News & Views From Camp Garwood

Camp Garwood Report – October 2022

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Our 2023 camp dates are July 31st through August 4th. Jordan Bowen has been invited to be our speaker next year. He is excited and hopes to give us confirmation soon. When I get confirmation or another speaker set, we will get word out through the MMB and on our Facebook page.

Camp theme will be Gateway to God. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me,” (John 14:6).

We have paid off the tractor debt, and I’m certain we will begin some upgrades soon.

Our 2022 camp had 233 campers, with nearly 20 professions of faith, one rededication, and a series of events that will not soon be forgotten. Those include our speaker shuffle, dorm antics, service disruptions, a fight, and a severe thunderstorm followed by a worship service that could only be described as heavenly. If you had asked me on Tuesday night how camp was going, I probably would have hung my head and walked away. At that point we were asking, “Okay, Lord, what’s going on?” But by Thursday night we were praising Him for a great week.

The financial report at the close of the year shows a balance of $6,300.50. Total received was $73,226.79; total dispersed $68,422.12. We spent $9,582.90 on food, $6,857.30 on electricity, and $7,539.00 on insurance.

This year Bro. Brian Whitlock rolls off the Camp Committee. We would like to thank him for many years of service, as he has served multiple terms.

Camp Report – September 2022

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Greetings from Camp Garwood! Now that camp is over, what should our next camp event be? I’m hoping we get a retreat in before the freezing weather. We’ll have more info in the October paper. We are waiting until after the fall school activities slow down and, hopefully, before the fall hunting/holidays pick up. That only leaves a couple weekend options.

Since camp week we have been working on some closing down projects, including closing the pool by covering the entire pool area with a large tarp. The hope is to reduce the start-up efforts. We are also working on the tabernacle screening and some other things that need attention before winter.

We are so grateful for all the help over the summer, for all the encouraging words and words of gratitude. Speaking for my family, we love this ministry. Please continue to pray for us as we serve in this capacity.

Chris Polk • PO Box 271 • Matthews, MO 63867 • Cell: 573-380-1975

Greetings From Camp Garwood

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It’s officially crunch time. While we don’t have any “big” projects this year. We have several small maintenance items keeping us busy. I look at my list and then at my calendar and it makes me wonder, how am I going to get it all done?

But, then I remember. 1) It doesn’t all have to be done. 2) JULY 25 – 29, 2022
Camp Theme • Forward in Faith 2 Peter 1:5-7 See bmamissouri.org for Rules, Schedule, etc. as we get closer to camp help will come. 3) These are the small things. The main thing is the gospel. And it will be proclaimed. With or without every light bulb working. Or every leak stopped. By this time your church should be registered. Please ensure all adults have completed the screening and read the camp rules. Both can be found at bmamissouri.org along with the camp schedule and other information. We are getting excited to see everyone. It sounds like we’ll have a full camp again.

Forward in Faith. That’s our theme. Forward….In…. Faith. Always moving forward. Forward in our walk. Forward in our spiritual growth. Forward in our Faith. Supplementing our faith with virtue and knowledge and self
control. With those we become Steadfast and live godly lives with brotherly affection. And as these are increased we become fruitful. And that, That is our ultimate goal. To be fruitful in the LORD.

Yep. I’m excited to see everyone. But I’m more excited to hear Bro. Jordan preach the gospel from 2 Peter.

In these final weeks would you lift Camp Garwood up in prayer. Cover every camper, worker, recreation event, meal, and daily weather with prayer. Bro. Ben says every failure is a prayer failure. Pray for me.
What am I forgetting? For health. Patience. Energy. Pray for my family as we enter the busiest month of the year. Pray for Matthews church as she
functions under a pastor serving in dual roles.

If you have any questions or if you want to know how you or your church can help get ready for a successful camp please contact me or a camp
committee member. We will be happy to answer your questions and encouraged by your willingness to be involved. The more you are involved,
the greater the blessing of seeing souls saved and other good things that happen at Camp!

We’ll see you in a few short weeks at Camp Garwood!

Camp Director Chris Polk

December 2020 – Mission Director’s Report

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A Page From My Heart…

Ben KingstonDear churches,
Most people know what someone means when they refer to a person as having a ‘Type A’ personality: self-driven, goal-oriented, strong leader, etc. While I would never refer to myself this way, I have heard a ton of people try to push me into this mold. So, let me say quickly that I see myself more as a person who wants to affect change and accomplish goals for the Lord’s kingdom. If that makes me an A-type personality, so be it! But, all this has been said to make a funny about the fact that my first two months as your director has been anything but earth-shaking and motivational!

We had an amazing start to it with a wonderful meeting with Juan Fernandez and both missions committees from the Missouri State and the Meramec associations. More to be said on this soon. Please pray for Juan and our Association as we prepare this project to present to the churches.
Then, November 9th I was quarantined until December 1st! The quarantine started with taking care of Dawn and Molly, and then Tony. As of this writing, God has spared me from contracting the virus, for which we are very thankful, since I am diabetic. Dawn, Molly, and Tony all had mild cases, for which we are also very grateful.

Thank you to all who prayed for me and my family. Bethel has been amazing in their support of their pastor during this time.

And lastly, you may have heard that my father-in-law Ken Burnett passed away November 22nd, so you can see it’s been a difficult month. As of this writing, we do not have his arrangements settled yet.

A word of honor and memorial: Suffice it to say, Ken is easily in the top three of the most influential men in my life. He had reached 90 years of age, and his death date was also his 68th wedding anniversary. He married Joan Hoff 68 years ago and it was clearly his best decision. God then blessed him with Debbie, Diane, Denise, and Dawn, who are definitely his greatest accomplishments. He loved, supported, and mentored His sons-in-law: Jerry Grodie (whom he is reunited with in heaven, and who was a faithful husband, father, and worker in Ken’s heating and plumbing business), Gavin Hooks (who has followed Ken’s footsteps as a faithful and successful husband, father, and business owner), and myself.

Ken was most proud of his daughters and their accomplishments. He was a faithful child of God, church member, deacon, treasurer, business owner, school board president, St. Clair citizen, and that’s just to name a few of his accomplishments. He was also very involved on all three levels of the BMA.
So, to come full circle, I am still studying our missions program and trying to prayerfully shape my approach on how to design, teach, and grow the missions effort in the BMAMO. Please pray with me in this effort.

Please Note:
Stacie sent out an e-mail to all our pastors, clerks, and/or missionary committeemen last week to ascertain the viability of holding a Missionary committee meeting via a conference call in December. So far, I have gotten all positive feedback but if you are the missionary committeeman of the church you attend and didn’t get this e-mail, please contact us and get us your information so you can be part of this conference call.

We will discuss the meeting that was held with Bro. Juan and the motions that the special missions committee made regarding our support of him as a missionary in the St. Louis region. (I was asked by Bro. Claude Evans, our missionary committee chairman, to set up the conference call, and then he will conduct the meeting when it is arranged.

Here are the best ways to communicate with me:
My Cell • (636) 629-2526
My E-mail • Bethelbaptistchurch@live.com
Bethel Church Office • (636) 629-2978

May the Lord bless you and His churches,
Bro. Ben

May 2020 – News and Views from Camp Garwood

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Colossians 1:15-20 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” ESV

History is HIS story. An appropriate theme for 2020, much better than ‘vision 2020’ because none of us saw this coming. But Jesus did, even this is His story. We don’t know what the LORD is doing with this time in history. There’s a lot of speculation, there’s a lot of accusations. But that’s the thing about history. We can’t really see what’s going on until it has already happened. Is it all a hoax? Will half the population be killed off? Is it an evil plan devised and carried out by a political party, or another country? There are all kinds of ideas floating around, some of them a lot crazier than others.

While we don’t know what the end of the Coronavirus will look like, we do know what THE END looks like. Jesus will be seated on HIS throne ruling over HIS perfect creation, and in that knowledge I find peace.

Just like you, I have more questions than answers at this point. Will we have camp? I don’t know. If we do, what will that look like? I don’t know. When will you know? I don’t know. Even by the time you are reading this report it will still be too early to make a decision. I would like to say, “You know what, It’s not as bad as they say, we are having camp no matter what.” But the reality is, We can’t say that. And that is not a lack of faith.

I was able to watch the Governors Broadcast on FB today. I was actually able to tune in early. It seemed like 15 minutes but was probably only 3-4 minutes of watching closed doors. No movement, no talking, just closed doors. And even at that the angry faces were flying. There were some likes and hearts too, but it was overwhelmingly angry faces. People angry because he is opening the state, because he isn’t opening it fast enough, because he didn’t open it soon enough, because he didn’t close it fast enough, because he is helping this group and hasn’t done anything about this that or the other. Everyone has an opinion and on FB they don’t care to share it. In the midst of the angry faces and the angry comments people were signing in, posting where they are from. Florissant, Jackson, Kennett, Branson, Literally all over the state. When you think about that load, Whether you like him or hate him, that guy has a lot of weight on his shoulders and no matter what he does, a lot of people are not going to like it.

Everyone has an opinion, but that doesn’t make them right. People are failing to realize, this pandemic is not about them. Oh, it involves you in some way. But it is not about you. Even though we can’t see it yet, it is about Jesus. Everything that happens in history will be for HIM. “All things are for him and through Him and to Him.” He will receive glory through this; the question is, will it be by your lips and actions?

When your pastor or your elders or your deacons make a decision during this time remember they didn’t ask for this. They are doing the best they can and trying to glorify the LORD in the process. Their decision may not agree with yours but they don’t need to know that and neither does anyone else. Remember, It’s not about you.

Whatever the camp committee decides about camp this year it will be the right decision because it will be made through prayer and with the desire to please the LORD. Whatever we decide some of you will have other opinions. Remember, It’s not about you. There are a lot of things to factor into our decision. Are there liability issues? We are drawing in people from all over the state and out of state to pack into dorms that are not social distancing friendly. The tabernacle doesn’t have walls but we are normally packed in the pews. Will food be an issue? Will kids practice being sanitary? (That record speaks for itself). Right now it’s early May, How will the numbers be trending at the end of June? There are too many questions that can’t be answered yet. So be patient, we are waiting as long as possible to make a decision.

At this point we have no activities planned at camp, The DEWr weekend and the GMA retreat are on hold. We are continuing to do maintenance at camp and plan to have camp ready to go, hopeful that it will be used.
We have opened a PayPal account for camp to help you support this ministry. The easiest way to find us on PayPal is with our email address. campgarwood@gmail.com It will show up as Baptist Missionary Association of Missouri because that is our official name. But it will send the funds directly to the camp account.

Have a great day and remember to pray,
Chris Polk, Camp Garwood
PO Box 271 • Matthews, MO 63867
573-380-1975 • campgarwood@gmail.com

Drink The Melted Ice Cream…

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I’d like to tell you our story from the first week of February.
Friday, 7th, Deekota didn’t have a good ob-gyn visit.
Saturday, 8th, After leaving the Trail Life derby races the church van was rear ended while sitting at a stop sign. While at the hospital, Caleb developed complications. A tic that affected his speech.
By Sunday, 9th, Caleb’s condition worsens to the point his “tic” is non stop. So we spend all night in Cape ER.
We get home 5 a.m., Monday 10th, to find the refrigerator had quit and everything was melted. We had planned to go with Kota to her return ob-gyn visit but Children’s hospital called and scheduled Caleb at the same time as her appointment.
Tuesday, 11th, Caleb’s condition worsens because the meds make him so dizzy he can’t stand up. Through the whole process Caleb is not as worried about his condition as he is of going to the Dr. and hospitals.
Wednesday, 12th, Caleb’s Dr. at Children’s hospital says he will improve but it will take a while. A long while, 3 months would be an optimistic recovery time.
While we were in St. Louis receiving fairly good news with Caleb, Kota in Conway was not. Sadly she lost the baby.
At this point we recognize, OK this is a rough week. But, God is in control. We know this. We never wavered in this. There is much comfort knowing that in all this madness God is in control.
Early in the week there were some posts on Facebook that made it sound like we were struggling. The posts were intended to help and had our best interest at heart, the wording just made it sound like we were loosing it. But we really hadn’t. Oh we’ve cried. We hugged. But we also talked with each other more than we have in a long time.
The week before this all started we had a study on prayer. We certainly prayed that week. We prayed over Caleb like never before. And still my prayer life needs improvement. But our faith has never wavered.
When we got home at 5 a.m. and found water everywhere from the refrigerator, we got a couple hours sleep. Then, when we got up we drank the melted Ice cream for lunch. That night Laura made meatloaf, Caleb’s favorite, with the thawed meat for supper. Looking into the refrigerators problem we unplugged it and plugged it back in and it’s been working ever since. Thank you Lord!
Caleb and I have played video games together. I’ve missed so many opportunities to spend time with him over the years, But, Not that week. He’s not out of the woods and I’m not done spending time with him.
When these things happen in life we can shake our fist at God, or we can look for what God is doing. We don’t always get answers, but, it’s not enough to simply say, sometimes the answer is no. Because, God is always in control whatever is going on is a plan, It’s God’s plan. Not mine, not yours, HIS.
History, In world events and in the events of your life, is HIS story.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Camp Garwood Activities in 2020:
Pastors & Leaders Retreat • March 27th-28th
Paintball • April 17th-18th
DEWr Retreat • June 19-20
State Camp • July 27-31 – History is HIStory; Cor 1:16

Chris Polk, Camp Director • PO Box 271 • Matthews MO 63867
Phone: (573)380-1975 • e-mail: campgarwood@gmail.com