Camp Selah - Impact Your World

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	HISTORY
	Our Ministry Focus It is our goal at Camp Selah to serve the body of Christ and to represent Him in our community by providing excellent Bible based youth camps and retreat facilities which are available for Christian organizations to utilize in their ministries. Our Theme Statement “God’s love, through us, to others.” 1 John 3:16
	Camp Selah was founded in 1948 by a number of local churches and individuals who felt their community needed a Christian camp for boys and girls. In August of that year Camp Selah was incorporated as a non-profit organization and purchased 250ft of lake frontage on Long Lake in Reading, MI. From its beginning Camp Selah's greatest asset has been the commitment of its many volunteers and faithful supporters. Camp Selah is overseen by a board of volunteers, some of whom have served in this capacity for more than 25 years. In 1950, the first building was erected and the first summer camp was held. Tents were rented for boys and girls’ dormitories and a large tent was used for chapel services. Over the next six years a dining hall, chapel building and dormitories, for both the boys and girls, were completed. Until 1982, Camp Selah was without any year round staff, leaving the maintenance and operation of the ministry to the volunteer board. By this time the demands of the growing ministry had out grown what could be maintained on a part time basis. In that year, the board called Duane Cross to serve as the year-round camp director. During his fourteen years as director, the ministry grew in many ways; with a year-round director Camp Selah was able to expand its property and make improvements to the facilities and the programs. The ministry began to grow beyond a camp that primarily served specific local churches to one that reached out to unsaved boys and girls of the entire tri-state area. It was also during these years that the essence of Camp Selah’s ministry was developed: a small, intimate, Christian atmosphere where kids could experience God’s love. By God’s grace, that essence remains today! In 1996, God led Jeff Knoll to the directorship from Michindoh Camp and Conference Center. At that time, the opportunities for ministry were so great that Camp Selah had grown beyond what one man could manage. The forty-year-old facilities were showing their age and there was a huge strain to keep them up and also give the Lord's work its due. However, that spring the camp supporters were called on to help Camp Selah get ready for its summer ministry season. Over 50 people showed up to clean, paint and rebuild; that show of commitment and support for the ministry was the beginning of things to come. The camp experienced rapid growth in both its evangelistic camping ministries and its facilities in the years to follow. With the addition of Jim and Liz Knoll as part-time staff, the ministry was able to serve many churches and groups from Campus Crusade for Christ, Youth for Christ, Intervarsity. Also, the summer camping ministry doubled in attendance in less than four years and many young people came to know Christ.


	Then in 2005, after nine years of ministry, Jeff felt called to return to Michindoh and Camp Selah began its third wave of full and part-time staff. Phil Charles, pastor of Snow Prairie Bible Church and long time board member and board president, felt the Lord leading him to the directorship and he and his wife Carolyn made the move from Bronson, MI in the spring of 2006. In 2008, after nearly 60 years of ministry, Phil and Carolyn serve along with Mark Emmons, year-round Program Director and Shelley Scantlen, part-time Activities Director. The number of summer camp weeks has increased to six, but the intimate environment that Camp Selah is best known for still exists today. As we look to the future it is our goal to be faithful with what God has entrusted to us and to seek to make Camp Selah an effective tool for His work. It is our goal to continue to improve upon a successful camping program and to find new ways to bring kids to Camp Selah so that they might hear the good news of Jesus Christ.
	Join the Work! Throughout the last 60 years, the ministry of Camp Selah has gone continually forward because of the many faithful supporters who were willing to give of their time, talents and finances. The Kingdom of God is being built through the work done here—will you join us?
	Selah Partners
	Camp Selah Statement of Faith We believe in the verbal inspiration of the inerrant Scriptures; the Trinity; the Deity of Jesus Christ; Christ’s virgin birth, substitutionary death, blood atonement, resurrection and ascension; man’s lost condition in sin; new birth through faith in Christ; the imminent return of Christ, His present intercessory works; the reality of heaven and hell; and the eternal security of the believer.
	More photos from the early era of Camp Selah...

Camp Selah - Impact Your World - www.campselah.org