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Annual Letter 2022

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11/28/2022Dear Spruce Lake & Pinebrook Family,Celebrating 60 Years & Rebooting a Vision!In the upcoming year, 2023, Franconia Mennonite Camp Association will celebrate 60 years of ministry — that’s six decades of living out our core purpose of Pointing People Toward Christ!Our founding visionaries were passionate about living out the Great Commission presented in Matthew 28:18-20. Over the past 60 years, we have worked to provide opportunities for God to invite all of us into a relationship with Him: CHILDREN accepting Christ as Lord and Savior for the first time, chosen in child-like faith to trust Him for their futures; YOUNG ADULTS taking the next step to deepen their commitments to Christ; ADULTS bringing their families back to Camp to experience Christ-centered worship and to discover again the God of Creation as they explore the Mountain, streams and woodlands that God has created and preserves year after year.We have seen God bring Spruce Lake into existence; He has protected and provided for this place year after year. His hand of protection has never been more evident than in the past 2 1/2 years, when He sustained this place through the pandemic — pulling us through a financial crisis that ONLY GOD could do!God has not only sustained us, but He has strengthened us for the future. Campers, churches and groups are back! Clearly, He is not finished changing lives at both Spruce Lake and Pinebrook.Our world is seeking answers, continually looking for solutions to the messes we’ve created in our culture, families and lives apart from God. Thankfully, God does not change. He continually invites us to a personal, life-changing relationship with Him.As we celebrate 60 years of ministry, it seems appropriate to look forward as well.We believe it is time to REBOOT our WILDERNESS CAMPUS VISION, 16 year-round cabins plus pavilion upgrades, which was put on hold during the pandemic.THERE IS NO BETTER TIME to create a year-round youth campus, a place where we can share the truth of the Gospel twelve months of the year. Youth today are fed so much information and are misled so often that a special place for them to experience Christ as the answer to their questions cannot come into existence soon enough.More, side 2 >

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Side 2The project cost has continued to climb with inflation and time, but it is still worth the investment into the youth of our communities. The projected cost is approximately 4.2 million dollars. However, through this amazing community, God has already provided 2.1 million dollars toward the goal!Most of the required state, county and township permits are in place, but we are still waiting on the final D.E.P. permits before we can begin.Our goal is to have 70% ($2,900,000) in hand before we break ground in the spring.So, we have two requests of you:First, please keep this project in your prayers that God will open all the necessary doors to have it come to reality.Second, if you are able, please support the Wilderness Youth Campus Project.As we anticipate celebrating our 60th year, I want to THANK ALL OF YOU who have been USED BY GOD to BUILD, SUSTAIN & PRESERVE this ministry! Without each of you, there would not be a Spruce Lake or Pinebrook, nor the impact on thousands of lives that have been reborn into God’s Family.THANK YOU!Reboot!Mark S. SwartleyExecutive DirectorPinebrook & Spruce LakeHelp us REBOOT for the YOUTH of tomorrow!