Gilead Celebrates 9th Missions Camp

Gilead Celebrating 9th Annual Missions Camp

The Outreach Elder’s vision of giving to the needy in Morrow County leads to nine years of ministry and a changed congregation.

In 2000, Dean Ebert, then the Elder of Outreach at Gilead (OH) Friends Church, acquired a vision to respond to people in need all around Morrow County.  He cast this exciting vision before his congregation and since then, things have never been quite the same!    
Each summer around a hundred volunteers from Gilead Friends Church set aside a whole week to do service projects around Morrow County communities.  Projects vary each year and have included tree trimming and removal, spouting, window and vinyl siding replacement, gutter cleaning, painting, handicap ramp building, and bathroom and kitchen repair. Volunteers have cleaned out rubber tires, shoveled out burned-out homes, shingled roofs, and constructed fences. They’ve mowed lawns, weeded and harvested gardens, cleaned houses, and much more. For the summer of 2008, the church took on the challenge of constructing a new house for a paralyzed widower and his sons.  In 2009, they built three (3) wheel chair ramps, rebuilt a barn, painted a barn, painted a house roof, cleaned up yards, dry walled, tore down, burned and buried an empty trailer, and numerous other jobs. There are jobs for every level of skill and every age. Even youngsters can haul brush or pick up trash.  
Church members work together daily and spend the evenings camping with campfire meals, worship times, corn toss matches, volleyball games, boating, swimming, and fishing.  Shawn and Glenda Morgan and daughters host the camping and nightly activities in their back acreage. Prior to the 2008 Missions Camp week a permanent pavilion was erected to accommodate the growing number of participants.  
Funding comes in a variety of ways. The church has local outreach as a budget item; however, many of the expenses for this mission week are met just simply out of the pockets of those families who come to work each year. The ideal challenge is for each serving family unit to donate out of pocket what they might otherwise spend on vacation. It’s truly a sacrifice. Donations also come in the form of equipment, supplies for jobs, and food.  
A barbecue celebration is held on the closing night of the Missions Camp. The whole church is invited to come along with the recipients and their families.  
The barbecue celebration is the icing on the cake for those who have participated. “We enjoy a great dinner and chat with the folks that we’ve had the privilege of helping—getting to know them better. We also take time to pray for any other needs they might have. It makes the week extra special,” says Dean Ebert.
Since its 2001 inception, nearly 730 workers have given over 30,000 hours of volunteer service to over 100 families in the county.  Ask any one of them that have participated and they’ll confirm that yes, it truly is a blessing to give!

Written by Darla Ellyson & Carolyn Ebert.