CLA has a history of encouraging students to go on a missions trip, as well as supporting them to do so. This summer, 46 students will be going to King’s Castle – El Salvador. The youth trip (grades 6-12) will take place June 20-27, and the college age trip will be held August 10-19. Annually, King's Castle hosts and ministers to thousands of people. Both of these teams will participate in various aspects of evangelism.

One of the most significant ways in which CLA has supported our students is through Student Missions Dinners. While these used to be a regular part of missions at CLA, it had been four years since the last one was held…that is, until last Sunday, March 17. These offer a great way to support our students while enjoying a delicious meal.

And what a great event! Between the two mealtimes (10:30 AM and 12:30 PM), approximately 550 people attended! Guests enjoyed a delicious spaghetti meal that was served by those students who will be going to El Salvador. We are so proud of our students – they did an awesome job!

Thanks too to our student leaders and kitchen team for all of their hard work. At this dinner, $13,275.78 was raised, which will go toward the students' trip costs. THANK YOU to all who attended!

There are two more Student Missions Dinners coming up on April 21 and May 26 at 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM. I encourage you to join us! Attendees can give donations via cash, check, card or tap pay, and the takeout option is available.

Check out what Brinley Knorr, one of our youth who went to El Salvador last year (and will be going again this June), shared about her experience:

“I was inspired to sign up for the El Salvador missions trip because a few people that had previously been there had talked to me and told me how it changed their life in such an amazing way… A special moment that sticks out to me while in El Salvador was at one of the programs. I was a part of a girls’ prayer circle, and all eight of the girls in the circle gave their hearts to Jesus. I had the opportunity to pray over all of them individually, and experiencing this made me realize how this missions trip not only impacted me but the people in El Salvador as well.”
 
THIS is why we believe so strongly in supporting our students – thanks for being part of what God is doing in their lives!

Find links to all of our missions trips and opportunities on our Missions page.

Questions? Email us at missions@clacamphill.com.

We are continuing to explore and expand our local missions outreach efforts. Our goal is simple – share the love of Jesus with those in our community while making a difference for Him.

We believe in investing in the lives of local students and recently sponsored an Adopt-A-Night event on February 27 at The Link 4 Youth (formerly Medard’s House) in New Cumberland. This organization offers a meaningful after-school option for youth to connect, find encouragement, learn useful skills, enjoy a delicious meal and more!

Jason Tomasic, one of our Youth leaders who attends SEU at CLA Camp Hill, taught a Bible lesson and organized several fun games. Several of our volunteers also made a delicious homemade meal for the students. Nearly 30 students attended. It was so great to interact with and pour into the kids!

Did you know that those affected by incarceration are one of the most overlooked people groups in our nation? To help address this, beginning on April 3 at 7:00 PM, we will have a Wednesday evening spring group focused on prison ministry training.

In partnership with Pete Einstein, we are offering this unique training group for those interested in sharing the love of Jesus through a variety of opportunities within the context of prison ministry. Pete will lead this group, and it will be based on his book, The Inmate Within: Prison Ministry, a Haven of Hope.

While all are welcome to attend, participating in this training group is a prerequisite to becoming involved in CLA-sponsored prison ministry endeavors. Learn more and register.

We recently launched an exciting new initiative, our Mission 10 Work Days. These will occur on the fourth Saturday of each month through October and involve various construction-type projects at various locations. This month, our team assisted with projects at the Bongiorno Conference Center, where many kids, students and adults have meaningful encounters with Jesus through camps, retreats, conferences and more.

Our April Work Day on April 27 will continue working at the conference center, and we’re finalizing where we will serve on May 25. Interested in registering for one or both of these Work Days? Learn more on our Missions page.

We love our local community, and we’re excited to once again be part of Jubilee Day in Mechanicsburg this summer. Jubilee Day is a popular annual event, and many individuals from our community attend. This event will be held on Thursday, June 20.

CLA will sponsor the event’s Petting Zoo, and we will have a vendor booth with various kids’ activities. Being part of this event offers a great opportunity for our staff and volunteers to provide a fun, meaningful experience for families, connect with attendees and share information about CLA.

We have a variety of volunteer opportunities available, such as setting up the Petting Zoo area the night before, greeting guests during the day and helping with fun kids’ activities! Learn more about each of these options and register; we have various shifts to pick from. Families are also welcomed to serve together!

Jesus was criticized on more than one occasion because of the people He spent time with. The Samaritan woman at the well, the woman with the bleeding disorder, and even Matthew the tax collector.

Despite the disgust of the community and the Pharisees, Jesus valued Matthew’s heart and what he had to offer the Kingdom. Jesus personally invited him to be His disciple. Matthew immediately started to impact the lives of others by inviting many other tax collectors and disreputable sinners to his home for dinner with Jesus so they could experience life change. Matthew quickly realized we are all living one minute away from eternity, and he wanted people to have a chance to spend their eternity with Jesus.

When is the last time you were willing to step out of your comfort zone to share Jesus with people who are different from you? Maybe you are intimidated by a big city or by the uncomfortable feelings you might experience when standing face to face with someone who is living a different lifestyle from you. According to Mark 16:15, as Christ followers, we are commanded to, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” It doesn’t say, “as long as you are comfortable” or “if you feel like it.” Verse 16 clearly explains the consequences of eternity; it says, “Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.”

Jesus himself says, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do.” Everyone, not just people who look and act like you, should have the chance to hear about Jesus, which is why you are personally invited (and encouraged) to participate in one or more of the Philly Dream Center outreach opportunities between May and October to introduce sick people to the healing power of Jesus.

If you have the love of Jesus, can smile and hand out a pretzel or drink, then you are fully equipped to be a part of this team. If you can provide wound care, that is helpful too! All you need to do is sign up here before the deadline so another “Matthew” has a chance to influence others toward Jesus.

During an interview, Miss Rita and Miss Shirley said, “We feel like we are forgotten,” but Pastor Charlie Rose quickly responded with “the world may forget a lot of people, but the Lord never forgets anyone.”

Pastor Charlie and his wife, Sharon, pastor one of the poorest regions in the United States, McDowell County, WV. But poverty is not limited to one location. Following a devastating 1,000-year flood that hit the region in July 2022, Pastor Charlie and Sharon have partnered with three sisters from Ray of Hope Church in Jewell Valley, VA.

For more than 60 years, Ray of Hope Church has cared for and shared the Gospel message with their community, but it has not always been easy. After overcoming a fire that burned the original church down in 2006, a gentleman donated a doublewide trailer for them to use as a parsonage and food/clothing pantry. Unfortunately, another obstacle came their way when the trailer was washed away in the 2022 flood.

Yet the ongoing challenges faced by the sisters have not stopped them from serving their community. Families and nursing homes are still regularly contacting them, sharing their needs for food, and the sisters quickly jump into action. They bake and collect all the food they can and deliver it using Sister Trish’s Chevrolet Cobalt. Over the years, they have also collected and handed out over 300 filled backpacks for children in the local schools. Why? Because they “want to help as many people as they can.”

For many years, the sisters worked without anyone coming to help them, but they are not alone now. Pastor Charlie’s church was the first church to ever bring them anything, and now you have an opportunity to be a part of their ministry too. CLA is partnering with Pastor Charlie, Sharon and the sisters to build a new sanctuary so they will have a proper place for their church family to worship. It is a modest plan for maximum Kingdom impact.

In December 2023, the walls were raised and, following a financial miracle, the trusses were installed to protect the newly constructed framework from the elements. They plan to refurbish the pews, the pulpit and whatever else they can so that they can keep being the Ray of Hope in their community. But that is not the best part – the church is growing, and people are saying yes to Jesus and proclaiming it to the world through baptism!

If you feel God is calling you to be a part of this trip, register at our Missions page before May 1.

Samuel was a miracle baby, and his mother, Hannah, was so appreciative that she dedicated him back to the Lord. As a young boy, he served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest. Eli’s sons were described as scoundrels and abused their role as priests. One day, a man from God came to Eli and delivered a message from the Lord. It included a warning that God honors those who honor Him, and there are consequences for those who take Him lightly.

Soon after this, the Lord spoke to Samuel. Since it was the first time the Lord spoke to him, Samuel went to Eli, but Eli said it was not him. After the third time, Eli instructed Samuel to, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed. And the Lord came and called as before… and Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening” (I Samuel 3:9-10).

Do you feel like God is silent or that you are in a season where He feels distant from you? Are you spending personal quality time alone with Him through prayer and reading the Bible, or are you spending five minutes reading the devotional notification you received on your phone and calling it done for the day? How hard are you seeking Him and listening for Him to speak? Are you being obedient or disobedient to His call and direction?

God is calling you to go into the world to serve Him. What is your response – complacency like Eli or stepping out in faith like Samuel? When God calls you, He does not leave you to do it on your own. He provides amazing miracles when we are obedient and step out in faith. Would you rather share a miracle and blessing story or an “I wish I would have” and consequences story? Is God speaking to you about one of the opportunities below?

• Kenya | Construction (Deadline April 1) – Help to rebuild a church that was burned down in 2008 during political riots.
• Peru | Construction (Deadline May 1) – Help to continue the work on a Youth Camp that will impact the next generation for Jesus.

To sign up for your miracle and blessing story, visit our Missions page.

CLA has had a long history of partnering with nearly 180 missionaries and missionary initiatives per year. Thanks to your faithful giving to Mission 10, we have committed to regularly support nine new missionaries beginning in 2024, and we wanted to share one of their stories below.

Caleb and Brittany Hendon serve in the deep jungle of Peru to help Jesus be known to those who would never have a chance to hear His name otherwise. With a focus on discipleship and training first generation Christians to be pastors, they can already see God working up and down the Juallaga River.

CLA partnered with Caleb and Brittany in 2023 and will return in 2024 to help build a youth camp known as Camp Yuri. This camp is essential for the ministry God has placed in their hearts and will continue to help them bring the Gospel message to the unreached people groups of Peru.

If you would like to help support missionaries through Mission 10, visit our Missions page.