RECORD SETTING RETREATS

Tonight kicks off five weekends in a row of very full Fall Fling retreat weekends.  If you aren't familiar with these retreats, let's catch you up. 

These retreats are for youth groups to bring their kids up, have a blast, do a ton of activities and hit four chapels sessions.  For the first weekend, Joel Hanson and some friends will lead music, and Alex Hunter will be our speaker.  The weekend is designed for us to take care of all the activities, food and chapel times so the youth pastors and leaders can focus on the kids, building relationships and sharing experiences they may not be able to anywhere else.  Every time a kid comes to camp they will hear the Gospel and obviously Biblical teaching.  The flag football tournament is a big activity and the championship game happens under the lights with announcers and music, kinda fun.  Then there are a ton of activities throughout the weekend including the high ropes course and horseback trail rides.  There's a lot more but that's the jist...

Here is the crazy part this year.  This weekend is our lowest amount of campers at 435 last I checked.  Yep, I said lowest... If you have been a part of it in the past you might scratch your head a bit on that one.  350 used to be very full for us, 400 would be too full, but in the past year here with generous donations, great volunteers and the diligent work of our facilities crew, our ability to take more kids has been expanded.  Our main meeting room (Oak Hollow) now seats 600+, and a number cabins have been and still are being remodeled and now have heat.  Our fullest weekend is about 490, crazy. PTL!

What does all that mean?  Well there will be a couple more things going on to spread kids out and the program dept has rearranged schedule to make everything work well.  Ultimately it's over more 400 kids this year (about 2250 total) that will hear the Good Word, so there we go!  It takes many volunteers, mostly past summer staff and of course regular Shamineau staff working seamlessly.  There will be photo galleries up after each weekend on Facebook and on our website, so check those out.  Pray for safety and that God will move!