by Tom Cnossen
In Canada, we take our long, cold winters as a way of life that we learn to live with, but it doesn’t necessarily have to stop our camps from operating. We have a growing youth and men’s ministry in Maskwacis, AB, and we have country out here that just begs to be camped in—even in the winter.
A while back, Higher Challenge Camps started to bring youth and men out to the mountains and set up camps in beautiful places where there was fun and fellowship to be had—providing a nice break from our long winters. Minute-Man funding has helped make this happen.
In 2019, we purchased more equipment (another winter tent and warm sleeping bags) to go along with what we already had to enhance our camping program, which was already operating year-round. Though Covid slowed us down a bit, we did a camp this winter and hope to do more in the future.
In winter camping, we need reliable equipment that can withstand the rigours of the cold. We use canvas tents with solid aluminum frames, cots, and warm -30°C sleeping bags. Our tents have wood stoves in them as well.
Winter camping activities can include hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sliding and ice fishing. Of course, food, good food, is always a hit! The best times, of course, are the long nights we have, when we can play games, worship the Lord, teach the Gospel and disciple and care for the youth and men in a nice warm shelter. Working with the churches in Maskwacis, we can extend the camp season this way and build up the fellowships where we serve and worship.
We want to thank those who generously contribute to Minute-Man to make projects like winter camping possible as an effective tool for church planting! God bless you!
(from Northern Lights issue #560)