TVR TimesSpring/Summer 2010

Changed Lives

by His Power

& for His Glory!

TVR Christian Camp

Summer Camp 2010 :: The Road Less Traveled

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

2 Greetings From Greg 4 Get With The Program

5 Where Are They Now???

6 Dollars & Sense 7 Project Update

8 Who’s Who @ TVR

9 Upcoming Events

TVR Times | Vol. 1 | Issue 1

Inside this Issue

Greetings

TVR Christian Camp & Retreat Center

TVR Board of Directors

Mr. Gerald Arthur

Mr. Terry Bass

Mr. Dave Eddy

Mr. David Edwards

Mr. Jack Farrior

Dr. Bob Johnson

Dr. David Parks (chair)

Mr. Gene Truelove

TVR Full-time Staff

Greg Oakley – Director

Michael Talley – Program Director

Ricky Lee – Maintenance

Shelia Oakley – Business Manager

Bonnie McNulty – Registrar/Events & Marketing

Mike Peterson – Wrangler

Courtney Cummings – Food Services Coordinator

Ashley Peterson – Guest Services

Bryan Barber – Safety Director/Asst. Maint. Dir.

Brice Butterfield – Support Staff

Tyler Mullis – Support Staff

Back row (from left to right): Mike Peterson, Ricky Lee, Tyler Mullis, Bryan Barber, Greg Oakley, Michael Talley, Kyle Ingebretson

Front row (from left to right): Ashley Peterson, Bonnie McNulty, Shelia Oakley, Courtney Cummings, Brice Butterfield

quickly and easily we attach ourselves to things that are fleeting. And, even know-ing the temporal nature of these things, we still attach our love, our thoughts, our excitement, our time, our money…OUR HEARTS to them, knowing that they have no eternal value. What we love is what we worship. The two go hand-in-hand. There’s really no getting around it. Yes, I know, we usually reserve the word

‘worship’ for spiritual things, but does it only apply to the spiritual? Unfortu-nately not. Our word for worship comes from an Old English word, weorthscipe, meaning “to ascribe or assign accurate worth to something or someone.” Not accurate in the sense of what we should worship, but literally to what we assign our attention, love and passion. It only

Greetings from Greg

American Idol(s) Have you ever noticed (in my best ‘Andy Rooney’ voice) how ev-ery 4-5 years, a new, ‘hot’ thing, person, TV show, musician or group comes on the scene and seems to capture the minds and hearts of millions of Americans, millions of Christians, even? You can set your watch by it! A new fad, a fresh face, someone or something, hits the culture and it’s all you hear about for the next couple of years. At least, that is, until the next ‘new’ thing comes along to take their place. And, have you ever noticed (there’s that voice again!) how fleeting their run at the top typical-ly is? Yes, some have a little more longevity than others, but sooner or later, they all lose their ‘COOL’ or ‘IT’ factor. And often it seems that once they lose their hold at the top, the downward descent happens hard and fast, resulting in sad, shattered lives spent in the hollow pursuit of regaining some-thing that was not really of value, at least eternally, in the first place. This frighteningly quick fall so of-ten leads to calamity, sometimes even to death. Some of them just look like they’re dead, and no one has told them yet!!! (Did you see Mick Jagger at the Super Bowl a couple of years ago? WOW!) But, isn’t it interesting how

takes a brief look at how we spend our time and money to see what our love and passion is really attached to. Scripture tells us in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. (20) But store up for your-selves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (21)For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (emphasis added). God knew we would be tempted to give our hearts to something or some-one other that Him long before we ever took a breath, and there is no shortage in this world of idols to embrace. It’s not a new problem, it’s been happen-ing since the beginning of time. But, it is a much greater offense to God than I think we often realize. He begins the Ten Commandments with the charge, “You shall have no other gods before me”, and then quickly follows with, “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God,” (Exodus 20:3,5b ESV). Then later, in three of the four gospels, we have the account of Jesus being asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the greatest?” to which He answered by quoting a pas-sage from Deuteronomy 6:4. Known to the Hebrews as the Shema, this passage reads, “Here O Israel, the Lord our God is One; you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul

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and with all your might” (ESV). Our God is so faithful. He never tells us what not to do without giving instruc-tions for what to do! He created us to love Him and to love Him first. He allows us other passions and loves; in-deed He created us with those charac-teristics. But He insists that He be our first love, our deepest passion. He cre-ated us for Himself and His glory, and He has every right to be jealous! We were created for Him and Him alone. And His jealousy is a righteous, divine and holy jealousy, not the sinful kind we so often find in our flawed selves. So, in light of His overwhelming

love and very specific instruction, why is it that we constantly find ourselves looking to be fulfilled in that which is created, not the Creator? We are broken,and desperately in need of a Savior. Blaise Paschal, a noted French theologian, once said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.” How true! Nothing in this world can satisfy; not fully. So, let’s love Him with all we are. Let’s love Him because He gave himself for us. Let’s love Him because He commands us to. Let’s

love Him because He alone is worthy. And let’s love Him, as the great hymn says, “because He first loved me!”Blessings,Greg

WorshipCorner

From time to time, we’ll share suggestions on some of the books, music, videos, films, etc. that have been a blessing to our staff. Hopefully, they will be a blessing to you as well.

Books: Crazy Love -Francis Chan Hinds Feet On High Places -Hannah Hurnard Counterfeit Gods -Timothy Keller The Barbarian Way -Erwin McManus Music: Glory Revealed 2 -Various Artists Albertine -Brooke Fraser Psalms -Shane Barnard & Shane Everett Glorious Day -Jeff Johnson What Wondrous Love -Chuck Hooten

Videos: “Laminin” & “How Great Is Our God” -Louie Giglio, “News World Today with Johnnie and Chachi” (All on Youtube)

Movies: Luther Amazing Grace Babette’s Feast3

ProgramGet with the

By Michael Talley, Program Director

Programming at TVR is always an adventure. Take the month of April as an example. The first charter bus to pull in had 60 high school students from Grand Rapids, Michigan. They were spending their spring break in Plumtree to spread mulch, build fire pits, stain buildings, and renovate Ranch House rooms. The next charter bus drove just as long, but this one came from the south. It pulled up with 30 kids from downtown Miami. We were able to spend the week with the seniors from Miami Christian School. They spent a day at camp, went to Boone, Grandfather Mountain, Linville Caverns, the Mast General Store and white water rafting. As they were leaving, we welcomed in three yellow school busses filled with 8th grade students from St. Therese, a church in Morresville, NC. They brought in 190 people and heard the gospel five times through the weekend. Praise God! We also had a great time with Rejoice Academy from Raleigh. This was their first retreat at TVR. We ended our month off with our good friends from Greenville, NC, Landmark Baptist Church. It’s always fun and relaxed with the families from Landmark. In just one month we saw a lot of different people from a lot of different places in a lot of different walks of life. But they all heard the same message: We desperately need Jesus! Praise God who gives us life through Jesus Christ. And Praise God who continues to use this 42-year-old camp for his Kingdom and Glory!

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We are often asked, “Hey, where are they now?” in regards to past staff members at TVR. So from time to time we will revisit and catch up with some of the “old tim-ers”, some amazing people who’ve had a huge impact on the minstry here. We love to hear how they are doing and what they are up to, and we figured you might also!

George Lockhart: THEN... For many, the name George Lockhart brings back memories of a TVR staff member who creatively planned and organized games and activities as the program director. Some re-member him as the man who was a great speaker and communicator, full of passion, en-ergy and humor. Others remember him as the guy who would put out the humorous week-end news flyers on Sunday mornings during family retreats. The memories that most trig-ger the name George Lockhart are the ones in which a man is worshiping and performing sign language to music. How can one forget such energy and enthusiasm in his performances? George served at TVR during the sum-mers of 1988-89 and 1991. He served on the full time staff from November of 1993 to August of 1999. It was during this pe-riod of his life that he began to learn sign language and formed the ministry called Vision 2 Hear. It initially began with him

George Lockhart & Vision 2 Hear

performing a song here and there, and then he started teaching some of the camp kids and sum-mer staff as well. “Without the encouragement and support from the TVR people, I probably wouldn’t have done it.” says Lockhart. In 1994 his sign language ministry received its name Vision 2 Hear and was incorporated in 2002.

... And NOW Sixteen years later, George is working full time with V2H. The ministry is spread through three states (Georgia, Florida and Tennes-see), keeping him on the road about thir-ty-five weeks out of the year. In the states he has six W.A.V.E teams (Witnessing Au-dio Visual Expressions) and a skateboard team out of Soddy Daisy, TN called Elevate. He is also involved in several ministries over-seas. A division of V2H, but all in Spanish, is lo-cated in El Salvador. They have a WAVE team and may possibly have an Elevate team forming soon.George has been working in Nigeria provid-ing clean water by digging wells by hand. They have dug eleven wells in eight years. They are also currently working on a multi-purpose facility that will function as a school building and a meeting place for crusades.

Now?“I can’t pin down a specific moment, but I always remembered and cherished the anticipation of a group coming in. The excitement from the kids who were “coming home” and the excitement from campers coming for the first time was always a special time for me. By the end of the week we would watch campers open up as we invited them to join in, be involved, and be loved. Lives were changed by God’s spirit moving and working at Teen Valley.”

Whereare they

Contact Information

Website: www.vision2hear.org

Email: vision2hear@gmail.com

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“George’s presence and ministry at TVR is still being felt today. Many of the elements that we currently use in our program were designed and implemented by George. He is very creative and has always had great vision.“

- Greg

Doll ars & Sense Okay, I have to admit…giving financial reports haven’t always been my favorite endeavor as Director here at TVR. Oftentimes, I’ll even admit, I’ve dreamt of a time when they wouldn’t even be relevant. No budgets, no “Bills to Pay” folder, no payroll taxes…sounds like bliss, doesn’t it? It sure did to me! But, over the last several years, the Lord has begun to teach me to see Him in the finances. Scripture is full of references to money and how we should handle it. That’s twice the number of verses than are devoted to some much more ‘spiritual’ subjects. Does that mean that financial matters are more important than say Heaven or Hell? Absolutely not! But, it does seem to indicate that that they are an ever-present, even necessary part of our lives and that we need a good bit of instruction on these matters. Time and time again, as I look back, I see how God’s hand has been on financial deci-sions, blessings, and trials, and how ul-

timately, He has always proven faithful. Often, He has used them in my life to refine me and to draw me to my knees, right where I should be, totally reliant on Him and Him alone as my sufficiency. We have often been referred to as a ‘faith-based’ ministry, a term that has been loosely thrown around and attached to any religious organization. But, I can tell you with assurance, that TVR is truly a faith-based ministry. We know “where our help comes from.” This past year and a half has been a time of financial uncertainty and trial; a per-fect stage for the Lord to once again be glorified in His faithfulness and provi-sion. In a year where we saw a serious drop-off in camper numbers, our giving was up nearly 25%. WOW! That’s right, 25%. What a testimony to God’s watch-care, and to your faithfulness. I know that so much of what was given to TVR in 2009 was truly sacrificial, probably to a greater extent than in previous years.

I’ve heard story after story of how folks felt that the Lord was moving them to give in spite of their cir-cumstances, and the blessings they enjoyed as a result of their obedi-ence (and not necessarily financial blessings). This is not a ‘health and wealth’ message here, but rather a testament to the truth of God’s promises of provision for His people. We are on solid financial footing going into the Summer 2010 camp season. We are excitedly moving forward with several, long-awaited projects, and there are more still on the agenda for the Fall. Please prayerfully consider how you may be able to help with funding these projects as well as the ministry here in general. We strive to build the Kingdom of God through reach-ing kids and families with the gos-pel of Jesus Christ, and your part-nership is crucial. Thanks again for your love and support of TVR!

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“Time and time again as I look back, I see how God’s hand has been on financial decisions, bless-ings, and trials, and how ultimately, He has always proven faithful...”

Project UpdatesWe are so excited about several recently completed projects. A cou-ple of years ago, we began moving toward the total renovation of all of our older housing facilities. This has been a goal here at camp for many, many years and it’s very exciting to see these things coming to fruition. Volunteers from Landmark Bap-tist Church, Gateway Community Church, Macedonia Baptist, as well as several individuals, have all giv-en of their time and gifts to make all this become a reality. Thanks guys! Starting at the beginning of last sum-mer, all the Chalet rooms have been totally renovated. We’ve made a commitment to, whenever possible, completely gut these rooms and be-gin anew with all new wiring, new plumbing, new lighting, new bunks, hardwood floors…pretty much new everything. The Snack Shack has also been totally overhauled. It looks like a brand new building! The Ranch House renovation is nearing

completion. All the rooms are done and the floors have been either refinished or replaced, leaving only the foyer area to be remodeled. We are replacing all the decks and exterior catwalks, and are adding a brand new deck on the back which will run the length of the building. We will have lighting and sound built in, as well. Work is also beginning on the waterfall area between the Ranch House, gym and horse ring. How wonderful it will be to grab a cup of coffee, walk out of the Basement (our coffee shop), go out onto the new deck, and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation with the sound of the new waterfall in the background! I’m especially excited for Mr. Vernon Nor-ris and his lovely wife, Audrey. They have been an integral part of this min-istry for many years, and this has long been a dream of theirs. They are helping make this possible and we are forever grateful! We are in the planning stages of adding a public restroom adjacent to, or possibly in, the Ranch House. This will finally address what has long been

a need at camp. A memorial fund was established a couple of years ago in memory of Jonathan Thacker, the 10-year old son of Todd and Sonya Thacker, who was tragically lost in an automobile accident. This fam-ily is so dear to camp and TVR was a place Jonathan loved and felt was his second home. You’ll never meet a young man any more passionate about life and about Jesus Christ! And he wasn’t selfish about it; he wanted ev-erybody to love Jesus. He once told his parents, “You know what camp really needs? Some bathrooms in the middle of camp!” Well, we’re going to get those bathrooms built very soon and Jonathan’s love and desire for this camp are helping to make it happen. And, as happy as we are to get these things done, there are many more much-needed and wor-thy projects on tap. Come, join in the fun. We’ll keep you posted!

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Full Name: Michael Bradsher Talley, Laura Elizabeth Hall Talley

Where did you grow up? A little town called Plumtree. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

What is a little known fact about you? M: My favorite holiday is New YearsL: I spent two months in Tibet and while there I lived with Tibetan nomads.

Interests:M: Books, coffee, nutrition, traveling, flannel shirts, and babiesL: Reading, coffee, the outdoors, traveling abroad, nutrition, my family

Favorite Food: Chipotle Burrito Bowl, authentic asian food

Favorite Cartoon Character: Fantastic Mr. Fox, The boyscout from the movie UP

What is the best thing that has happened to you since you’ve been at TVR?M: I got married....awww.L: Michael and I met in 2003 as summer staff and almost five years later were married at camp.

Talle

ys

Recommended Reading

:: A Severe Mercy by Sheldon VanAuken

:: L’Abri by Edith Schaeffer

:: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

:: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

:: Safely Home by Randy Alcorn

:: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Miss Audrey was born to Michael and Laura on January 26th, 2010.

Weight: 7lb 14oz :: Length: 20.5 in

The

Who’s Who @ TVR

Audrey Elizabeth TalleyProject Updates

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Upcoming Events

Couples :: :: Retreat

September 24-26

Come join us for our annual couples retreat! The regis-tration deadline is August 15 to guarnantee your spot. Hurry, space is limited!

For more information visit us at WWW.TVR.ORG or contact Bonnie at 828.765.7860 or bonnie@tvr.org .

Ladies :: :: Retreat

Sep. 30 - Oct. 2

Our annual ladies retreat is drawing near. Bring a couple of friends with you and enjoy a great weekend of worship, laughter and fellowship. The registration deadline is August 15 to guarnantee your spot. Hurry,

space is limited!

For more information visit us at WWW.TVR.ORG or contact Bonnie at 828.765.7860 or bonnie@tvr.org .

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Upcoming Events

Annual Fundraising :: :: Banquets

November 9 & 11

Raleigh Area Banquet Fuquay-Varina, NC November 9 Fuquay-Varina United Methodist Church Down East Banquet Greenville, NC November 11 St. James United Methodist Church

For more information, please contact Bonnie at 828.765.7860 or bonnie@tvr.org

2nd-Annual Christmas Tree :: :: Retreat

If you have been to TVR, you know how many Christmas trees are in our area. Please join us for our 2nd-annual overnight retreat in which you will be able to choose and cut your own tree from one of the local farms in Plumtree.

A tentative schedule is listed below.

Friday: December 3

6:00 - Dinner8:00 - Session with Christmas Carols9:00 - Relax with hot chocolate and wassail

Saturday: December 4

9:00 - Breakfast10:00 - Pick your own Christmas tree12:30 - Lunch1:30-3:30 - Activities at TVR Please contact Bonnie to reserve your space today!

December 3-4

Above you see the TVR staff and the families who made the voyage for our 1st-annual Christmas Tree Retreat in 2009.

Non-ProfitUS Postage

PAIDPermit #1

Plumtree, NC

TVR Christian Camp & Retreat Center

P.O. Box 10 :: 216 TVR Loop Rd.Plumtree, NC 28664