BBC Blog
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Time Machine: Fast Forward 30 Years. Camp is Different, But the Same.
2023 marked 30 years since we (Phil and Kelly) had both served on summer staff at BBC. God used Phil’s three and my one summer at BBC to create a special place in our hearts for camp ministry. Little did we know that God would use our BBC experience to lead us into camp ministry…
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Shepherding Includes Going With The Sheep
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This summer, I had the great privilege to serve for two weeks as the Camp Shepherd at Bethany Birches. The first week when I was with the older teens, they kept asking me to go to basically every event they had. Which I was honestly surprised by. But, of course, I had to say yes!…
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Are We Accomplishing Our Mission? Beyond Anecdotes.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Over the last few years Bethany Birches has been committed to partnering with academic organizations researching the benefits of Christian Summer Camps. Last year the Hope Study (University of Oklahoma) measured whether campers experienced increased hope as a result of their camp experience. The Hope Study 2018 found “The results of this report continue to…
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Be Still And Know That I Am God…. even in the chaos
Hi. I’m Flora, or at camp I’m Gigi. This summer I’m the Day Camp and Leadership Training Director. Every summer I’ve worked here I’ve seen God clearly in the campers, in nature and the community among the staff. This summer I’ve seen him in each of those places, but I’ve also been challenged by the…
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Leon and Rupert Try The Way Of Jesus Together
The other week I returned to the adventure that is counseling at Bethany Birches Camp. I left the routine of my job as the facilities manager and once again became Counselor Rupert. Our cabin group that spent the week in Robin all arrived together on a bus and were part of the Camp Agape program.…
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Staffing crises point to the Body of Christ
Greetings friends! Been a while since you’ve heard from us via the blog. That’s because in April, our Program Director, Courtney, fell ill and could not continue her duties! Please pray for her health and healing. Where did that leave us at camp? Restructuring! In terms of the summer camp leadership team, the restructuring seems…
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God of Every Season
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]When I first came to Bethany Birches the summer of 2013, I remember thinking that the fog on the hills looked like God blowing on His knuckles on a chilly morning. This should have been a clue as to what this place would soon mean to me—a signpost pointing toward a God so vast and…
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Living Water
Thanks to Erin “Tye Dye” Dye for this guest post. Tye Die is the camp shepherd this summer: Thursday evenings this summer have been an opportunity for holy moments. Counselors have gotten to know their campers really well by the 5th night, campers submerse in good vibes from the week and excitement to go home,…
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Mission Success
It is challenging to gauge success when trying to accomplish a mission like Bethany Birches’. We do some surveys after summer and winter seasons to see how we did in a couple different areas. I just LOVE what came from the surveys this past summer. 33% of survey respondents (parents) rated their child’s experience a 10 or…
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Matthew 25: BBC Style
Matthew 25:34 reads: ‘When I was in prison you visited me, when I was hungry, you fed me, when I was stuck on Lynds Hill Road, you pulled me out…’ Actually that last phrase isn’t in the Bible. But the phrase does describe how the Bible came alive last week at Bethany Birches Camp. I was…
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