Executive Director Report 2024

by Kurt Robertson

Entering 2024 we knew that God had some great plans for the ministry at West Bank Bible Camp. We saw how He did so much the previous summer to build a new foundation for our ministry. We had so many donations and support in 2023 and made many changes to our organization to function healthier from our staff culture to our administration. We saw those changes and investments pay off significantly in 2024. This past summer we saw God do amazing things. I hope you are encouraged as you read this report and excited to see how God will continue to work at West Bank Bible Camp.

Campers

   This summer was filled with a lot of excitement as we had a 40% increase in our camper number from 2023. We grew from 290 campers in 2023 to 418 campers in 2024. With this increase in campers came so much joy as we got to see 51 campers make decisions to follow Jesus. We also saw so many kids take considerable steps in growing in their faith and connecting into Churches and Youth Groups.

Staff

Starting in the previous summer of 2023, we began to actively work towards implementing meaningful changes in our staff culture at camp, with the goal of fostering a more healthy and supportive environment for all involved in our ministry. We saw those changes reflected in our staff team this summer. We experienced significant growth in staff numbers this year, expanding from a staff of 25 in 2023 to an amazing team of 42 staff members this past summer. There is excitement right now for people to come serve at camp and we hope to continue building on this momentum to host many more campers in the future summers. We still had our fair share of ups and downs throughout the season, but as I look back now, I am genuinely so grateful for all our staff and their service this summer. Their hard work and commitment made a significant difference in our camper lives.

Disciples In Training (DIT Program)

This year we were blessed as a camp to have Aaron Rampold and Ashley Volkman as our DIT Directors. Their excitement for the program and seeing the kids growing in their faith was so encouraging. This summer, 16 young volunteers participated in the program. During the three-week program, they learned to strengthen their faith, practice it, and share it with others, both at camp and at home. I look forward to seeing how God will use them both at camp and in their church and community to grow His kingdom.

Program

Once again, it was a blessing to work with Conrad Seemel as our Program Director this summer. He helped in so many different areas of camp to ensure camp could be the best it could be. From organizing the staff to helping with groundskeeping, I was so blessed by the work Conrad accomplished and the leadership he brought to camp this summer. He stepped up to bring so much leadership at camp, which allowed me (Kurt) to spend time in the evenings with my family.

Maintenance

I am so thankful that we had Mathew Ritskes serving as our Maintenance Director during this past summer season. His dedication and hard work ensured that everything ran smoothly behind the scenes. He was able to tackle many projects around the camp to help improve the quality for everyone at camp. I am grateful for Mathew’s dedication and joy in serving the ministry. Mathew also ensured the smooth running of the pool so our campers could swim every day.

Capital Projects & Cleanup

 Our Main goal for capital projects this past summer was renovating our main washrooms. We installed new flooring and new toilets and painted all the walls and stalls. This has been a great upgrade to raise the quality of our facilities. Another one of our goals at camp this summer was to finish cleaning up the grounds. Over the years, we have collected a lot of stuff, and it began to be too much. Our goal is to have everything we wish to have stored on-site be organized and clean. We also have worked hard to clean everything up across the creek to get things properly built, safe and professional looking. All these steps we have taken help us to maintain a clean, safe and welcoming environment for all visitors to camp.

Thoughts on the Future

I am very excited about our ministry's growth this past year. The increase in staff and campers and the way we saw God impact so many lives has been very encouraging to me. I hope to see us continue to grow to reach many more kids with the Gospel in the coming years. I hope for us to reach 500+ campers in 2025. I also have hopes that we will be able to tackle and finish the remaining camp cleanup and small projects to bring our facilities to up to meet our desired standards of quality. The most significant factor that will affect our ability to continue to grow will be our finances. As things stand right now, we are narrowly making it by to pay all our bills. We have dreams of building a new Climbing Wall and Zip line in the near future, but first we want to ensure we can maintain our current operating expenses before we can spend big capital. Our two main plans to help raise more funds are the WBBC 500 and finding more corporate sponsors willing to support the camp. The WBBC 500 is our new monthly donation program, where people can sign up for as little as $20/month to support the camp. We currently have $2,550/month coming in from this program.

New Assistant Director

  Something that has become apparent over the past year is just how much work there is to maintain and manage all the different areas of the camp. Most camps with 500+ campers have year-round staff teams of 2-3 people to run the various areas of responsibility. This past year I have felt the weight and pressure of managing so many things and the struggle and trying to do it all. After lots of time and prayer, we have made the decision to take a big step in growth by hiring a second year-round staff member in the form of an Assistant Director. I am happy to announce that we have hired Aaron Rampold as our Assistant Director. Aaron has been a staff member at WBBC since 2015. Aaron started out as a cabin leader, then became the leader of our Disciples In Training Program in 2022. He has a great heart for serving at camp and developing young leaders. As the Assistant Director, Aaron will oversee Staff/DIT Mentorship, running the DIT Program, Rentals & Tuck Shop Merch/Candy. I am very excited to have Aaron on our team as we continue to grow and try to make camp the best it can be!

Additional Thanks

   I also need to acknowledge and thank a few more people for their roles in the camp's success this past summer. Thank you to Rylie Anderson for once again being our amazing First Aid Attendant. Thank you to Anna Funk for being our Office Administrator. Thank you to Jenice Ens for leading the horsemanship program along with Callie Ebner and Jerry Martens. Horsemanship was a huge hit, thanks to all your hard work. Thank you to Becky Funk for once again managing the kitchen and groceries for all our camps. She does so much to ensure our kitchen is ready and cooks have everything they need to make excellent meals for all the campers.  Thank you to Charmayne Martens for her great job taking care of all the flower beds and grounds around camp. The camp looked so beautiful this year, thanks to your hard work! Thank you to Richard and friends for your hard work and willingness to come and give your time to see projects cleaned up and finished around the camp. Last but certainly not least, thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who came and helped in the kitchen and with work projects. Thank you for coming and serving this ministry with joy. 

Closing Remarks & Prayer Requests

I am so thankful for the opportunity I have been given to help lead the ministry of West Bank Bible Camp this past year. I should not forget to mention that my wife Anna and I welcomed our firstborn daughter Tessa, born on May 7th. She made every day so much more filled with joy, getting to see her smiles at every meal and when I went home in the evenings. I am thankful to God for Tessa and look forward to seeing her grow. 

      I look forward to seeing how God will continue to grow this ministry over the following years and how He will continue to provide for our needs. 

       Please continue to pray for our ministry, for our campers, staff, and our board. Pray that God will give us wisdom and guidance as we plan for 2025.  Pray that God will provide for us financially so we can continue to run this ministry that impacts so many kids lives. Most importantly pray that God’s will be done at West Bank Bible Camp.

All Glory To God