Some time has passed since I have given you an update on Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center. The busy spring and summer seasons are upon us. In the last few weeks, the conference center has hosted Texas Easter Retreat, Hispanic Falls Creek, Baptist Collegiate Ministries retreat, Ladies Retreat, and Men’s Retreat. Nearly 7,500 people attended these events.
For many years, Falls Creek has been a year-round destination. The camp is occupied nearly every weekend of the non-summer season. Tens of thousands of people have come to the conference center, and thousands have made commitments to Christ as Savior, while others have made decisions of faith renewal and restoration.
All this activity has happened with the lack of ability to comfortably feed and accommodate the crowds. When the new facilities are complete, Falls Creek will be a premier place for Christian groups to retreat.
Just during the summer youth camps, since the opening of the tabernacle in 2007, 429,000 people have utilized the camp. There have been 51,000 decisions for Christ of which 17,000 were professions of faith.
Perhaps one of the most astounding numbers is the 8,000 who have responded to the call on their lives to ministry and missions. Add to that number thousands of individuals who have come for children’s camp and Indian Falls Creek, as well as the number of retreats across these years, and the number is amazing.
There is no doubt we have seen astonishing results since moving into the new tabernacle. As we approach the 2017 Centennial Celebration of Falls Creek, I want to challenge us to complete the task of removing the debt that remains on the tabernacle.
Today, there is a remaining debt of $1.2 million. When this amount is raised and the matching dollars are applied, we will fully fund the Centennial Campaign. When the campaign goal is reached, the tabernacle will be debt free and we will have completed more than $55 million in building projects at Falls Creek debt free!!! To God be the Glory for His provision through His generous people!
Have you or your children been blessed by Falls Creek worship in the new tabernacle? Has your church brought groups to children’s camp, youth camp, retreats, Indian Falls Creek, a ladies or men’s retreat? Then I am asking you to consider your part in eliminating the debt.
One of the ways that has been made available so thousands can give to Falls Creek is the Save-A-Seat Campaign. You can sponsor a seat in the tabernacle for $500. With the matching gift, your gift becomes $1,000. You can make payments on a monthly basis, if needed, between now and December 2017. Every gift is important, and every giver significant in the eyes of God. The seat you sponsor will be a seat from which someone could have his life changed for eternity.
Some donors will give large gifts. Falls Creek just received a $500,000 gift from the Green Family of Hobby Lobby that was matched and became $1 million. Most of us will not be able to give a large gift, but almost anyone can sponsor a seat.
I would like to invite you to come visit Falls Creek this summer. Better yet, get a group from your church and come tour the conference center. Tours will be given each Thursday this summer, beginning at the Welcome Center. We will be glad to make arrangements for you and your group. For more information, please contact Marty Harkey at 405/942-3800, ext. 4557, or mharkey@bgco.org.
Oklahoma Baptists do things together, and together, we can reach our Centennial Campaign goal and eliminate the tabernacle debt. Join Polla and me in giving generously.
