Goshow)

Mission Possible Communications Manager

Newsletter 2013: BBC TV

For years the wonderful staff and campers at camp have been creating many videos (hundreds!). A lot of those (less than two hundred) made their way to Youtube. It was such a shame to let them sit there, lonely and unwatched so we decided to create BBC TV. There are currently four channels: Summer, Winter, Staff and Everything (clever title, we know). You’ll find them here: BBC TV

Newsletter 2013: Snow Camp!

A lot of snow + campers + BBC= SNOW CAMP!! Undoubtedly campers love going to camp: to see friends, to see the staff, and at BBC- to learn more about God. We (a group of volunteers) had a great time with the campers in a non-stop action packed weekend, but the focus wasn’t necessarily on snow – It was on God.

Something that stands out in my mind from the weekend was a conversation that a couple of us (volunteers and campers) were having. I remembered one of the campers – he has a brilliant mind but had a hard time processing the existence of one almighty God. He and his family tended to be polytheistic and as we talked about the story of Elijah found in 1 Kings in the Bible, he asked some really good questions – like, “Why did Elijah call upon Baal to bring fire down when that wasn’t Baals ‘gift’ or ‘power’? He wasn’t the god of fire so of course he won’t be able to send fire down on the altar.” Hmm, good point. We continued to go deeper, yet at some point he seemed to reach an impasse, to which he said, “I’m a skeptic…” as if he thought that by saying that I would stop asking questions. We pressed on. He said that it would take a REALLY BIG miracle to prove to him that the God of Abraham is real.

It was a blessing to be a part of that discussion. He was processing the Christian story. He was asking good questions. He has a deeper knowledge now than he had before – whether that translates into a trust in Jesus and eventual service of God’s Kingdom is yet to be seen. At least a weekend at camp filled his heart and mind with knowledge of the truth. Sometimes these conversations can be a challenge, but they’re the ones that can also bring about the most change and can give us the most encouragement to keep going, to keep proclaiming the message of the gospel to a world that so desperately needs to hear it, see it, feel it, experience it – and Bethany Birches IS all of those things to EVERY camper!

Scott Kratz, Volunteer

Newsletter 2012: Encouragement in the Face of Challenge

We knew it was going to be a challenge – I remember being in a beautiful place after my frustration subsided upon the fire marshal’s departure. The kind of place in which it’s clear that though this is going to be a hard road to walk, it’s going to be good. It’s a road that God has paved. And it was. Not only did we receive grace from the fire marshal and volunteers but many gave money. And by the end of December, we should be completed with the cabin fire safety project.

And now we find ourselves facing another challenge: the construction of a new pavilion. Lots could be said about this project but that will be the topic of future newsletters. Right now the thing to know is that we’ve begun the fundraising effort. We’re calling the effort Mission Possible: The Pavilion Project. If you have a contribution you’re compelled to make and you’d like to talk about your gift, please contact me at the office (802-672-5220) or by email (brandon@bethanybirches.org).

The third challenge on my mind as I write is the mission the camp has been given – to help young people develop their relationship with God by providing them with a Christ-centered camping experience in a natural and nurturing environment. Inherent is a challenge for staff and campers alike. While we (donors, volunteers, staff) are the helpers, it is the young person and God that must do the relationship building. To become Christ-centered while creating a natural and nurturing setting is a life-long work for each of us. If we can accomplish it, the world will be changed. As Mission Possible states in its theme verse, this sort of change is only possible with God (Matt. 19:26).

And that’s the encouraging part: that seemingly impossible things are possible. Then the challenge of life becomes not how to build that building or how to repair a broken relationship but how to join up with the God who instead makes things possible. If we are willing, God will help in that endeavor too.

Brandon Bergey (Alias: Tuna)

Newsletter 2012: Community of Love: 10th Annual Benefit Auction

Voices chattered against the drone of the cider press as we walked through the fog towards the pavilion. This was the 10th year for the annual event; but my first in attending. The heavy air was not enough to dampen the number of early birds who, by 9:00 am had already gathered to survey the inventory. Huddled bodies milled about the pavilion clasping respective cups of coffee and hot cider. A fire burned in the hearth. I received a free donut and a cup of coffee from Anna Hepler. As the crowd grew, the scene turned warmer. Conversations erupted amidst the silent auction tables. Old friends re-united at the home-made donut dispensary. Ted Shattuck and I both remarked on how long it had been since we had last seen each other. Just before 10 AM, as the sun began to filter through the mist, the auction was underway.

I took a seat next to Brian Goshow, who graciously allowed me to look over his shoulder at the auction manifest every five minutes. The morning slowly built into a raucous occasion full of laughter, bid and counter-bid, and banter all of which were led with the hearty energies of auctioneer Sandy Alderfer. I would be hard pressed to find anyone who would be able to pinpoint a climax during the auction. For some, it was the high cadence of the bidding for Matt Maxham’s side table, eventually won by Jed Dickinson, (or was that Norm Koop’s hand that went up at the last minute?). For some, it might have been the strong supporting bids towards camper sponsorship. And for others, it might have been the donuts hand made by the Hershey-Lapp family.

The highlight for me however was witnessing the broad spectrum of participants who had gathered to share in the event. As I sat with friends from Lancaster PA and from Woodstock Vermont, from Burlington and from Philly, I was aware that it indeed takes all of us to make this event and this camp the great thing that it is.

Seth Shaw