In addition to the children, youth, and adults, who attended these events, we have a unique opportunity to minister to the 15-20 young adults who serve on our summer staff.  The relationships that we build with these servant leaders do not end when they leave the gates of our facility.  We have been blessed with the opportunity to continue ministering to them throughout the year.  They become a part of our family.  We celebrate weddings and engagements.  We rejoice when they begin families of their own.  We pray for them as they enter ministry opportunities and careers.  It is a great joy to see these young adults grow and mature into men and women of God.

That is what I love about camp.  The work that God does at camp does not end when groups leave.  God continues to use the experiences people have in camp programs to radically change hearts and lives.  We ask you to join us in praying for Waukaway Springs this year.  We need passionate prayer warriors to stand in the gap and lift this ministry up to the Father.  We are anticipating that God is going to do some awesome things this year through this facility, and we need people like you to lift us up.  James 5:16 says, “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”  God has set this ministry apart for GREAT things.  We rejoice, and step in faith knowing that He will do a mighty work. Will you do that for us?  Will you stand in the gap? Thank you again for all of your prayers and support.  We love you all!!!  Happy New Year!!!

Our summer began in mid-May with the arrival and training of our summer staff. We had a phenomenal group of college age staff and interns who served alongside us this past summer. The 2015 summer calendar was packed with churches and groups that used our facilities diverse in their makeup both denominationally and ethnically.  Waukaway Springs sponsored and programmed 3 events during the summer season that were very special touching the lives of many.  Our summer was filled with churches and groups who made time to experience our beautiful facilities and the unique spiritual environment of the quiet wooded areas and the spring fed lake to enjoy with their group. Thank you to all the dedicated leaders, speakers, and worship teams for choosing Waukaway Springs to minister to your children and youth.

As always we want to thank our staff and volunteers for the great job they did in serving and caring for our many guest. Thank you for being vessels of God’s work, giving our campers your full selves and allowing God to work through you. Our prayer is that your warm summer memories and all you learned at Waukaway about yourself and God remain with you in your activities, academics, sports, and friendships throughout the coming year.

We also sincerely thank those staff who come in from the surrounding area to cook, clean, maintain the grounds, and the many other much needed tasks. We could not provide the level of service we do without our entire team of selfless people.

May you have a blessed remainder of 2015 and if we can be of service to you please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Love God with all your heart and love people.
Love God more than you fear hell.
Live before an audience of ONE. When no one is watching, live as if someone is.
Succeed at home first
Make major decisions in a cemetery
Pray twice as much as you worry or fret
The Lord has forgiven you; you’d be wise to do the same.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Honor God and obey his commands because this is all people must do”

As our ministry continues to grow, our Waukaway family is also experiencing personal growth. After joining our year-round team as Program Assistant, our summer Waterfront Director, Brooke Keen, began taking classes this fall at Jones County Junior College to attain her EMT certification, and is now a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician. Her hard work and determination allowed Brooke to become one of the top students in her class, earning her the respect and admonition of her instructors. She will begin working in the spring to attain her Paramedic license. We are excited to add this level of training to our team which will allow us to better serve our guests.

In addition, our camp leadership attended the CCCA National Conference in Orlando, FL at the beginning of December. This annual gathering of Christian camping professionals from across the nation allowed our staff to get training, insight, and growth in many different aspects of camp ministry. This conference also allowed us time to get away, be renewed & refreshed in our spirit, and to be recharged as we gear up in preparation for a new year of ministry here at Waukaway Springs.

As we enter 2015, we are excited about the many things that God has planned to accomplish here at Waukaway Springs. We pray that you, too, have a renewed spirit and passion to serve Him this year.

Brooke Keen, Nationally Registered EMT

]]> http://waukawaysprings.com/seasons-of-change-grow-renew-refresh/feed/ 1 http://waukawaysprings.com/home-is-where-the-heart-is/ http://waukawaysprings.com/home-is-where-the-heart-is/#comments Tue, 02 Sep 2014 16:21:37 +0000 http://waukawaysprings.com/?p=1817

Many people say home is where the heart is… That is certainly true for anyone who has ever visited Waukaway Springs Christian Retreat. Whether you had grown up on the property, visited here as a child, worked here for a summer, or attended a retreat, we all know there is just something magnificent about the presence of God on this property. People from all walks of life have visited Waukaway, and when they leave, they are never quite the same. I would like to say it is because of the cool, refreshing spring water or exciting trail adventures. They do play a major role in what makes Waukaway so unique, but when it comes down to it, the body of Christ is what bonds all of us to the camp. Prayers were spoken over this property since before some of us were even a thought. People take the blessings God gives them and invest in new buildings and materials for the camp to flourish year around. The staff members are prayed over well before they are ever hired or arrive to work here. Groups are booked and prayed over individually throughout retreat season as they prepare to visit the camp site again.

Through many generations of sincere love and obedience to God, we have Waukaway Springs; not by our own hands and work, but through God’s divine purpose for the property and his people. When the sun shines or winds blow through the trees at Waukaway, it feels as if God is speaking to those he loves and adores. We encourage everyone to visit and become part of the family. Home is waiting for you here at Waukaway.

KΩT’s primary purpose has always been to conduct itself in excellence, imagination, friendship, and most importantly service. That is how they approached every project we had for them. Committed to serving throughout the year in different locations, they are finding every service trip an opportunity to turn the spotlight on Jesus.

We created an optimistic list of projects we hoped to complete while this group was here at Waukaway. They were able to accomplish more than we thought possible in just 2.5 days.  Just a few of those projects were: rake the lake bed, power wash boardwalk walls, turn the surface boards, clean & seal the boardwalk, removing & splitting fallen trees for firewood, clear brush from around boating & fishing lakes, sod the main field, built fences, painting the Friendship Center meeting room, clear the main road to camp, clear trails, and so much more.

As His ambassadors we are called to work in cooperation with God by showcasing Him through our lives and our words. We can use a variety of means, but the objective should always remain the same … to help others see Him better, not us.

Waukaway Christian Retreat Center would like to say, “Thank You” to this group of young men for selflessly serving & for the valuable contribution they made to our campus. We thank God for sending them to help us as we reach others for Him. No matter where they choose to serve, they have an important role to play and their efforts are greatly appreciated.

Jesus’ birth in the stable began a love story. Our one true love who still woos us to His heart began His earthly life to show us meekness, kindness, mercy, and power, but most of all, His love for each of us. His burning heart of love for us brought Him to the little town of Bethlehem. The extravagant emotion He feels for us took Him to the hill at Calvary. When we accept this sacrifice and ask Him to be the Lord of our lives, the love story continues. As we give Him the gift of our affections, our hearts become His.

During this Christmas Season, ask Jesus to help you discover His affections for you; the delight and pleasure He feels for you. How you overwhelm Him with love with each thought and prayer you set before Him.

Merry Christmas!!!

We give God the Glory for the awesome staff He has blessed us with and ask you to join us in prayer for the 2014 summer staff as well as for all those who have served at Waukaway.

If you are interested in being on our team, APPLY NOW