JULY 2024 UPDATE…….
(PHOTO: Camp Promise Campers, Big Sky Bible Camp, Bigfork, MT)
Last weekend, we were privileged to celebrate the inauguration of BCM’s new Camp Promise expansion at BCM’s Big Sky Bible Camp near Kalispell, MT. More than three thousand campers come through BCBC each year. Unique is its Camp Promise program, the only overnight Christian camp for special needs children and adults in Montana. But the current facilities were woefully inadequate for the growing wait list of special needs campers wanting to attend.
(PHOTO: Big Sky Bible Camp’s new Peterson Lake Lodge, Bigfork, MT, thanks to Swenson Foundation)
“A Promise Kept” (see BCM World November 2022) was a project on which Marty had worked extensively while still BCM president, including more than four million dollars in grant funds from the Swenson Foundation, a Christian foundation birthed from the work and philanthropy of Christian entrepreneur Jim Swenson, whose youngest brother John and wife Kelly have been part of our own ministry support team and involved with Big Sky Bible Camp for decades.
The first part of the project is now complete with the grand opening of the new Peterson Lake Lodge, which includes a new ADA-compliant kitchen, dining hall, cafe, worship auditorium, and opening patio seating to a grand view of Peterson Lake. All of which has made possible to double the number of special needs campers for 2024. Next phase will be building eight additional ADA-compliant cabins.
A less joyous occasion was the unexpected homegoing June 20th of dear friend and BCM Africa regional director John Peters. We were not able to travel with BCM president Rick Rhoads to South Africa for the memorial but were able to participate in real time from the U.S., a reminder of the ongoing positive benefits of the Covid pandemic having propelled all our ministries around the world into 21st century technology. John’s legacy as evangelical pastor in South Africa, founder of the BCM Africa ministry, and mentor like Paul to countless Timothys now serving God as missionaries and pastors across southern Africa is a testimony of service. Please pray for God’s comfort for family, friends, and BCM ministry partners as well as God’s anointing for the right ministry leader to carry BCM Africa forward.
(PHOTO: BCM’s 2024 Digital Vacation Bible Club)
One other BCM program in which any family or church can participate is our third annual digital Vacation Bible Club, a hybrid version of summer five-day clubs first created during the Covid lockdown. Last year’s participants included more than four hundred children from North America to South and into Africa, Asia, and mainland China. This year’s VBC August 5-9, 2024, has as theme God’s One Big Story (see video trailer here). BCM children’s ministry personnel provide through digital interaction Bible stories, puppet dramas, and singing while onsite volunteers provide games, crafts, Bible memorization and more. The entire program is free, so if you or anyone you know might be interested, contact BCM Kids director Sophia Wong to get details or register: swong@bcmintl.org
(PHOTO: BCM Kids leaders Lisa Biegert and Shantal Odicio leading VBC Zoom worship session)
This past year-plus of transition to a new BCM president and new job descriptions have been a fairly exhausting whirlwind of international travel, including India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, UK, Netherlands, Hungary, Poland, France, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru. We remain largely off the road now until mid-September through mid-October when we have coast-to-coast ministry trips, culminating with Littworld 2024 in Mexico. November are filled with travel and speaking from one coast to the other, which will include about ten thousand land miles. Meanwhile, our schedule remains full as Marty participates in Zoom leadership training, discipleship, and counseling while Jeanette is working with the BCM delegation to complete numerous digital, print, and video presentations and workshops to showcase BCM publications at Littworld along with other BCM communications projects. Please pray with us for ongoing good health, stamina, and God’s spiritual anointing to complete this final year of major global travel.
For more, further updates for prayer and ministry news can always be found at our BCM FaceBook page. Thank you again for your part in our ministry. We are so deeply thankful for the team God has given us that makes this ministry possible, and you are part of that. As you pray with us, we pray as well for you that God will pour out His blessings on your life, family, and service to God’s Kingdom.
Serving the King of kings together with BCM International.
Dr. Martin and Jeanette Windle
BCM International
