The arrival of Memorial Day marks the beginning of the camping season. Across our state, children, students, and adults will arrive at associational camps, Falls Creek, and CrossTimbers to spend days of fun, fellowship and spiritual encounters with the living Lord.
Falls Creek begins each year with a children’s camp that will exceed 6,000 campers. At the same time, children and sponsors will attend the new CrossTimbers Children’s Missions Adventure Camp for the inaugural summer. Untold hours of work by volunteers and Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO) staff have gone into preparing the CrossTimbers grounds. I have every reason to believe that this camp will become the premier children’s mission camp experience, second to none.
CrossTimbers will be led by Glenn Barber, childhood ministries specialist. Glenn led a very successful children’s ministry at Moore, First, before joining the BGCO staff this year. He was recommended to the BGCO by Mark Jones, who was the catalyst in the significant growth and impact of CrossTimbers.
Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center has been in a constant metamorphosis over the last few years. Since the opening of the new tabernacle in 2007, many new cabins have been built and several others refurbished. These improvements translate into a better experience for those attending. Recreation continues to expand, making Falls Creek a very fun place to be.
One of the new features this year will be the opening of the new high road. The old road, which was marked by hairpin turns and narrow passageways, has been replaced with a brand new, wide, and much straighter, highway. The state of Oklahoma built this road, and we do give thanks for this provision.
However, the success of these camping experiences is not dependent upon facilities. They do make for a more enjoyable experience without a doubt, but we all know that the success of the camp is not measured by worldly measurements. The impact of Falls Creek and CrossTimbers is calculated by transformed lives. While our desire is for each person to have a wonderful time at these camps, our greatest desire is for the Gospel of Jesus to penetrate their souls. When we evaluate our camps, we look for souls saved and individual responses to the call of God to missions and ministry. Our goal is for every person who attends to do business with the God of Heaven.
We are well aware that when we have done everything to plan and prepare the facilities, all of that is useless if the Holy Spirit does not fall. It is for this reason that I renew my yearly call for us to pray as God’s people for fire from Heaven to fall upon the campers and leaders. Pray that the singers will sing with anointing and the preachers will preach with Holy Unction. Pray that the Gospel will be laid bare and that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, convictional work will be done.
Falls Creek and CrossTimbers have been mightily used of God across the years. Yet, we must not become presumptuous. Our Father delights to hear and answer the prayers of His people. So it is simple. WE MUST PRAY.
The grounds have been groomed. The staff has been hired and trained. The bands are ready to lead worship, and the preachers are ready to preach. The camps will swell with the sounds of children and teens. Our God leans over the portals of Heaven to listen for the prayers of His people. Join me in praying for a mighty move of God.
