Family Camp - June 29-July 4

Monday and Tuesday at Family Camp:

Fishing

Chicken on the grill...

More fishing...

Fishing for minnows...

A gorgeous day!

Dr. Bud Steadman...

Family reunion...

Mother Daughter Retreat - June 26-27, 2009

Eighty five mothers and daughters attended the 2009 Mother/Daughter Retreat at Peniel Bible Camp. There were several extended family groups which included mother-in-laws and cousins. The two youngest campers were 4 and 5 month old cousins who attended with their mothers and grandmother. The “most mature” mother/daughter pair were over 60.

The weather was perfect to enjoy the outdoor activities of camp – swimming, boating, the zip line. The first annual canoe race was so popular that there were two semi-final races before the final race which determined the winners of the Root Beer Floats!

The theme for this third annual Mother/Daughter Retreat was Abide in Me with John 15:4 as the theme verse. Amy Johnson from Inter-City Baptist Church in Allen Park, Michigan spoke three times. On Friday night she shared what she had gleaned from John 15 about bearing fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. On Saturday morning she spoke about a Woman Devoted to Prayer. In the final service Amy shared lessons from the life of Mrs. C.H. Spurgeon. Her sweet testimony and love for the Savior were evident as the ladies got to know her.

Thanks to all who worked hard to make this a special weekend for the moms and their daughters who attended!

Enjoying Friday's dinner of grilled chicken

Friday night volleyball

Friday evening recreation

Ice Cream Cones!

The First Annual Canoe Race - Finals

Saturday's Buffet

special music from Falls Berean Bible Church

John 15:4

Saturday's Mother/Daughter Craft time

The Luke Stickle countdown to Teen 1 camp...

Luke will let us know how many days left!

Pastors' Conference / Training Camp

The Pastors' Conference continued today at camp with 41 pastors in attendance. The two-day Staff Training Camp started in the morning with 14 participants.

Izaac VanderSchel explains the philosophy of competition. Other topics covered today included: Christian camping philosophy, history/organization of Peniel Bible Camp, the 2009 youth camp theme, managing area and cabin clean-up, skit/song practice, and counseling basics.

The group at the end of the day...

New view upon arrival at camp...

With the removal of the large trees along the frontage of our camp property, the approach to camp looks a bit different. (Just a "heads up" so you don't drive past!) Coming from 314 and 95, be sure to check your odometer. We are just about 1 mile from that intersection.

Approaching from Chesterville (314 and 95), you'll turn in right after our neighbor's house and paved drive.

Coming from Sparta (314 and 229), you'll miss seeing the line of trees. Our entrance is at the top of the hill.

See you at camp!

Pastors' Conference 2009 - Day 1

Pastors' Conference began at lunch today with 38 pastors in attendance. The day included recreation, personal study, delicious meals (steak on the grill for dinner), fellowship, praising the Lord through singing, and preaching from the Word of God.

On your mark, get set...

Imagine preparing for a party – cleaning the house, preparing the food, setting up the table – and then watching for the arrival of the guests. That’s how we here at Peniel are feeling tonight. After weeks/months of preparation, the 2009 summer camping season begins tomorrow morning. Time now to get a good night’s sleep so we’ll be at our best tomorrow.

-Patti Perry

Getting ready to start camp...

Did you ever get one of those vacation postcards that read something like this: “Having a great time. Too busy to write.” I think that’s the way we are feeling right now.

We have wanted to get a newsletter out for almost 2 months now, but… So, lest you think we’ve forgotten you, our faithful prayer warriors, we want to just update you a bit on what we’ve been doing to get ready for camp which, by the way, starts 8 days and 17 hours from now.

Registrations continue to arrive almost daily for summer camps and for the fall retreats. Youth Camp information goes out almost daily as well. Teen 1 Camp is already full with four on a waiting list.

We are praising the Lord for the provision of staff this year. Other than those few counselor positions in Teen II Camp not yet filled, we are looking at a full complement of summer staff. We have sent out staff information via email this year which, we trust, is a more efficient way to get information to our staff.

Menus are being tweaked and lists are being made. Melody Peeler, our Kitchen Superintendent, will be placing her initial summer food order next Wednesday. Then there are the boxes to be unpacked and food to be arranged in the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer as the kitchen is made ready for preparation of the first meal on the 22nd.

Thank the Lord for computers, the Internet, and copy machines. It seems like we’re buying reams of paper each week to put together camper and staff booklets. And then there’s the copying of all the other paperwork that goes into running a camp.

Jerry Edinger and his crew have installed new toilets in the main restrooms that will better service the needs of our campers. Major upgrades have been made to increase the overall water delivery. Bed rails have also been added to the upper bunks for the safety of our campers. Equipment has been upgraded so that the recordings of camp messages will now be available free of charge on the web. Farewell, cassette tapes.

Cathie Edinger has been stocking the Camp Store with camp clothing, Bibles, books, music, and all sorts of little doo-dads that the kids enjoy.

Whew! There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes to prepare for the summer camping ministry. We hope that all these efforts will result in many “happy campers” this summer!

We so much appreciate all those who have already been praying for the ministry of camp. We trust that campers will meet God face to face at Peniel Bible Camp this summer.

-Patti Perry

Memorial Day Conference 2009

Memorial Day at Peniel Bible Camp - May 25, 2009

Marvin Gassman, President of the Ohio Bible Mission (OBM)

and General Director of the Ohio Bible Fellowship camping program

Singing in the Chapel - around 300+ in attendance
Jerry Edinger, Peniel Bible Camp Superintendent

Pastor Joel Owen (Cambridge Bible Church)

God's Role Model for Government - Psalm 78:70-72

Picnics on the grounds

Enjoying fellowship, games, and ice cream cones in the Rec Hall / Snack Shop

A beautiful day to enjoy the outdoor activities!

Father/Son Retreat - May 1-2, 2009

About 160 men and boys ages 4 and older attended the 2009 Father/Son Retreat. Although the retreat began with a couple downpours, the weather Saturday made up for that. What's a few wet clothes when Saturday is about as beautiful a day as you can ask for in the spring?

Pastor Gordon Dickson preached on Friday night on The Sword, the Shepherd, and the Sheep from Zechariah 13:7; 12:10. On Saturday morning he spoke to the fathers on Shepherding Your Family (Job 1:1-5). The boys up through 6th grade met with Pastor Paul Martin during that time on the porch of Ashbrook Hall. The teen boys had a Bible lesson with Pastor Mark Perry in the Rec' Hall. Pastor Dickson's final message on Saturday was The Shepherd Knows His Sheep from John 10:24-31.

The weekend was filled with plenty of good food to eat: roast beef, french toast, grilled chicken, etc. along with ice cream treats from the Snack Shop. Activities included riflery, basketball, archery, volleyball, canoeing (including a Father/Son race!), foosball, air hockey, tether ball, horseshoes, ping pong, and lots of fishing.

This was a great start to the 2009 camping season at Peniel Bible Camp.

Fishing on Friday afternoon. The rain drove some off the dock, but some were prepared to fish rain or shine. (Notice how high the water is!)

The fishing Browns from Auglaize.

Friday night roast beef dinner

The Wileys were enjoying dinnner!

The West boys had their Father/Son Devotions on the porch of Ashbrook Hall.

The fathers singing in the Chapel on Saturday morning.

Pastor Gordon Dickson instructing the fathers.

Pastor Mark Perry teaching the older boys' morning Bible class.

Pastor Paul Martin teaching the younger boys in their morning Bible Class.

The Hixsons canoeing on Saturday morning.

Grilled chicken sandwiches for lunch on Saturday - with all the fixin's.

These two boys were checking the camp map - even though they knew the property well. They concluded that they were by the lake.

Afternoon Canoe Race - ...and they're off!
Playing foosball in the Rec' Hall.

Harrison Anthony fishing with Dad - and letting him bait the hook.

Fathers and Sons fishing together.

Spring at Peniel

Usually when most people think of Peniel Bible Camp, they picture it during the summer. The trees are full, the lake is low, and the woods are full of shadows.

Here are a couple pictures taken today to show you what camp looks like in the spring.

The lake was so full from all the rain this past week, that it was pouring over the spillway.

Looks like you could just walk right across the water to the dock!

Spilling out of the lake and into the creek - usually dry in the summer.

You would get your feet wet walking to this fishing dock today.

Spring in the woods


The water spilling from the lake into creeks that run between

the A-frame cabins and the boys' cabins.

Help Needed to Prepare for the 2009 Camping Season

Dear friends of Peniel Bible Camp,

We would like to personally invite you to help us get the camp ready for the 2009 camping season. Two Saturdays have been set aside for this purpose - April 11th and 25th. Any of you who have helped before are certainly aware of the importance of having many helping hands in this annual task. For one, the task is enormous. With all of us working together, it can be an enjoyable day of service.

The buildings were closed down in the fall and need to be opened, dusted, swept, washed, and made ready for the first campers who will arrive on May 1st.

Helpers should bring basic spring cleaning supplies (all purpose cleaner, rags, window cleaner, etc.). An area to clean will be assigned to you.

You might want to plan to arrive early in the day, do your cleaning in the morning, eat a picnic lunch on the grounds (bring your own food), and enjoy a spring day at camp when you are finished.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Spring Projects at Peniel

Work continues on the camp property in anticipation of the opening camp of the season on May 1st (Father/Son Retreat). Several trees were removed out by the road and around Olden' Hall.

The kitchen ceiling/walls were repaired and painted. A special "splash area" was installed in the dish room around the work areas. (Anyone who has worked in there can appreciate that!) Everything was moved out and the floors were professionally cleaned.

The office was painted and rearranged.

March 3

The big old trees along the front of the camp property on State Route 314 were taken down by county workers. One had fallen during the September windstorm and was wedged up in another one of the trees. This certainly changes the view of the camp property out by the road!

Ever wondered what things look like at camp in the winter? Kind of a different perspective, isn't it?

Progress is being made in the Camp Store as the Snack Shop floor is being replaced. No more holes or sagging floors!

This is the area where the ice cream and Pepsi machines are.

That door goes from the Snack Shop to the Book Store. The rotted out floor boards were ripped out and replaced.

-pp

Early Bird Deadline coming up...

The Early Bird deadline for the Father/Son Retreat is March 1st.

To save a little on the cost of any camp, mail your registration form in with the deposit (or full camp fee) so that it is received by the Registrar by the date listing on the brochure.

Don't get left out this year; register EARLY!

Work Being Accomplished at Camp in February

Outdoor work has continued on those good weather days in January and February. Porch lights on Ashbrook Hall were replaced. Painting/staining continues on the outside of Ashbrook Hall. The camp store was jacked up last week and a new beam was installed to fix the sagging floor in the Snack Shop.

January Issue of PBC Focus available...

click here to view.

2009 Brochures ready to distribute

With some help from the seniors at Westerville Bible Church, the 2009 camp brochures are ready to distribute/mail out tomorrow.

Ashbrook Hall repair work continues

Pictures taken December 3rd. Inside west wall in Ashbrook Hall is completed. Broken door window lattice replaced in 6 outside doors.

Repair of Ashbrook Hall continues into November

Work continues on the repair work in Ashbrook Hall. November weather allowed for the continued repair of the outside walls. Weathered siding was removed and replaced and the building was painted. The west wall is complete. The men were working on the east wall on this day.

Snow covered the ground on November 21 and the work moved indoors. The crew of three that day worked on redoing the west wall.

(Dan Corey and Pastor Hamilton do aerial areobatics while I take pictures and cut wood at ground level!)
The men stopped for another week... but work will continue.

Couples' Retreat 2008

October 3-4, 2008

Pastor Matt Austin, speaker

Men's Retreat 2008

September 19-20, 2008 with Pastor Todd Wood (Idaho Falls, ID), speaker:

Good fellowship, good preaching, good music, good weather, good food!

Wind Damage from "Hurricane Ike"

These pictures show some of the damage done from Sunday, September 14th's windstorm (leftovers from Hurricane Ike). Much clean-up had already occurred before these pictures were taken on Tuesday afternoon. Three cabins sustained some damage. Quite a number of trees were down and the grounds were littered with branches and twigs. The ground in front of Ashbrook Hall was covered with walnuts that fell prematurely during the storm.

This last picture shows the progress being made on the residing of Ashbrook Hall.

Women's Retreat 2008

The Women's Retreat was held at Camp on September 12-13, 2008. Linda Hamblen from Calvary Bible Church in Lima was the speaker. Melissa Moss, Kay Baier, and Karen Meyer were workshop leaders. "Best retreat ever!" was the comment heard from many of the ladies who attended.

September Issue of PBC Focus available...

click here to view.

Progress on the Ashbrook Hall siding project

pictures taken 8/21/08

Family Camp pictures

Bryan and Jenny Hayes shared these pictures with us from the August Family Camp.

A few more Family Camp pictures

August Family Camp - mid-week update

Seventy-three campers plus staff

Grandparents, parents, children ages 2-20

Family devotions, chapel, Children's class

Piano, flutes, violins, choirs, ensembles, etc.

Canoeing, paddle boats, fishing, archery, riflery

Kubbs, horseshoes, table games

Family activities, children's games, Slip 'n Slide, Zipline

Plenty of photo opportunities and memory-makers

Fun, fun, fun!!!

Teen 2 Camp - July 31st

Wednesday at Teen 2 Camp

Day Two at Teen 2 Camp

Tuesday, July 29, 2008 - A picture is worth a thousand words...

So, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

-pp

Teen 2 Camp - Off to a good start (July 28)

Teen 2 Camp 2008 is off to a good start! The staff gathered at camp on Sunday evening for pizza, prayer, and a time of preparation. Monday morning was filled with instruction designed to prepare the staff for the week. Seventy-nine campers arrived at 2:00.

Pastor Tim Potter brought a strong message from 1 Thessalonians 1 in the chapel service this evening. Campers were challenged to have a passionate love for the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pray for the working of the Word in the camper's lives this week.

a few final Teen 1 Camp pictures

Thursday at Teen 1 Camp

Pictures today show cabin inspection (looking for "big time fuzzies"), sand volleyball and other morning activities, hamburgers cooking on the grill for lunch, Debate '08 with Bald Bill, Bearded Bob, and Captain America, and the evening Slip 'n Slide with the final "landslide victory" by Dr. Stephen Jones.

Pictures from Teen 1 Camp - Wednesday

Morning devotions, Afternoon Bible Time, Ropes Course, Racing for a clue, Choosing a "Top Monkey", Sunset Wednesday night.

Tuesday at Teen 1 Camp

Second day of Teen 1 Camp: Happy campers, Bald Bill and Mr. V., Evening game with Frisbees and water...

Teen 1 Camp - July 21, 2008

Teen 1 Camp 2008 began today with 110 campers arriving just ahead of a predicted thunderstorm. Registration check-in was moved indoors and indoor activities were planned. Registration went smoothly and the storm passed without a drop of rain, leaving much more pleasant temperatures and cool breezes in its wake.

Pray with us for the spiritual needs of the campers, for wisdom and physical stamina for our counselors and staff, and for safety during the week. We desire to see the Lord do a mighty work during this week of camp.

Pictures posted today show a couple cabin skits before supper, the evening activity (launching a "lame duck"), and pictures from chapel (singing, Pastor Paul Hamilton talking with the campers, and Dr. Stephen Jones preaching from Ephesians 2).

Last of the Junior 2 pictures

Junior 2 Camp is now history. Thought I would add a few pictures from Friday and Saturday.

Caleb and Mikey are helping clean up the camp.

The group picture was taken on Saturday morning.

Cabin 6 eagerly awaits the results of the "election." (Bald Bill won this week.)

Pastor Paul Martin closes Junior 2 2008 with prayer.

Pray for the campers as they seek to follow through with the decisions they made at camp. Pray especially for the ten who made professions of faith this past week.

-pp

Junior 2 update

A few pictures from Junior 2 Camp on Thursday: Flag lowering and Slip 'n Slide

Wednesday at Junior 2 Camp

If a picture is worth a thousand words... does this count for 12,000 words?

Morning Clean up chores

Sports Clinic

Staff Prayer Meeting

Personal Devotions

Nature Studies: Catching minnows... or at least attempting to do so!

Bullseye!

Ready, aim, fire!

How many pizzas does it take to feed 148 hungry campers / staff?

40 pizzas!

Enjoying S'mores - or just plain marshmallows on Wednesday night

The whole group... 106 campers with their 16 counselors.

Junior 2 Camp Update

We are enjoying the enthusiasm of our 5th and 6th grade campers. Yesterday morning they had their first skill class. Pictured is a swimming class, craft class, and fishing class. Our speaker, David Cajiuat, provided special music last night before preaching. Pray for continued working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the campers. A number of young people responded to the message last night. Several made professions of salvation. Our counselors are following up on those decisions with the campers today.

-pp

Junior 2 Camp - First Day Pictures

Junior 2 Camp began yesterday afternoon with 106 campers (53 girls and 53 boys). Before the campers arrive, the staff spent Sunday evening and Monday morning preparing for the campers. Monday evening each cabin prepared a theme-related skit. (I have included pictures of 2 of the cabin groups.) Melody Peeler's kitchen crew decorated the dessert cupcakes to go with the political theme of the week.

The evening game was held out in the soccer field with 4 modified kick-ball games all going on at the same time. Campers enjoyed their first day of camp.

Thank you for praying for the ministry of Peniel Bible Camp.

Junior 1 Camp 2008

Well, Junior 1 Camp 2008 is now history. The campers left today around noon on Saturday. Continue to pray for the campers. The Lord worked in hearts and several boys and girls made decisions that will affect their daily walk with the Lord. Pray also for the ones who made salvation decisions last week.

You may be interested in seeing what a cabin looks like with all the campers belongings inside. I've included a couple "clean cabin" pictures.

Now to prepare for Junior II Camp next week...

Junior 1 Camp - Thursday update

Another beautiful day at Peniel Bible Camp! The campers enjoyed swimming, outdoor competitions, pizza for lunch, skills classes (BB guns, archery, canoeing, fishing, etc.), table games in the Snack Shop, ice cream cones, and a "State Dinner" with a Debate between Bearded Bob and Bald Bill.

Junior 1 Camp - Wednesday review

Another great day at Junior 1 Camp. The storms moved out in the morning and the afternoon was very pleasant. The Lord is working in hearts through Pastor Kern's messages in the morning and evening chapel services. Tonight several indicated a need for salvation or a desire to take care of a known sin. Pray with us for the campers and counselors.

Our theme this year is of a political nature. We have two teams (parties) and two candidates. Bald Bill made his appearance last evening trying to gather votes. Tonight Bearded Bob came and gave his campaign speech. Tomorrow night we will have a State Dinner with Bob and Bill debating the issues. The kids love to chant "Bill" or "Bob" as they cheer for their teams.

Today's pictures include one of afternoon quiz time, our supper-time cookout, Bearded Bob's campaign stop, and evening chapel with Pastor Kern.

Junior 1 Camp pictures

SKILL CLASSES

POLITICAL GATHERINGS

FUN ON THE FIELD

Pictures from Monday and Tuesday of Junior 1 Camp - July 7-12, 2008
82 campers (36 boys and 46 girls)
25 volunteer staff + full-time summer staff
Speaker: Pastor Bob Kern (Aliquippa, PA)

Enjoying the New Outdoor Grill!

Thanks to all who have helped with the purchase of our new grill. I am enjoying cooking on it a lot. I have used it almost everyday of the camping season so far. So if you are coming to camp in the next 5 weeks you will get to taste something good off of our new grill. Here are some pictures of the Ribs I made for Pastor's Conference.

Thanks so much!!!! - Mrs. Melody Peeler

Fishing at Peniel Bible Camp

Mother / Daughter Retreat 2008

June 27-28, 2008

94 Mothers & Daughters

ages 4 months through mid-80's

nine 3-generational families

speaker: Faith Taylor (Simpsonville, SC)

Family Camp - June 30-July 5

Training Camp - June 24, 25

Pastor's Conference 2008

June 23-25

43 Pastors attended

7 states besides Ohio represented plus one foreign country

4 full-time missionaries

speaker: Dr. Bob Jones, III

Pictures of finished projects

Two completed projects:

Preparing the Staff Mailing

Sorted, stuffed, sealed... the Camp staff mailing went out in the mail this afternoon!

Did you know???
...that those little clasps on the back of manilla envelopes render the mailpiece non-machinable? And mailpieces that are non-machinable are subject to an additional surcharge? After all these envelopes were sealed, taped shut, and stamped, I found that out! Rather than pay an additional $10 to the USPS, I took the entire mailing back home, opened each envelope, removed the metal clasp, and sealed each one back up! :-) ...Wonder how many staff will wonder why their packets look as though they were opened and sealed back up....

-Patti

The Luke Stickle countdown to Junior 2 camp...

Luke Stickle (avid J2 camp enthusiast) has agreed to keep us updated on how many days before J2 camp. Check his comments on this posting to find out...

Thanks, Luke.

June Issue of PBC Focus available...

click here to view.

Peniel's Sand Volleyball Court

Our sand volleyball court is complete and ready to use.

• 50' x 80' overall



• 600' drainage tile



• 130 tons stone



• 225 tons sand

Mother / Daughter Retreat - June 27-28

The Mother-Daughter Retreat is fast approaching. This is a time for moms and daughters to get away and spend some special time together having fun, being fed spiritually and being with other Christians at our beautiful camp. We had a great time last year and this year will be every bit as fun and encouraging.

I believe this retreat is especially valuable for a number of reasons. For one, this introduces the camp to future youth campers and their moms. What a great way to "get their feet wet" and find out what a wonderful place Peniel is. Another reason is that this is a time to connect spiritually. Besides the services and the activities, we schedule time for mothers and daughters to spend time "alone-together" in God's Word and praying. That is something that probably never happens otherwise in most homes. Even if a family has family devotions, that is not the same as a time for just moms and daughters to have a Quiet Time. Of all the things we did last year at the retreat, I was the most thrilled with what I overheard during this time.

Our speaker is Faith Taylor from Simpsonville, South Carolina. Her theme is "That I May Know Him". On Friday night she will speak on what that means. On Saturday she will focus on what keeps us from knowing God and how to go about it. She has also prepared a Bible study on the characteristics of one who passionately purues knowing her God for mothers and daughters to use during their quiet time. We are excited about Faith’s ministry with us at this retreat.

Please pray for the retreat.
Nancy Gallion Director

What's new at Peniel?

What’s new at camp? Well... there are several projects going on right now in preparation for the camping season.

Bob Griffin has been working on repairs in the chapel. He fixed all the windows so they stay open. Dan Corey and Bob removed the outside siding from the front of the chapel, and repaired it. They are in the process this week of repairing the back wall of the chapel. A new coat of stain will help protect and improve the outside of the chapel.

The camp has purchased an industrial size outdoor LP grill. Mrs. Peeler has already tried it out and has added a number of new grilled entrees to our camp menus: chicken, hamburgers, corn-on-the-cob, smoked sausages, etc. She is hoping to grill out several times during each week of camp. (If you have a favorite recipe for the grill that would work well in large quantities, contact Melody.) A new deck is being constructed outside the camp kitchen for the grill. Several of our camps this summer will be designating their offering to help pay for this addition.

The sand volleybal court is complete... I'll tell you more about that in another blog.

- Patti

Memorial Day 2008

What a great day we all enjoyed at Peniel Bible Camp last Monday! Thunderstorms rolled through the area early in the morning, but the skies were clear as folks began arriving for the 11:00 a.m. service.

Over 225 people congregated in the chapel for the 2008 Memorial Day service. Janeen Hatt and the Flack family (Bible Community Church / Mentor) provided special instrumental music. Missionary Chris Seawright (GFAM Cambodia) preached a message from 1 Timothy 2:1-4.

The offering goal of $10,000 was set by the Ohio Bible Mission to provide for repairs to existing camp structures, mainly replacement of windows and siding on Ashbrook Hall. We are praising the Lord that our God is not limited by a tough economy. The offering to date is over $12,000.00 which will allow the OBM to complete more repairs than originally planned!

Family and church picnics were held all over the campgrounds with a lot of good food enjoyed by all. The Lord held off the rain and folks enjoyed canoeing, fishing, swimming (yes, there were a couple hardy souls who jumped in and got wet!), horseshoes, foosball, air hockey, shooting on the rifle range, checking out the new sand volleyball court, and licking ice cream cones from the camp store.

Another great Memorial Day spent at Peniel Bible Camp!

-Patti Perry

Youth Camp Information in the mail...

The Youth Camp information packets are in the mail! Today I mailed out camp information to the 238 youth campers who have registered to attend camp this summer. From now on camper information will be mailed out to the campers upon receipt of their registrations.

We are thankful for the good number of campers already planning to attend Peniel this summer. (One week of camp already has 78 campers registered to attend!)

Pray for the Lord to work in lives and to prepare these campers for what He has for them this summer at Peniel Bible Camp.

-Patti

May Issue of PBC Focus available...

click here .

See if you can determine the big change between the March and May issues of FOCUS.

Father / Son Retreat

We had a wonderful time this past weekend at the Father / Son Retreat. We experienced strong preaching from Pastor Dave Stratton and great times of fun and fellowship among fathers and sons. Click to see some more pictures.

Youth Camp Early Birds

One hundred seventy-eight (178) young people will receive a discount on their youth camp registration fees this year. Here's how that breaks down for each camp:

Junior 1 (3rd and 4th graders) - 32

Junior 2 (5th and 6th graders) - 52

Teen 1 (7th-9th graders) - 58

Teen 2 (10th-12th graders) - 35

Just in case you're wondering, that is right on target with past year early registrations. Typically, the Junior 1 and Teen 2 campers register later and triple the early bird number. Junior 2 and Teen 1 generally double their early registration number. But we'll have to wait until July and August to find out how close we are in estimating the final numbers based on the early registrations. :-)

By the way, another 21 registrations have already come in since the first of the month...

-Patti

Mail, mail, and more mail

I'm sure my mailman knew there was a camp registration deadline this week! My mailbox has been stuffed with registrations coming in since late last week - youth campers taking advantage of the early registration discount. Tuesday and Wednesday's mail brought 63 registrations! That was enough to keep me busy for most of Thursday... I'll keep you posted as to the final early registration tally.

-Patti

PBC Focus Newsletter

The new PBC FOCUS for March 2008 is available at March 2008.

Prior issues of FOCUS can be found at

• February 2008
• December 2007 (contains 2008 schedule bookmark and prayer reminder)
• October 2007
• September 2007

Staff opportunities

Now is a good time for all servants of the Lord at Peniel to pray about serving on staff in 2008. There are positions available for those in 10th grade and up.

Staff applications are available here.

Contact me if you have any questions.

See us on Facebook too!

There is a Peniel Bible Camp group on Facebook. Freinds of the camp are welcome to join.

We will try to continue to post things on this blog in the future. - Ken

Junior 1 Camp - July 9-14

The POLICE came back to win over the FIRE, by a very slim margin!

Mother / Daughter Retreat - June 2007

The first retreat was a blessing to all!

Pastors' Conference - June 2007

You'll be glad your Pastor was here!

May 2007 Newsletter

A PDF version of the newsletter is available at...
May 2007 Newsletter - Vol. XIII No. 3

If you would like to be added to the Electronic Newsletter mailing list, please contact perry@obf.net .

Peniel News from Patti

Well, it’s time to write again and let you know of what’s going on behind the scenes at Peniel Bible Camp.

This is the month for Youth Camp EARLY REGISTRATIONS. On the 2nd, we mailed out 460 youth camp brochures to past campers. Have you received one? Early registrations, an opportunity for you to save $10 on your entire camp fee, will be received through April 1st. You only need to send in your registration and the $20 deposit to take advantage of this discount.



Come on and get those registrations in!

While trying to maintain a high standard of excellence for our camping program, we try to make camp as affordable as possible. For families with 2 or more children attending youth camp, we offer a FAMILY DISCOUNT when siblings register at the same time. The first child attending camp (youngest camper) pays full price (with the early discount if registered before April 1). Each additional child receives a $10 discount. For example, one family paid full price for Nathan in Junior 1 Camp and received a $10 discount for Megan to attend Junior 2 Camp. David’s fee was discounted $20 for Junior High Camp, and Matt received a $30 discount for his week of Senior High Camp. Also, receive an additional $10 discount for EACH FRIEND (new to Peniel) you bring to your week of camp.

When our Youth Camp brochures went to the printer in January, we were not ready to list the SPEAKERS. We are now announcing those whom the Lord has provided to minister to our young people this summer. We would ask that you pray for them as they prepare as well as for our campers to have prepared hearts.

• Junior 1 Camp – Pastor Matt Austin, Conewango, NY
• Junior 2 Camp – Pastor Dave Cannon, Grace Church of Mentor, OH
• Junior High Camp – Pastor Dave Schindel, Franklin, TN
• Senior High Camp – Pastor Ben Eckman, Allen Park, MI
  

As a P.S., I would encourage families to consider a vacation at Peniel Bible Camp. It’s affordable, spiritually beneficial, and physically relaxing. We have 2 weeks of FAMILY CAMP that can accommodate 225 total campers. If you’re interested and need more information, just ask. Speakers for these camps are:

• July 2-7 –Pastor Kevin Hobi, Greer, SC
• August 6-11 – Pastor Chris Anderson, Madison, OH

Reminder: First activity of the season at Peniel Bible Camp is CAMP CLEAN-UP, March 31 and April 7. Head out to camp and participate in readying the facilities for the camping season!

See you there!
-Patti

PS. Ken says he’d be glad to receive your staff application soon.

Peniel News from Patti

I always say that people aren’t thinking about camp when it’s winter… and then several registrations arrive in the mail. I guess when we’re snowed or iced in during February we all start looking forward to spring… summer… and CAMP!

I, for one, am looking forward to the beginning of the camping season. Besides working with registrations, I’m in the process of sending out speaker packets, reading a book on camp nursing in order to improve our camp medical services, and purchasing props and supplies for camp.

I look forward every day to the mailman’s arrival. I enjoy receiving camp registrations (have you sent me any mail lately?) and delight in telling Ken when he gets home from work that he has received a Camp Staff Application in the mail (or via email).

Did you realize that there are about 170 volunteer staff positions that need to be filled to run our camps? We need COOKS to help Mrs. Peeler prepare all those delicious camp meals, COUNSELORS for our youth camps, a HANDYMAN to do janitorial-type work during each camp, MORE COOKS to help serve all of Mrs. Peeler’s delicious camp meals, a camp NURSE for each youth camp, LIFEGUARDS to watch over our swimming area, and MORE COOKS to clean up after Mrs. Peeler. All totaled we need 72 counselors, 4 nurses, 6 lifeguards, 12 handymen, and 76 cooks.





Mrs. Peeler is looking forward to serving with you!

Have you ever considered serving at Peniel Bible Camp during a week of camp or for a weekend retreat? This is one of the unique blessings of our camp – allowing volunteers to serve for a week. Once you graduate and get a full-time job, you may have thought that serving at camp was a “thing of the past.” What a blessing it is to have this opportunity to serve the Lord by giving time and energy to help others meet God face to face at Peniel Bible Camp.

Contact Ken Perry for more information or to request a staff application. “Make his day” by sending your completed application in so I can greet him at the back door with a “Guess what you got in the mail today?”

For now, enjoy the snow!
-Patti

Peniel News from Patti

Ever wondered what camp looks like in the winter? Jerry Edinger took this picture today so you could see. He said the lake is covered with ice but it’s not solid. It takes a couple weeks of freezing temperatures for the lake to freeze enough for ice-skating and in central Ohio that doesn’t happen every winter!

Now that you’re thinking “camp,” you’ll want to find that registration form you picked up at church or received in the mail (or go to our website for a pdf copy) and fill it out and mail it in. Registrations are coming in almost daily as families plan to spend time at Peniel Bible Camp this summer.

NEW!!! The first annual Mother / Daughter Retreat will be held Friday and Saturday, June 29th and 30th. Camp will start with supper on Friday (although the camp will be available for any who would like to come in earlier that day) and will conclude mid-afternoon on Saturday. Many of the younger boys who attend the Father/Son Retreat call it “boys’ camp.” This weekend retreat will be our “girls’ camp!”

Our Kitchen Superintendent would like your help! Do you have any menu ideas for children, teens, or adults? Melody Peeler is always interested in new recipes. Send your ideas directly to her at cook@obf.net. If it’s something usable this year, she’ll contact you for the recipe and for specifics.

Peniel News from Patti

It doesn’t seem much like winter here in central Ohio. In fact, our thoughts on these spring-like days (I have tulips & daffodils popping through the soil) might go along the lines of vacations and camp! So, as you get those new calendars hung, be sure to mark in the dates for the camps you would like to attend in 2007. (The bookmark / prayer reminders will be available in your churches mid-January.)

I’m not much of a blogger and haven’t been very good this past year at keeping folks up to date on camp information. So, I am going to try to send out short notes to let everyone know what’s going on. Who knows? It may even appear on the blog. J Pray for me as I attempt to keep people informed.

So, for this week I want to make sure that you are aware of a couple camps / changes for 2007….

This year our Home Mission Week will be held the week of June 11-16. This is a workweek with projects designed for those who attend. We encourage groups, families, and individuals to plan to take a week (or even just a part of it) to come help us work on some special projects around the property. There is no charge for those who attend and work during this week. Housing will be in our cabins (either by family or dormitory style) and there will be hearty worker-style meals served each day. Plan your mission trip now!

There are two weeks of Family Camp this year – July 2-7 and August 6-11. Pastor Don Gallion will direct the July week and Pastor Matt Austin is the director in August. Brochures will be mailed out to past campers. Others may pick them up in your churches or online. Registration begins January 13th.

Much planning goes on for the camps held at Peniel Bible Camp and much of that is already in process. Please pray for the directors, speakers, and seasonal staff as they work on details for the camping program.

Next time I hope to provide a list of speakers. If you have any questions, ask. Maybe I can incorporate those into information sent out to everyone.

Thanks for remembering the OBF camping ministry in prayer!

-Patti Perry
Peniel Bible Camp Publicity


Prayer Requests:

1. completion of brochures for the OBF Conference January 12-13th
2. program planning (Izaac and Ken)
3. speakers

November 2006 Newsletter

A PDF version of the newsletter is available at ...

November 2006 Newsletter - Vol. XIII No. 2

If you would like to be added to the Electronic Newsletter mailing list, please contact perry@obf.net .

Women's Retreat - Sept 15&16, 2006

Labor Day, Fishing, and Grandkids

Dave Rupert enjoys the fishing dock with his grandchildren, Jefferson Rupert and Dorothy Carter.

Report from Family Camp Cook

Check out family camp cook Bob Jacobs' post and pictures here.

Senior High Camp

Junior High Camp

Junior 2 Camp

Junior 1 Camp

Pastors' Conference

"As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him." Our God who saved us, treats us as His children, perfectly timing His mercies to uplift our hearts when we need it. He demonstrated that in wonderfully refreshing ways at the Pastor's Conference. The speaker, Dr. John Mincy, gave three evening messages perfectly aimed to encourage a preacher's heart. He reminded us of the correct Vision, or perspective a pastor must have toward the ministry. From Psalm 55 he pointed us to the right response to the Vicissitudes, the changes and challenges, of the ministry. His third message set before us the Victory in ministry which the Lord will give in answer to prayer. Complementing the excellent preaching was the valuable fellowship with like-minded men, an informative field trip to an Amish/Mennonite Museum, outstanding meals by the cooks and the restful beauty of the camp. The Lord knew exactly how to meet the heart needs of this preacher. Praise God for His mercies bestowed toward them that fear
Him.
- Pastor Steve Spence, Bible Community Church

Pastors' Conference

new recipes on the menu

There are several new recipes on the menu at camp this summer. From homemade muffins to manicotti to chocolate chip pie the camp kitchen is always cooking up something fun for all ages.
We just finished the first week of camp. The kitchen staff cooked for about 70 people. So over 1000 meals were served. I thank the ladies that were on the staff in the kitchen for their excellent job. - Melody Peeler

Memorial Day Conference

We are thankful for a good Memorial Day Conference with close to 300 people filling and overflowing the chapel. The offering was $5525, which exceeded our goal of $5400 for new mattresses in our girls' cabins. We praise the Lord for this.

Father / Son Retreat 2006

Click on this picture to see a larger version of the smiles!

Please comment on your experiences at the F/S retreat.

July Family Camp - a word from our speaker

Pastor Hobbes’ theme will be "Lifting up the Family to Exalt the Lord."
His goals are:

• To encourage every husband, and every wife to grow/continue to grow in their marriage relationship.
• To encourage every parent to keep on moving forward in their parenthood work without losing heart and focus.
• To encourage children to fit into their areas of responsibility and privilege in the family.
• To encourage people to build up and help their extended family relationships.
• To encourage the local church to become an effective, functional extended family for one another.
• And because it is the 4th of July week, to include a session on the relationships between Government, Church, and family. The roles are misunderstood today and there are tensions between the three institutions God has ordained - and it is not God who is confused.
  

Pastor Hobbes says:

“I have a deep desire for families to realize the blessing of God upon their own hearts and their own homes - their marriages and their parent/child relationships. The potential for a marriage and a family to be a testimony for Christ is so very powerful. I intend to be very open and honest about the ups and downs of marriage and family life, while dealing with topics appropriately. I hope to help every person in the camp to see what they can do for a next step in growing and developing in these things.

I plan to bring many personal experiences to the pulpit - I can only share from two sources: What the Word of God says; and how Lynne and I saw the grace of God in our life together when we obeyed God's Word by His grace.

I also want to be available to any of the families throughout the daytime hours and after the evening sessions if they want to talk more about how to apply some of these things. I plan to provide printed materials for most of the sessions, including some resources to help them put it into use. And I will have a number of books to recommend for follow-up.

Instead of overwhelming men and women with the load of their responsibility, I want them to focus on the beauty of their privilege and opportunity. From Genesis to Revelation, whenever God gives mankind a responsibility, it is an opportunity to enter into a newer, better, fellowshipping relationship with the God who created us. Instead of weighing people down, I want to lift them up. Thus the theme, ‘Lifting up the Family to Exalt the Lord.’”

January 2006 Newsletter

A PDF version of the newsletter is available at ...

January 2006 Newsletter - Vol. XIII No. 1

If you would like to be added to the Electronic Newsletter mailing list, please contact perry@obf.net .

Camp in the Wintertime

From the Director

Pastor Andy Rupert, the director of the 2005 College & Career Winter Retreat, blogs about the event.

Progress on A-Frame cabins 4&5

These two cabins are now under roof....

... but still need a lot of work.

Here we are...

We had a great time at the College / Career Retreat. All those who attended are welcome to comment.

College & Career Retreat 2005

Today and tomorrow is the second ever College & Career Winter Retreat. Nineteen college students and singles from OBF churches will be meeting up at the camp for an exciting one-day retreat, directed by Pastor Andy Rupert of Bible Community Church in Mentor, Ohio. The retreat begins today at 10:00 am and will conclude around 2:00 pm tomorrow.

Dr. Clark Lindsay, from Northland Baptist Bible College, will be speaking on the topic "Mind Your Own Business." Since heaters have been installed in Ashbrook Hall and the A-frame cabins are winterized, the camp has been able to host winter retreats. Please be in prayer for the young people as they hear God's Word and enjoy fellowship with other Christian singles.

WELCOME!

This is Peniel Bible Camp near Chesterville, Ohio.