Recently, while pouring over hundreds of applications for our Leader in Training program at Twin Lakes, I noticed a remarkable story. In response to a question concerning her faith in Jesus, one 13 year old girl let us know that she first felt the call of Christ on her heart a few years ago as a camper at Twin Lakes. She recalls sitting outside of her cabin with one of her two counselors – both of whom grew up in MS Valley PCA churches – when the reality of the Gospel came to bear in her life. Now, she says, her goal to become an LIT is driven by a desire to “show God’s love to people and work hard to encourage everyone.”
Praise God that the vision of a few in 1970 has led to countless stories reminiscent of the life of this young girl.
For 40 years Twin Lakes has sought to be a resource for children and families for the sake of the Gospel – which we know transforms hearts and lives by the work of Christ through the Holy Spirit. This summer the faithfulness of the One, True God will be told through the book of Jonah. We will learn that God’s grace and God’s purposes will be accomplished, and that even our most wayward hearts can be brought in line with God’s will by the working of redemptive grace. Counselors and support staff are being screened, interviewed, and trained so that they can be a part of sharing the power of God’s word with each camper – seeking to join them in glorifying God and enjoying Him together in the beauty of His creation
Children and youth come from across the southeast to be a part of this ministry. We are amazed every year by the response of families who come from as close as Jackson and as far as Malawi. First Presbyterian, through Twin Lakes, extends a discipleship arm to thousands across social, cultural, and denominational lines. Through First Presbyterian, families benefit from a program deeply rooted in God’s word that reflects the standards of our church and the Reformed faith.
Part of our commitment to both reaching inward to the church and reaching outward to the community is our effort to make this ministry available to as many children as possible:
• Keeping the cost of camp steady while maintaining an excellent program
• Providing financial assistance to those who qualify – which is made possible through the above-and-beyond giving of Sunday school classes at First Presbyterian and many other individuals
We thank God for you – because none of it is possible without His guidance through your support. We ask you to pray for strength as we seek to guard, with all diligence, the physical, emotional, and spiritual safety of our campers. Pray that Christ would be glorified and the Church would grow through this ministry. Most of all, pray that God’s Word would be proclaimed, take root, and lead to growth in all of our hearts because, in the words of John Owen “That Word can only come with power to our hearers when it has come with power to our own hearts.”