A Letter from the Director

Dec 2022                                   

Woohoo. Christmas


    A wonderful blessed time of year when we take some or all of the focus off us and place it where it belongs on Christ our Lord.

Concerts and events spring up everywhere. Some are centered on the hustle and bustle, but still Christ is cherished by many and

I am so delighted when I come across these events. The Pender Island Choral Society put on their Christmas concert this past weekend and our own Ciara was part of it. There were several Christ centered pieces sung including Mary did you Know, Away in a manger, and

Silent Night (which was the closing piece). Ciara noted that the final line sung was "Christ the Savior is Born" from Silent Night. We can pray that God softens hearts and that the words sung will waters the seeds planted in their hearts.


    Our Friday Ladies group decided to make Gingerbread Cookies for kids to decorate on the day that Santa came to the Island via the Boat. This event has been going on over 70 years and the camp is only a short walk from the wharf. Children and parents were invited to the camp for refreshments and to decorate cookies and colour in books and listen to Christmas carols. Just Lovely.


   We have a new staff missionary joining us. Megan Watt comes to us with a great joy of God and his Creation. She will fill in many roles here at Camp and as such is the Director's assistant. We so look forward to many of you meeting her as well as the rest of the Missionaries recently joining us at this blessed mission at Hope Bay.


    We have not had much rain this fall, which has allowed for continued work around the property as the ground has stayed fairly firm. Our new Facility Manager David keeps working on cleaning up the property of overgrowth and dead limbs while doing his daily upkeep and maintenance needed. Ciara is continuing to cleanse the camp of "just too much stuff". Old broken furniture and an over abundance of sheets and towels in the laundry room as well as removing old stuff that's just sitting around not accomplishing anything (reminds me I need to keep moving). She is also planning for next summer, writing job descriptions and planning staff gatherings as well she is out at youth group gatherings held by our illustrious former directors Bobby and Lynn at their home.

Diane and I have been to several churches and continue to develop relationships with Church staff. Several have been over to the camp as guests with teens or as staff retreats. It is wonderful to see the ministry used for Christ centered gatherings. Young Life came as a staff retreat and enjoyed themselves enough to book again this coming spring. It is amazing to see so many young leaders looking to further the Gospel and too see their joy in it.

   

    As a staff group, we are doing a study of Luke for December. 24 chapters in 24 days. So much to discuss in each chapter, but it is wonderful to be in God's word together. We will finish Luke on Dec 24th and then gather together at the Pender Island community church in the evening to worship the coming of the Child in Bethlehem. 

May this coming Season bring you Peace Joy and Love. May His wonderful Grace and Love for you cause you to be renewed in your journey on this walk of faith we call a Christ Centered Life.

Wishing you and your Family a blessed Christmas.




Randall Lockhart

Director of Ministry




You can follow our Facebook and Instagram streams to see what we're up to this season.



A note from our Program Director

Staff Februariunion and update.


Hello staff of the past, present and FUTURE…??!


Some of you have been at Hope Bay more recently, and others of you may be questioning if it still even EXISTS! Well indeed it does. I want to invite each of you who have been here as summer staff, to join us at camp this February for a Staff reunion! (Press the Link  in the Title) Please also invite your significant others and any friends who may be interested in becoming a Summer Missionary at Hope Bay. And, if you are reading this and have never been staff but would be interested in finding out more about that possibility, please know that you are welcome as well.


More information on that to come, but first I’ll introduce myself (though some of you will remember me.. I hope!). My name is Ciara, and I have recently stepped into the role of Program Director at Hope Bay. My relationship with the camp started with yearly epic road trips from Calgary with my youth group. It was one of the highlights of the year to come to such a beautiful, green place (while we were still in the depths of winter back home) and do all kinds of work projects to help get the camp ready for summer. 


When I was 20, I came to Hope Bay for a 7 month discipleship program called “The Forma Project”. I’m grateful for that time because it grew in me a love for full time ministry.


I then returned to Calgary for several years where I worked as a support aide for special needs adults. In March of 2022, I returned to Pender Island to visit old friends and was invited by the Hope Bay year round missionaries to apply to be Assistant Program Director for the upcoming camp season. I prayed and spoke with family and friends and decided I would be thrilled to embrace the opportunity. In May I moved to Pender and began learning about my role and preparing for the summer ahead. 


Just as camp began, our Program Director became unavailable and I was able to step into his role. 


I praise God because He had a good plan for us, and provided so abundantly for all our needs. Throughout the summer it became so clear to me that this was the Lord’s camp, not ours, and that whatever good was accomplished would be because of His grace, kindness and strength and not because of our effort. I was dependent on Him moment by moment and I am so humbled by it and in awe of what He has done. . What a marvellous work to be invited into, Campers heard the good news of Christ’s love for them, in dying on their behalf for sin, to bring them to God. They had FUN and learned new things and built wonderful friendships with one another and with our summer missionaries. Praise Him!


I also want to introduce you quickly to our other full time Missionaries who are looking forward to getting to know you. 


Randy, our director and his wife Diane, originally came from Ontario to fill the Facilities Management role. Randy became the Director in 2020 and the Lord is providing all that he and Diane need to do the work he has set before them. They are devoted, wise and compassionate and have such earnest and  joyful hearts as they labour for the sake of the gospel.


David is our new facilities manager and resident arborist! We are so blessed by his hard work and clever thoughts about how to improve the grounds and make them more functional, enjoyable and effective for their purpose of bringing the Gospel to children. Come out to the Februariunion to welcome him into the Hope Bay family!



We all would be so delighted to see you here again. As camp rebuilds post pandemic, I am looking forward to growing a strong team of staff, both summer and year round, and am really hoping that you will consider being a part of that as we continue to seek to share the love of Christ with children and youth. Even if you aren’t available in the summertime, I would be so honoured to have you at our reunion.. To catch up on life, talk about old memories and consider the future together. Thank you for the ways that you have contributed to Hope Bay’s mission of sharing the Gospel. You are a blessing and I am praying for you and hoping to reunite with you this February. 



In Him, 


Ciara Heynen