Time For The Latest Update!
This coming Thursday, the 11th, we will be pouring the concrete slab for the “NEW” covered shelter. This will be a 6-’ X 100’ metal structure and will be located along side the current basketball court. Pray that it does not rain Thursday please. May 6th is the schedule date for constructing the building. This will be a multi purpose structure. Basketball, and other recreation. It will also be used as an outdoor worship area. It will be a huge benefit for our Rotary camp campers as it will provide ample shade from the sun. Randy has been wanting this structure for some time and will finally happen. God continues to bless Tri State as this addition comes at no cost to the camp. Praise God for grants.
Summer Camp Is Right Around The Corner
Hey moms and dads. It will be here before you know it! What’s that you say? Summer Camp. It happens every year. You pack your child up for a week at Tri State Christian Camp where they enjoy a week with us and away from you. Remember? Swimming Pool. Zip Line. Teaching and Worship. Only 3 months away. 100 days. I know you cannot wait for summer camp to arrive. We have added a 4th session this year. So here is the schedule. Grab your spot by clicking on the week below and you can register online. Register today. It will make my job easier and remove an anxiety or stress you may be having. Will speed up check in as well. Win win for everyone!
June 16 - 21 Middle School Camp
For those who want to use the paper form you can download that as well by click on here. If you choose to take use this option, downoald the form, fill it out and mail it into the camp office at the address below. The form must include at least a $25 deposit to hold your bed with balance due at check in.
Tri State Christian Camp
100 Christian Camp Rd
DeFuniak Springs, FL 32433
Working To Simplify Our Website
We have been working to make our website more user friendly. Our hope is that more and more people will visit the website where they will find regular updates about the camp, access to online registration, pictures and news. We have added some links. Please look around and let us know what you think.
Our latest addition is a live chat bot on the home page. If you need help with anything you can ask right there. It will be active during office hours Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
2024 - Another Exciting Year Ahead
We have said goodbye to 2023 and are anxiously looking foreword to seeing what God has in store for us here at Tri State Christian Camp. 2023 was both exciting and fun to be a part of as God tipped His Mighty Hand in Our favor.Here is a brief reminder of what happened last year.
1.) Camper enrollment was up significantly. 50% from 2022
2.) 4 baptisms
3.) Received a large grant that will be used to build a new metal tent and maintenance building.
4.) Most weekends were booked with rentals for 2023.
5.) Community involvement that built relationships with many businesses in the area.
6.) Hired another staff member.
So the question going into 2024 is, What does God have planned? We don’t know. But whatever it is, we plan to make sure that when He calls we answer that call. And that is where you can help. Pray for the camp and the camp staff as ministry and work continue to move forward. Pray for God’s Hand in the lives of people who come on the grounds and are moved by what He has provided. And consider joining in the ministry by supporting the camp financially. Any gift of any size will go a long way and you can know that you were apart of Tri State Christian Camp in 2024.
Introducing Online Registration This Year
We are pleased to announce that beginning in 2024, online registrations will be available for camp. You can register a child for summer camp, order their camp shirt, put extra money on their canteen and give for the mission for that week. We hope that you will use this new feature. We believe that it will spend up all steps in registering, paying and checking in for camp.
We are using Square as our gateway. It is a secure way to conduct online transactions.
"New" RV Park A Reality
Randy and the trustees have been in discussions about what it would look like for the camp to develop a “new” RV Park. What would be the benefits? What might be a negative. After much discussion and many hours of prayer we are happy and more that excited, to be able to announce that ground breaking will take place sometime this fall. God’s all powerful and mighty hand has been involved in this project for quite some time. Let me explain.
During the Covid mess, concerns started to creep up about the financial future of the camp. We experienced a slight drop in camp enrollment plus rental dropped off. We were concerned but confident that God would provide a means to keep moving forward. For the next couple of years we threw around ideas and landed on moving the RV loop out to the front of the property. We asked God to show us the way and he soon started doing just that. We had a couple of volunteers bring equipment out and started clearing the area for the park. This cost the camp fuel to run equipment. The Randy contacted Walton county and asked about a building that had been setting empty for some time out on US 90 west of the camp. As a result, Randy got the phone number of the individual who owned said building and they decided to donate, that’s right donate, that building to the camp. And so Randy performed his magic again and secure church donations to have the building moved to the camp. That building now sets in the center of the “new” RV Park. And God said, “ Your Welcome”. Since then, another volunteer came by and cleared 13 sites for rv’s and we didn’t even have to pay for fuel.
Now we needed a option for financing development. During this years Men’s Advance Retreat a gentleman attended who was interested in the rv park. Through that connection we were offered an interest free loan that will allows us to begin construction this fall. They sent us a check, but Randy was really reluctant to depost th check. He said, and I quote< “If I deposit this check we will have to start making payments soon. We cannot do that”. So that check sat on his desk staring up at him for 6 months. Randy got a call from the gentleman and he asked why Randy had not cashed the check. Randy’s reply was “if I deposit that check I will have to start making payments”. The gentleman responded by saying, “Don’t worry about the payments. We will work that out”. To witch Randy replied, “I will need to defer payments for 12 months.” To he was told, “When you get the park up and running and you get renters in, we will start taking payments. We are in the business of helping, not hindering”
And we just found out that all the trenching work will be done at a very reduced rate. Dare I say “God’s Not Dead and He is not Done with Tri State Christian Camp. So one more thing. We would love to have you all partner with us in seeing this very important project to the finish line. And so I have placed a donation button below so you can donate today. And Thank You in Advance for that donation. And if you would like to come out and help we would love to have you. Just email Phil @ nfcscman@gmail.com.
Camp Hires Another Staff Member
As the camp continues to enjoy exciting growth, both in summer camp programs and retreat rentals, we have concluded that another staff member is needed to keep everything up and running smoothly. And so the trustees have unanimously agreed with Randy, the camp director, suggestion to bring Randy and Tammy Cottrel on board. The Cottrel’s will be joining the ministry of the camp the first of October. Randy and Tammy love kids, love serving and love the Lord. Randy will be taking over in the maintenance side of things replacing Phil Steele who will be assuming the roll of office manager. These changes are warranted to ensure a better operational flow with the ministry.
With these changes Randy, the director ,will have more freedom for public relations, community involvement and opportunities to market the ministry of the camp. As you are aware, we are edge of some major capital improvements that will almost guarantee more community involvement. Inquiries about using the camp have more than doubled, both by phone and emails.
And so we welcome Randy and Tammy to the ministries and look forward to working with them to expand and grow the ministry of Tri-State Christian camp.
From The Director
2023 was a very interesting yet exciting year here at TriState Christian Camp. Summer camp has come and gone and we are happy to tell you that we consider it a very successful summer. Campers were given the opportunityy to know Jesus and some responded by being immersed into Him for the forgivenss of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. And that is why we do camp every summer. In addition, we experienced a 51% increase in campers for which we give God the praise and thanks. Also we thank everyone who made the effort to encourage the kids to come. With out you it may not off happened, so thank you. You are important to the ministry of the camp
But 2023 had it’s trials that God took care of in powerful ways. We had numerous mechanical issues acrooss the campus, some pretty major and others not so much. Walk in cooler went down right at the beginning of camp so we had to get that repaired. A number of the AC units needed repaired of replaced. Our golf cart fleet was a constatnt issue. Broken water line to the dining hall. Water heater in one of the cabins. I think you see what I mean. But God took control and all those issues were taken care of.
Projects continue here and some are still pending building permits. We have not taken them off the table, God is just testing our faith. The 60 X 100 covered shelter is still lying on the ground and will go up once we receive the permit. The dining hall expansion is also in a wolding pattern due to permits. The new RV loop is still on the table as well. But as we started expoloring that process a little further, issues arose that need to be worked out. We hope to have winter volunteers here this year to begin the necessary work there.
We have really bounced back from that “pandemic” thing in regards to rentals. We enjoyed a number of rentals in 2023 and are already filling 2024. God once again has blessed us beyond belief. We here at Tristate hold fast to the words of encouragement recorded in God’s Word. Particularly in Philippians 4:13 where we read, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And in Job 42:2 where he states a profound truth, “I know tat You can do all things, And that no plan is impossible for you.” We believe these truths and ope that you do as well.
I must include one more thing in this article. We can always use you financial support whatever the size of the gift. If you would like to support the camp financial head over to our donate page and make that donaion today. Thank you in advance.