September Newsletter

Cedar Lake Camp & Retreat Center

Camp is so important in the lives of young people. What a marvelous opportunity to make new friends, enjoy the great outdoors, have fun, and eat wonderful home-cooked meals. These are good things but the greatest part of camp is hearing the awesome news that God cares about us so much He made a way to be forgiven of our sins and have a restored relationship with Himself. We are reminded in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever would believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” May we never lose sight of what is most important in life: following Jesus Christ leads to ETERNAL LIFE!

Each summer boys and girls embrace the love that Jesus offers. For some, that means coming to a point of repentance and faith for the first time in their lives. Others are taken to new levels of understanding and commitment to the Lord as they learn how rich and deep are the truths of the Bible. Some even find themselves drawn to service in a lifestyle of ministry and mission.

Haley* had been a camper previously but this summer was different. As a teenager, she was able to have a better understanding of the gospel and her life situation than as a younger child. Haley comes from a rough home life and carries much emotional and family baggage due to her upbringing. She was able to talk through those with her counselor but also come face to face with her own sin as well. As a self-proclaimed thief with a foul mouth, she found herself surrounded by a community of young people who desire to honor Jesus with their actions. That Wednesday evening she stayed behind at campfire and made a decision to follow Christ in her own life. The next night during unit campfires with other cabins, she asked her counselor if it was okay to pray over each girl individually and provided a great example of serving others in that way. Two weeks later, during canoe camp, she actively engaged in dialogue with others about their own faith and expressed concern when others had not yet made the same decision as her own. That same desire to see others grow in faith and Christian unity was seen in her Week 5 for her cabin mates.

Jesus changes us from the inside out, beginning with a new heart. Haley became a new creation in Christ.  Change was evident from the start of her faith.

Without camp, stories like Haley’s and so many others would not be possible. As with every summer, God is working here at CLC. Praise God for His faithfulness! Thank you to all who prayed, donated, and “loaned” us your kids this summer. We stand on the promises of God found in Scripture to “make camp happen.” I will close with one of my favorites found in Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.” Our plan is to share the good news of salvation, forgiveness and eternal life found only in Jesus Christ. May the Lord see it through, the same as the past 78 years.

Prayer requests

Wisdom and biblical counsel for our nation’s leaders

The preservation of 1st Amendment rights across our country

Financial support for Cedar Lake Camp

Advancement of plans for a new gym and pool

More retreat groups

Book your retreat, field trip, or event with us!

Our facilities are open and available to rent for your next church or ministry retreat! Spend a weekend in seclusion and enjoy exclusive use of our 90-acre campus, complete with a commercial kitchen, dining hall, pond for canoeing and fishing, hiking trails, sporting areas, and more. Give us a call at 931-823-5656!

Partner with CLC

If you’ve never considered giving to the ministry of Cedar Lake Camp, now is the time! As a 501c(3) non-profit organization we depend on the generous support of parents, alumni, business leaders, and folks in our community who wish to see this long-standing outlet for the gospel continue. Financial contributions are always accepted. If that’s not a possibility for you at this time, we also receive gifts of stock, annuities, IRA Rollovers, endowments, or physical items such as vehicles, mowers, utility equipment, jewelry, and more. Your used vehicle or ATV could be used to remodel Cabins 7 and 8, install LED floodlights, purchase a new water heater for the Bird Cage and so many other projects we have going on. Our two largest retreat groups canceled this summer, among others, impacting our finances about $50,000. Your donations are MUCH appreciated!!!

Annual Auction Fundraiser

Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 22 when we host our annual fundraiser auction and dinner. This year’s event will once again be held at Duck Pond Manor. Invitations and details will be mailed soon. If you have an item to donate for the auction, please let us know ASAP!

Annual 5K Fun Run PLUS BIG Bonus Mileage

You may have noticed our annual 5K Fun Run and Walk has not YET happened this year. The past few years we have held it in May but prior it was known as the Chilly Chili 5K held in November. This year’s run will be in November again but this time it’s crazier than ever. While 5Ks are enjoyable, I like to push myself further in endurance and have come up with a challenge that is sure to test your limits: a 30 hour a-thon. Now before you say that’s not for you, listen to how it will work.

First, the 5K option still exists for those who want it. But for those who want more, there are 30 hours to run as much (or little) as you like. Each lap to the end of Conatser Lane (where camp is located) and back is 3.7 miles. Do a lap then eat a snack, hydrate, take a break, and do another lap. Walking is welcome as are relay teams.

Remember, this is a fundraiser for camp. Only the 5K will have an entry fee. Everybody else: find sponsors. How does that work you might ask? It’s super simple. Tell your friends, family, business partners, church members via video, letter, text, or in-person that you are raising money for a non-profit by walking or running and have them commit to a certain dollar amount PER MILE (minimum $1 per mile). After the race you let them know your mileage and they pay up. For example, if a person commits to $2 per mile and you run 10 miles, they donate $20 to camp. But here’s the neat part- that’s only one sponsor. If you find 10 folks to sponsor $2 per mile and you run 10 miles, that turns into $200. And given 30 hours with breaks, naps, staying hydrated and fresh, you can run a lot of miles even walking- many more than you think.

This is a no-frills event. That is, bring your own nutrition, hydration, etc. Bring your tent and sleeping back if you wish. Park your vehicle along the driveway for instant access for food and extra clothes. The dining hall will be open for a place to sit down, lay down, or fall out. I will provide more details soon but for now, circle the weekend of November 7-8.

Fall Camp

We look forward to the return of staff and campers for Fall Camp! Registration is available at www.cedarlakecamp.org. Dates for this event are TUESDAY, October 13-16 (Monday is Columbus Day). Cost is $125 per child. Transportation is available upon request from Washington Avenue Baptist Church in Cookeville, TN.