Vol. 25| Iss. 4| April 2021
17 17
CEDARKIRK CAMP CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF FAITH BUILDING, GROWTH AND FUN By Taylor Wells
02
Meaningful relationships are built at camp every week.
2
15 See Page 15 Columns: Grace Notes: Hooked On Books: Faith & Footprints: News From The Wire:
04 11 17 20
Founded in the summer of 1971, Cedarkirk, a local year-round Presbyterian camp and conference center, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. It is a place apart where individuals and groups can experience spiritual growth and renewal as well as faith-building fun, worship and exciting activities in 170 acres of woodlands, wetlands and uplands. “We see our mission as giving people a place where they can step out of the busyness and stress and the routines of their everyday life and spend some time in the woods building community and drawing close to God,” said Matthew Shick, executive director of Cedarkirk. According to its website, “Our facilities are used for retreats, meetings, conferences, leadership training, camping, outdoor experiences and more. We serve a variety of church-related groups, family reunions, public and private schools, community service agencies and non-
profit organizations.” Cedarkirk is open, but only for small groups, and it is requiring social distancing and masks when in groups, among other safety procedures. Cedarkirk could not offer summer camp in 2020, but it is glad to welcome guests back this year, though at 50 percent capacity. Cedarkirk has several camp programs for different groups, including those in first to 12th grade, families and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The programs have a variety of activities, which can include Bible study, worshiping together, leadership training, kayaking, campfires, arts and crafts, field games, swimming, archery and more. Shick said that, as a former camper of Cedarkirk, “I learned my faith at church, but I learned to live it at Cedarkirk, and so I think, for me, one of the most special things [about Cedarkirk] is finding out
how to put into practice what it is that we believe.” He also thinks the camp is special because, as a camper, he lived alongside others from an entirely different socioeconomic bracket, letting him understand the differences in their lives, but also find many commonalities and connect with them, and Shick is happy to see that play out every week at summer camp. For the future, Cedarkirk is campaigning to raise $4 million for a new office wing, new residential building and new dining hall, which will have more space and better accessibility. Cedarkirk is located at 1920 Streetman Dr. in Lithia on the Alafia River. For more information, call 685-4224 or visit https://cedarkirk.org/, www.facebook. com/cedarkirk/ or www.instagram.com/ cedarkirk/.
CHURCH WIPES OUT $38,000 DOLLARS IN LUNCH DEBTS FOR STUDENTS By Kelly Wise Valdes
Last year was difficult for many families as well as students. As families were struggling, school lunch debts in Hillsborough and Pasco Counties began to accumulate. To help ease that burden, Idlewild Baptist Church stepped in. “We had a desire to help the community in these tough COVID times with many local families losing jobs or income,” said Staley McNatt, ministry assistant to the executive pastor. “We heard that all students must be debtfree in order to graduate. We did this because of God’s love and forgiveness for us, we want to share God’s love with the students of Hillsborough and Pasco County and assist them in forgiving their lunch debt.” Because of the generosity of the congregation, Idlewild was able to pay off more than $21,000 to Hillsborough County juniors and seniors’ lunch debt and $17,000 to Pasco County students’ lunch debt. “Our congregation consistently gives towards local missions this year and every year,” said McNatt. “We praise God for our members’ generosity. We believe being generous with God’s love is a source of hope for many in our community.”
The school superintendents for both counties were overwhelmed by the generous donation. “This act of kindness from Idlewild comes at a time when many of our families need additional support to help make ends meet,” said Hillsbor-
ough Superintendent Addison Davis. “We deeply appreciate faith-based community partners like Idlewild whose dedication and generosity provide critical support and hope for families across Hillsborough County.” Idlewild Baptist Church continues to support local missions throughout the year, including creating butterfly gardens at Miles Elementary and hosting vet clinic missions at the church at the end of March. The church, originally founded in 1934, is one of Florida’s largest churches, sitting on a 42-acre site with a 440,000-square-foot worship center that can accommodate more than 5,000 people. The church is located at 18333 Exciting Idlewild Blvd. in Lutz. To find out more about any upcoming events, visit www. idlewild.org, follow it on FaceIdlewild Baptist Church is active in supporting school-relat- book or call the church office at 264-8706. ed missions throughout Hillsborough County.