We are not alone in this work - Baptist Bible Tribune

f e l l o w s h i p n e w s
joplin, mo
Sagmount camp hosts more than 2,200 campers, plans
for more improvements
By Kevin Kolb, Pastor
Grace Baptist Church, St. Charles, MO
God blessed the camp with a full summer.
Over the 10 weeks of summer camp 79 different
churches brought 2,207 campers from six
different states (Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri,
Nebraska, and Oklahoma). The greatest
blessing again this year
was watching 103 young
people give their lives to
the Lord and 128 make
the life-changing decision
to surrender fully to
Christ.
The camp was constantly
in use. All the
improvements done to
the camp over the previous
years continue to attract
new churches and
groups who want to use
this facility located just
south of Joplin, MO.
One of the fun improvements
for this year
was a professionally installed
zipline donated by a Christian businessman.
The campers were able to endure the hot
summer with cool cabins now that all the rooms
are air-conditioned. The property committee
continues to receive really positive reviews of the
facility. We want to thank Chet Wampler, our
caretaker, for all the hard work he has done, and
all the churches and work groups who helped
make the improvements a reality. Another real
encouragement of this camping season was the
unity among the churches using the facility.
They appreciate the work being done and want
to help continue to improve the property.
The property committee met in mid-July
and concluded that the next major project
would be the enclosure and air conditioning of
the Tracy Tabernacle. This will help campers listen
to the Word of God more attentively during
those hot summer days. We have already raised
over $10,000 for the project, estimated to cost
nearly $35,000. Please consider helping with this
important improvement.
We would love for other churches to consider
using the facility. It can logistically be used
from February to November because of the
number of buildings heated and cooled. Contact
Gary Berry, property chairman and pastor
of Southland Baptist Church in Belton, MO, to
schedule a tour or to find out if Sagmount could
meet your church’s camping or retreat needs.
The annual business meeting for the camp
will take place at 10:00
a.m. September 11 at the
camp property. We plan
to set the next fiscal budget,
elect three property
committee members,
and finalize some short
and long-range goals for
the camp. All those who
give to the camp at any
point throughout the
year are invited to come
and participate in these
decisions. Bring your
golf clubs as we will enjoy
a round of golf after
lunch.
Metro manila, philippines
Global Surge Evangelistic
Camp sees 127,989 attend
in Metro Manila
Greg Lyons, BBFI missionary to the Philippines,
reports the following from this camp season.
Campers: 127,989 young people
Salvation Decisions: 65,957
Baptisms: 10,018 to date
Discipleship Commitments: 21,338
Bible College Applicants: 2,250
Camps Held: 103 back to back
Average per Camp: 1,242 young people
Volunteers: 1,800
Greg says, “God continues to move ... we
shared the gospel with more young people from
Metro Manila since the camps began in 2000.
Additionally, we have seen a higher percentage
of response to the salvation message. Our
partnership is making a difference.”
The partnership Lyons references includes
supporting churches, the Rawlings Foundation
(whose funding founded the camp facility),
and more than 1,800 volunteers who served.
In addition to these camps, the facilities
and the Lyons’ ministry also host camps and
conferences throughout the year, including
conferences for public school personnel.
26 | Baptist Bible Tribune | September 2012