SBS India

Archive for the ‘.SBS News’ Category

SBS General Camp held at SBS Camp Center, Puthencavu from September 6 to 10, 2011 turned out to be  a great blessing.

An unusually large number of participants reached the site on the first day itself, and the flow kept taking place even in the morning on the second day. In the final reckoning there were close to 1000+ registered campers and 200 or so many adults (leaders, visitors, speakers, special guests, etc).

Inauguration: Brother Stevenson Varghese from UAE was the chief guest. With the help of audio-visuals he brought an unusually powerful message to the young and old alike and the audience was challenged to examine and rededicate themselves. In closing he announced that  the Camp is now formally declared inaugurated. He also emphasized the need to give finishing touches to the camp site which requires a good flow of funds and made a commitment to do so himself.

Brother Chacko Philip functioned as the convener of the Camp, and he presented the work that brethren have been doing for months to bring this camp to fruition. He welcomed everyone to actively participate, whether they be the young ones or older leaders. He also reminded that each one of the campers and leaders need to be deeply grateful that the Lord made such a spacious camp site made available to SBS. He invited everyone to do their part in completing the project.

Programs: Students were divided up into A, B, C and D according to their age and each group was offered classes and topics that suited their age and spiritual development. As many as five locations were used during larger classes.

These groups were split up further into smaller groups when the occasion demanded it so that leaders/teachers could give individual attention to the needs of campers. This approach resulted in great personal interaction between campers and teachers/leaders and numerous students made decisions to lead a rededicated and committed Christian life.

Special Parents Day: Realizing the fact that parents need to understand the changes that are creeping into the Indian society, a special parent’s day was organized on 8th September. Close to 250 believers gathered for this first-time event, showing that SBS had correctly identified the importance of such a training program.

Overall Review: Arranging such a massive camp in the SBS Campsite was a venture of faith because a lot more construction needs to be done before the Camp site becomes fully functional. However, the multiple dormitories, a dozen single rooms, multiple large and small halls and auditoria were effectively managed by brother Abraham Thomas from behind the scene to accommodate the campers in a most comfortable way. A nearby mansion that belongs to brother Raju K. Thomas and Puthencavu Assembly Hall were pressed into service. There were times of water scarcity and other problems, but the Lord solved them all. Brother Chacko Philip (Convener) and his friends opened their homes when the toilet facilities were inadequate at the Camp Site.

The over-all result of the camp was to bless a large number of children. Almost thirty of them accepted Christ as their personal Saviour in this camp. Others rededicated themselves. Over-all, Camp 2011 will always remain in the memory of both the campers as well as of the leaders.

[Report By: Dr. Johnson C. Philip, SBS Media Chief]