Why Support Children’s Bible Ministries of SWPA? "It is better to mold boys and girls than to mend men and women."

A Memorial Gift has been given to Children’s Bible Ministries of Southwestern PA

Many people have chosen to donate to Children’s Bible Ministries in lieu of sending flowers, giving birthday, or anniversary gifts.

Your gifts to CBM will keep on going as the kingdom of God is built through Released Time classes, correspondence lessons and summer camp.

A card will be sent to the family of your loved ones acknowledging your gift to CBM.

In Memory of… Given by Jerry Adamson Erlene Leighty Linda Custer Fred & Nancy Klages Bernie Dolansky Dolly Dolansky Bill Hopkins Jerry & Julie Edgreen Dorothy Hughes Don & Ruth Ann Cowell J.C. Gongaware Thomas & Charlene May David A. Lyle Eugene & Elsie Lyle Charlotte Morris Fay M. Loar Charles H. Scott, Jr. Lucy P. Scott Charles Scott Lucy P. Scott James & Jimmy Walters Laura L. Walters Ernie “Thumper” Loar Shirley Basinger Earnest A. Loar Fay M. Loar Ernie A. Loar Cherry Lynn Simmons Paul Sheller John & Charlene Scherich Karen Wright Jerry & Julie Edgreen

In Honor of… Given by John & Rev. Meagan Boozer Earl Custer Audrey Jacobs Edward & Judy Carrico Earl Custer Fred & Nancy Klages Pearl Phillips Lucy P. Scott Sallie Scott Lucy P. Scott John & Kim Whipkey’s Russell & Rose Whipkey 25th Anniversary Audrey Sheller’s Rick & Deborah Bruckner 90th Birthday Cora Brownlee Charles & Dolores Christ Cathy Garber James A. Loker Donna Lowry John & Charlene Scherich Gary & Joan Simmons Bob & Judy Virgili Richard & Iris Watkins Thank you to the many friends who gave cash gifts!

Courier Issue 3 September/October 2018

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Carmichaels, PA

15320 Permit No. 47

Children’s Bible Ministries of Southwestern PA Cornerstone Ministry Center 381 Willis Road Jefferson, PA 15344 724-966-9157 phone office@cbmswpa.org www.cbmswpa.org

September/October 2018

Children’s Bible Ministries of Southwestern Pennsylvania

S easons are metaphors for God’s perfect timing in delivering us through all the changes He makes in our lives and in our ministry. CBM is certainly going through some seasonal changes right now. It has been said that the only thing that is constant is

change; but unfortunately that is what we resist-especially when it takes us outside our comfort zones. The Bible says there is a season for everything in life (see Eccl. 3:1-8). God has planned and ordained the seasons of our lives and ministry with His infinite wisdom. He enjoys each season that is planned for us (see Jer. 29:11). God knows exactly what kind of fruit the next harvest will produce. So why are we so prone to resist the season we are in or the change of season we are about to enter? It would be easier for me to just quit and walk away when these changes happen but perhaps, embracing these seasons of change willingly and trusting God for the outcome is the test that He is giving to CBM of SWPA right now. 1st The change in leadership for the Released Time Program has taken place this new school year. Todd Witters is now our Released Time Director. 2nd The change in leadership for camp is about to take place. We are sad to say good bye to the Merrills but God is leading them into a new season of change in their lives. Pray for wisdom as we seek a new Camp Director. 3rd Changes are happening with our Local Board. Some members have stepped down and new members are being added. Pray for wisdom as we will be defining the responsibilities for both board and staff. 4th Changes are taking place in the appearance of the facilities. Praise the Lord with us that the amphitheater and prayer garden are shaping up! We still have the amphitheater seating to complete. We still need to raise a little more money toward the prayer garden to add a few more features to complete the design. 5th The Camper Activity Center is our next goal. We plan to start construction early in the Spring. We need to raise $10-12,000 to add the Picnic Pavilion and 7-8 giant sized game activities (Carpetball, Box Hockey, Marble Maze, Foosball, Giant Connect 4, Giant Jenga and Giant Kerplunk games) for next summers campers to enjoy. The changing of the seasons is good! We do want to stress to you that even though there are many changes taking place in our ministry the one thing that will not change is our vision; “To see more children walking with Jesus!” One supporting family sent this note with their recent gift, “Your ministry is a blessing to our community. Thank you for sharing the love of Christ with our children. We will continue to pray that your staff and volunteers are filled with the Holy Spirit as they reach out to others.” I have notes all over my desktop and some sticking to my computer screen. One note reminds me, “God may allow our resources to dwindle so that we rely on His strength to keep going!” Our needs showcase His power but He is the one to say “I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 Thank you for your prayers and support in the past and for your prayers and support in the future to keep us moving the work of CBM forward with reaching boys and girls with the Gospel.

Cornerstone

Courier

Prayer and Praise

Pray with us for…

The prayer garden is as far as we can go until more funds are secured. Come swing with us before the winter sets in!

The amphitheater area needs to be completed by adding the seating. We need a dry spell to dig the holes for the benches to be set in place.

Teachers and helpers are needed for Released Time classes. If you can help please contact Todd at 724-966-9157 for details. Praise the Lord for Christian Stone who will be joining our team. Pray for his support to be raised quickly.

A second van is needed for Released Time classes and summer camp. We have a little over $17,000 saved but need another $4-5,000 to purchase a newer 10 passenger van. Will you pray about helping with this need?

Pray for wisdom and direction for the Executive Director and Board as we seek additional staff to help move the work of CBM of SWPA forward.

We praise God for...

The workers who helped us start the two big projects (Prayer Garden & Amphitheater) in early May!

For the hard work of Adam Lowry & Ryan Everritt, our National Interns, this summer!

The a total of 152 campers who attended summer camp. Praise the Lord for the 7 children who made salvation decisions!

Our faithful volunteers who helped to make this summer a reality! Many gave their time, energy and finances to allow campers to enjoy their week with us.

A shout out of THANKS AND PRAISE to the supporters and churches who gave a total of $14,340 to help fund the scholarship program this summer. Many boys and girls would not have attended camp this summer if it were not for your gifts!

Wisdom for Todd Witters as he takes the full responsibility of Released Time Director.

Dave Staggers! Dave has been a God send and has helped tremendously taking care of our grounds during the spring and summer months. Pray for his health and safety as he serves the Lord so faithfully.

SEASONS ARE CHANGING BY CATHY GARBER

Prayer Garden area behind the Chapel

Win a Child...Win a Life!

W henever we hear this phrase, we think of a ship’s captain mustering his crew to face some great challenge that requires the help of every able bodied person. Many are called to perform duties that aren’t normally theirs to do. No one is

idle. Everyone is giving their all. And so it is with summer camp! Our captain has mustered the crew to tackle the challenge of Summer Camp, and that includes those of us who normally serve with Released Time. I found myself teaching campers how to use a compass, being a mentor (with my wife) to our senior counselors, teaching a few sessions on missions, and being the hands and feet of Christ to those God has brought our way. I had the privilege of counseling 2 campers who placed their faith in Christ and giving some assurance to another who was going through a season of doubting. It was one of the highlights of my summer. In the few weeks since camp has wrapped up, I have once again turned my attention towards Released Time for the fall. The amount of communication necessary to organize the program in 24 schools is challenging. Between contacting schools, churches, volunteers, transportation providers and others involved in the ministry, there are nearly 100 persons or organizations that need to be contacted. Much work has been done, and much still remains to be done in the few short weeks until Released Time starts. However, the addition of volunteers serving as school coordinators this year has made this task easier. God is blessing us with growth this year. We are expanding the program in Bentworth Elementary to include 3rd-7th grade (it was previously just 5th/6th), bringing on board Beth Center and Joe Walker schools (formerly with Washington County Released Time), and looking to add a Jr/Sr High program in Jefferson-Morgan. Our growth is not without challenges. Pray that we would be able to fill a few final teaching positions before classes start. Thanks for your continued prayers and support of the Released Time program. We are excited for the upcoming school year and pray that the Lord would reap a harvest among the boys and girls of the public schools we serve. “All hands on deck”!

SO MANY HATS! BY CARLA WITTERS

ALL HANDS ON DECK! BY TODD WITTERS

T his was my first full summer of camp at Cornerstone and it was quite the eye opener. The

hours, people and effort it takes to keep camp running for the summer is somewhat overwhelming - especially the fact that we as staff wear so many different hats. Registration, check-in, kitchen, office, camp store, and “counselor to the counselors” were the hats I wore. In the 25 years of ministry God has granted me, I have often had opportunities to teach young women. These are some of my most cherished experiences. In camp ministry, we often forget that the young women (and men) who are counselors to these summer campers sometimes need to be shown the love of Christ as well, through a listening ear or a hug. The counselors have the best opportunity to share Christ with

campers. They need to be loved, encouraged and blessed throughout the summer as well in order to be ready to do that. I love all of the hats I wore this summer, but this one was probably the most rewarding. I also now have the opportunity to wear a new, more permanent hat! I am now the Office Manager for Cornerstone. In this role, I will be able to use my background in accounting and human resources to assist the directors. Organization and helps are two of the gifts God has blessed me with and I am praying I can use those to be a blessing to Cornerstone Ministry Center as official ministry staff.

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ONE TASK AT A TIME

Projects around camp have been in full swing—“literally”. Plans became actions as we began work on the prayer garden and removed asphalt, poured concrete, laid brick pavers, and welded swing frames in place. We are excited to see how this space will allow campers to have a quiet place to reflect on God’s word or spend time praying or receiving counsel from our staff members. The amphitheater is nearing com-pletion. The hand rails are up and now we will begin work on the seating. Hopefully soon we’ll be crossing another item off the list.

MAINTENANCE HELP NEEDED

Perhaps you are retired or are looking for something to do for

the Lord. We are in need of some help with general maintenance a few days a week at Cornerstone. Call 724-966-9157 if interested.

M y favorite time of year is when the summer staff arrive on the property. I always enjoy being surrounded by young adults who are excited to get involved in ministry and share the gospel with the next generation.

This summer’s theme was Survivor – A Legacy of Faith. Throughout Hebrews 11, we see ordinary men and women who, in spite of their strengths or weaknesses, obeyed God and demonstrated extraordinary faith. Using this passage as a guide, we challenged the campers to live lives that would stand as a legacy to those who come behind.

We praise the Lord for the 152 kids that attended camp this summer. However, camp would not have been possible without the help of many people. Over 65 volunteers helped mow, attend to the camp-ers’ many bumps and bruises, take part in preparing and serving over 2,900 meals, and many more acts of service. We are especially grateful to all the donors who took part in the scholarship program. Over $8,995 was awarded in camper scholarships this summer. I wanted to share with you some quick examples of how your gifts impacted lives for eternity. During camper pickup one Friday after-noon, a staff member saw a junior camper from the scholarship program sitting in the hall waiting in for his aunt to pick him up. The camper’s father is currently in prison, and, due to drug abuse and poor living conditions, the camper isn’t allowed to live at home with his mom. When the staff mem-ber asked if his ride was coming or if we needed to call someone, the little boy looked up and re-sponded, “Can I just stay here forever?”

Another evening, a counselor came to me with tears in her eyes and explained how she had been struggling with several things prior to camp, including the decision to work on staff. She then told me she had just led one of her campers to the Lord. Despite all the struggles, she was so encouraged that God used her life in a special way to be able to connect with this camper.

We praise the Lord for the 7 kids who accepted Christ. We are thankful for the opportunity the Lord has given us to share the gospel with “little kids.” We trust they will do big things for Him.

P.S. CBM wishes to thank Moriah for sharing his vision, talents and enthusiasm with us for the past 20 months here at Corner-stone. He will be greatly missed! We pray that God will use both Moriah and Melissa in a mighty way in their new ministry posi-tion with “The Edge”.

AROUND THE CORNER BY MORIAH MERRILL

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Testimonies from parents

This is a wonderful camp! My son just finished his first

week at camp and hasn’t stopped talking about it. I expected him to talk non

stop about the activities but he hasn’t been. He has been

telling me the story he learned from the guest

speaker and the different Bible verses he learned. My heart just melted that he was touched by the Word of God and he really enjoyed it and learned a lot about the sto-ries in the Bible! He said it was a week of fun and ad-venture and looks forward to next year! Thank you so

much for giving our children these opportunities!

You all are so sweet and very much appreciated for all the work you do for the

kids. The memories that mine have will always be a

part of their childhood. Can’t wait for next year! They are

looking forward to Bible lessons through the winter.

Saturday, April 27th, 2019 Open House 10:00-4:00

May 3-4, 2019

Work Days at Camp

Saturday, May 18th, 2019

Ladies Event

February 8-9th, 2019 Friday 8:00 pm -Saturday 9:00 AM,

Teen All Nighter

March 23rd, 2019 Pancake Breakfast

March 23rd, 2019 Juniors Day at Camp

Grades 1-6

April 1-5, 2019

Work Week at Cornerstone Anybody is welcome to join us!

Saturday, October 20th Juniors Day at Camp (grades 1-6)

10:00-4:00

Saturday, November 17th Survivor 101 Teen Activity

10:00-4:00

MARK YOUR CALENDAR —CORNERSTONE’S UP AND COMING EVENTS!

"What we do for ourselves dies with us.

What we do for our community lives long after we are gone." Theodore Roosevelt