Summer Camp

Today is a day that I wait for all year. This is the first day of Staff Training at the Pocono Mountain Bible Conference. In just about an hour, most of our Summer Staff will be arriving. Right now, everything is perfectly quiet here at PMBC. The only sounds I can hear are the whirring of my office fan and a small breeze blowing through the trees just outside my office window. Within the hour, this place will come alive with activity and by Sunday afternoon, our first group of campers will be here.

All throughout the year, we host retreats of all kinds, but Summer Camp is by far the highlight of our yearly program. For the next two months, we will be extremely busy. We will barely get a day off. We will field a million questions and go to bed each night completely exhausted. But in the process, we will have the privilege of witnessing many campers and staff members make considerable progress in their relationship with the Lord.

If you read this at any time between now and the end of August, please be in prayer for us and the ministry that takes place at PMBC. Pray for God's protection and safety for campers and staff. Pray that everyone who sets foot on this property will come to know the Lord in a deeper way. Pray that we will have many opportunities to share the Gospel with young and old alike. Pray for camper enrollment and finances as well. We have really stepped out on faith this year in an attempt to reach as many unchurched children as we can.

Thanks again for your prayers. Be sure to pay us a visit sometime this Summer.

Knoebels

Each year around this time, we take the kids to the best amusement park around, Knoebels. You can read an interesting history about their park at http://www.knoebels.com/. Apparently, the property was first purchased in the mid-1800's by a Rev. Knoebel and his family expanded it over time into the 2nd best amusement park in the country (according to the Discovery Channel).

At times, I'm envious of some of the fun rides they have for the kids. When we're there, I often find myself wishing that I was about 3 feet shorter and 125lbs. lighter so I could join them. This year, I got my wish.

The crowds were unusually small this past Wednesday. As we waited outside the ball-pit, the very perceptive attendant seemed to be reading my mind. Being that there wasn't a line of kids waiting to get in the pit, she looked at me and said, "If you take your shoes off, I'll let you jump in there with them."

As you can see from the picture, she didn't have to offer twice.

Farewell

For the past eight years, I have had the privilege of serving as the pastor of the Cherry Street Bible Church. Cherry Street is a wonderful church, filled with great people who love the Lord and are seeking to do his will.

Last Sunday was my last worship service at Cherry Street. As I type this, it's Saturday night, and I feel a little strange. I didn't have to type a bulletin this week or prepare a sermon. Normally, I'm reviewing my sermon right now and thinking through the worship service. It's going to take a while to get used to this new routine, but I'm looking forward to everything the Lord has in store.

I'm also quite pleased that the Lord has supplied a new pastor to serve at Cherry Street. James Sienkiewicz and his wife Amy will be at the church for their first Sunday tomorrow. Both James and Amy are great friends.

Hopefully it won't take any more than six months or so for the congregation to learn how to spell their new pastor's name.