Prayer Update | An Opportunity for Great Joy
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
James 1:2-3
Praise
- Provision
- Bible Story Podcast
- Summer Ministry
Read | An Opportunity for Great Joy
It has been a seriously difficult 12 months for all of us. There has been plenty of trouble. Now we could through hands up and consider this verse unattainable or a joke, but I want to invite you to lean into it with me. Let’s Find a Little Trouble and Joy!
Praise Items
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
James 1:2-3
Allow me to point to a few things within Covenant Bay’s story this past year.
Group Bookings
Let’s start right at the most difficult one for me. In 2020 we budgeted $275,000 in rental income, we ended up with less than $15,000, the lowest it’s been in decades. That’s trouble, but God worked, and donors responded. We ended the year with the largest surplus in our operations ever. That’s a good reason for joy. God has provided so faithfully.
Bible Story podcast
Social restrictions with covid19 made doing summer camps very complicated and difficult. On top of that, what was supposed to be a year where we have the most campers and guests ever at Covenant Bay has been the smallest in decades. That’s trouble, yet God used the Bible Story Podcast. Every week we have roughly 1500 listens. That’s more people being reached in a single week than our largest number of camper registrations in any summer on record. This brings me so much joy. God is so good!
In-school Program
We hoped to have connected with more schools than ever before through our rental program and invite the students to summer camp! Of course, that didn’t happen with the restrictions. This is more trouble and disappointment, but God gave us an idea where we would go to schools and help their students with resilience in the midst of change and crisis. We now have the In-school Program, which has the potential to reach more students than anything else we could do on-site. Not only that, we have reached over 1000 students during the 2020-2021 school, which is more than what we expected at the star.
Ok, I know Covenant Bay is not the only place where trouble has landed this year. Keep leaning in and find some trouble it’s a great opportunity for joy! I am sure you have lots of troubles in your own life. I mean lot’s of great opportunities for joy!
There is more trouble on the horizon. We don’t know what summer ministry will look like this year? The record surplus is quickly being depleted. We need to hire a digital media expert to help us with the podcast and other areas, but that will bring additional expenses! Considering God’s record, I am confident that all these troubles will become joys. So, in faith, you and I can celebrate our troubles because they are great opportunities for joy!
Your Prayers are so important. Thank you. Remember, there is no ministry apart from Christ. Pray with urgency and expectation. I will chat with you again next week.
