Introducing: Campers on Mission

Campers on Mission (COM) is a national fellowship of Christian campers who look for opportunities to share their faith and the love of Jesus Christ while camping, through their participation in mission activities. Two characteristics of Campers on Mission are a love of the great outdoors and Christian fellowship. Whether day hikers, families on vacation, or retirees motoring the highways, they look for ways to tell others about Jesus Christ and God’s love. Any adult can be a Camper on Mission - single or married, young or old, working or retired. COM is family friendly. It provides great ways for families to enjoy the relaxation of a vacation and the satisfaction of participation in a mission project.

Campers on Mission participate in short-term mission projects across the United States and Canada. Typically, these projects last a week or more. They include construction, disaster relief recovery, Backyard Bible Clubs, fairs and festivals, campgrounds, auto races, parades, and truck stop ministries. Campers on Mission use creative ways to combine their love of the outdoors with ministry across North America.

Sponsored by the Adult Volunteer Mobilization (AVM) Team of the North American Mission Board (NAMB), membership is open to Christian campers of all denominations. There is no national membership fee. A list of State COM Chapter Presidents and State Convention COM Leadership is available on the NAMB website. Randy Creamer is the National Coordinator for Campers on Mission. Contact Randy at com@namb.net or call 800.462.8657.

Bridge Notes

Keep your project request updated. That is one of the keys to success reported to us this week from a church in NC. "The project manager worked diligently on NAMB’s Bridge volunteer scheduling website to continually update the needs at the church and used the portal as a life-line for their construction labor needs." We will share their story in a future edition of VIM.

This was one of four reports from project managers about how the Bridge helped them find help for their ministry that our office has received in the past two weeks. You can read one of their stories below. The Bridge is here to help connect volunteers with missions. We hope you find this resource a blessing to you. Visit thebridge.namb.net.

TN Pregancy Care Center Finds TheBridgeto Help

When Dee Keeling, Executive Director of LifeBeat Pregnancy Care Center in Wynnburg, TN asked for prayer that the TN Department of Corrections would grant the center's request for prisoner labor to build a new facility in a low income community, Elaine Ham, Pregnancy Care Ministries Consultant for NAMB, suggested she post her need on TheBridge.

With the building now complete Dee writes, "I'm so thankful for all who came and gave up their vacation time to work on the building. Hear how "God truly built the building and used some of the best workers to do it," in Dee's story.

The Spirit of Missions Never Grows Old

Nearing sixty years old and looking back makes you reflect on what has made your life so wonderful and useful. Rev. Ken Cobb encourages all of us to continue to seek opportunities to be involved in missions. Whether it is right next door in our local Baptist Church or taking a college group out for a spring break mission trip opportunities abound. Read Rev. Cobb's story. You can find short-term mission opportunities on TheBridge.

American Samoa: Pure Water Opens Doors to Gospel Presentations

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams are ministering on the island of American Samoa. Hit hard by a Tsunami that resulted from an earthquake in October the islanders are struggling to rebuild their lives. An urgent need identified by Southern Baptist pastors and American Red Cross leadership on the island was for water purification. (The photo at right shows Patrick Underwood and Chris Martin Hawaii Pacific Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers and Don Gann from MS Baptist Disaster Relief assisting residents with a water purificiation system.) A boil water order left residents in the difficult position of using precious fuel in order to provide safe water for their families.

As residents stand in line awaiting their turn to fill their buckets with the purified water Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers and local church pastors are listening to the survivors tell their stories of terror and sharing with them the Good News of Jesus Christ who offers them living water.

The Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention has established a fund for individuals and organizations wishing to support the relief efforts underway in the wake of the tsunami that struck American Samoa. Donations may be mailed to the Hawaii Baptist Convention, Samoa Disaster Relief Fund, 2042 Vancouver Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822. In addition, in support of the Hawaii Baptist Convention donations may be made onlinethrough the North American Mission Board's General Disaster Relief Fund by using the In Honor option and typing "Samoa" in the Memorial Name box. Donations designated in this manner will be forwarded to the Hawaii Pacific Convention for use in the relief effort.


If you would like to know more about Southern Baptist Disaster Relief visit the Disaster Relief website at www.namb.net/dr or contact the Disaster Relief Director at your Baptist State Convention. Contact information for the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention can be found here.

Urgent Need: Bay St. Louis, MS
Lake Shore Baptist Church Ministry Center

Still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, Lake Shore Baptist Church in Bay St. Louis, MS is in need of construction assistance. Escape the cold of the coming winter and visit the gulf, where it never snows. Help the congregation erect a 2500 sq. ft wood frame single story building. At 8 ft off the ground (to escape the next storm surge) the building will house Sunday school classrooms and a distribution center. Current construction needs: Trusses, shingled roof, rough electrical needed now, rough plumbing needed now. Exterior wall will be vinyl siding. Future needs: exterior windows and doors, HVAC, insulation, dry wall finish, painting, finish carpentry, cabinetry, finish electrical, finish plumbing, paint touch-up, install carpets.

Find out more about this urgent need and other mission opportunities at The Bridge.

Share Volunteers in Motion with a friend. Encourage them to sign up now! We would love to hear from you. Email us and let us know what you think about Volunteers in Motion. Be sure to sign up if you would like to continue to receive Volunteers in Motion.  Contact the Adult Volunteer Mobilization Team at volunteers@namb.net or 1.800.462.VOLS (1.800.462.8657)