Dear Prayer Partners,
Over the past 15 years God has blessed me with opportunities to preach all over the country to over 10,000 teenagers in various camp settings. One camp that is a reoccurring blessing to me has been Dunes Bible Camp (DBC) in Washington.
As some of you know I was recently at Dunes Bible Camp just last week! I regard this camp as God’s gift to the Northwest. Below are some of my reflections on why this camp is so dear to me.
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The People that Serve There,
Steve and Linda Holmes are the two leaders of Dunes Bible Camp and it is a privilege to call them friends. I have been in various ministry settings and I always look at the work ethic and intentionality of those in charge. These two are an amazing duo and have modeled a healthy ministry and home life balance. I love to see the dynamic between them and their children. They are very intentional about involving their children in ministry and keeping home life strong as they simultaneously impact hundreds of other kids. Of course nobody is perfect, but they are practical. I once heard that success is when your older children want to work for you and hang out with you. To see the Holmes family as a unit that loves serving God’s people is an amazing sight. To watch as Steve and Linda slowly pass the baton to their kids is inspiring. When I have a family of my own I pray to be able to achieve that kind of synergy between my home and ministry life.
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There is an emphasis of teaching the Bible!
You would be surprised at how many youth ministries preference being entertaining over teaching the Word of God. I love that the word Bible is included in the name of the camp and I am always instructed to concentrate on the Bible as I construct a message to preach. An early mistake I remember making in my ministry is being at camps that don’t place a high value on teaching the Bible.
I can remember times that I would be invited to a youth event and after watching the worship team, a skit, and other entertainment I would only be given 10 or 15 minutes to preach. It was sometimes at a point that I would be ushered off the stage for going over my time. Putting a constraint on the time spent sharing the Gospel prevents our youth from getting to fully experience God. Dunes Bible Camp keeps Christ in His rightful place as the cornerstone and I respect that immensely.
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It is Affordable
Most camps are high in cost. Ranging anywhere from $300, $ 400 or even as much as $700 just for our youth to get the opportunity to have their life impacted spiritually. I understand that conferences, camps, and events cannot always be free amenities, but I like that DBC has kept their cost low for each child. Most families can afford it and I see many demographics can come together and enjoy the camp while they stay in budget.
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There is an Emphasis on Seeing Kids Come to Christ.
To say the least -- salvation is celebrated! I see the way that the staff genuinely rejoices as people get delivered. I have learned that a celebrated behavior is repeated. On my first night preaching I had over 20 middle schooler come down to the alter a dedicate their lives to Christ. Due to how young they were I asked those same kids to return to the altar the next night. To see that a day later the kids were still excited for their new lives in Christ was a huge reflection on the staff that shepherds them!
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The Power of Relationship
As I shared before, Steve and Linda are amazing individuals! They have showed true dedication and support to me outside of being “Pastor James”. They send me text messages, calls, financial gifts, emails, and encouragement consistently! Even years when I did not speak at their camp, they stayed vocal about how much they were praying for me. I count them as dear friends. I realize that in ministry it's not always what you do, but who you do it with.
Their children Katie, Kyle, and Rachel are equally as gracious and kind to me when they see me. Steve and Linda are a part of my journey and our friendships have proven to be very strong. When I needed a place to stay for a couple of days as I dealt with anxiety, depression, and other mental barriers, they opened the doors of their camp to me. When their dad passed away I cleared my schedule to attend the memorial service. We are mutually supportive of each other and I treasure that aspect of the relationship.
Seeing teenagers and children who love the Lord is so touching. The thing about being a Bible teacher is that the seed you plant sprouts for years to come.
Last week at Dunes Bible Camp an 18 year old came over to me and told me that she remembered me from when she first gave her life to God at 9 years old! Now she is still a camper and counselor to others! That moment and those like it remind me about how my efforts are a blessing. By being available for God to use me has opened ministry partnerships that are invaluable. Dunes Bible Camp is quite a place! My prayer is that God will continue to bless Steve, Linda and the camp for years to come. Dunes Bible Camp always feels like home and I look forward to future Godly-events with them!
Respectfully,
Pastor James Owolabi
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