Inspiration Point

THE CHALLENGE:

It is a tough time to be growing up in this world. Mental and physical health stresses, the lack of positive role models, and the minefield of social media are all, to some degree, symptoms and causes of a treacherous, changing landscape for children and youth. Kids are stressed and are looking for answers and hope. For the thousands of kids who come to Inspiration Point each year for camps and retreats, summer staff members are a cornerstone of their experience as they love, listen, and guide kids, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with them in word and deed. In order to hire the best staff possible IPoint needs to bolster its summer staff salaries. 

Kids also need opportunities to grow physically. Richard Louv, author of the Last Child in the Woods, coined the phrase, "nature deficit disorder," which leads to diminished use of the senses, reduced attention span, mood swings, and higher rates of emotional and physical illnesses. Camp gets kids outside, strengthening their connection to creation, and more importantly, their Creator. In order to minister to kids in a holistic sense, helping them grow "in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man, " (Luke 2:52), Inspiration Point needs to strengthen its opportunities for recreation. 

THE SOLUTION:

Goals by year end:

• Recreation Equipment  $39,000
• Summer Staff Salaries  $91,000

As the Lord provides...

• IPoint will purchase and build a playground next spring so that kids have an improved place to play.
• IPoint will continue to improve our winter recreation opportunities, adding more snowshoes, cross-country skis, and tubes so more people have the chance to experience the thrill and beauty of time outdoors in the snow.
• IPoint will hire and train more summer staff who will impact kids, their future families, and workplaces.

Would you please consider giving a generous gift either today or through year-end in support of this vital ministry?

THE OUTCOME:

It is not only the camper who is impacted by their time spent here, but the staff as well! Time and again we see the benefit of a summer spent at IPoint as staff members are trained and coached for a lifetime of service. A former staffer named Keisha wrote to us last spring, saying, "Just this week I went back to the Anchors handbook and staff training binder three times for help in answering questions I was asked. I truly cherish camp, what you taught me, and all that I caught. It was definitely a foundational summer in my walk with the Lord. I even teach students all the way out here in western North Dakota that went to IPoint! Years later, God is still working through my experiences from camp."

Parents, too, know the value of a quality staff. A mom from Barnesville, MN wrote, "My kids always love camp, but this year was different. They came back so changed. My son came back so on fire. A counselor who gave her testimony really touched his heart. Even this last week my daughter told me about the questions she was asking at camp, they were tough! Her counselor, Chloe, handled them so well. My other son was so nervous to go but he left wanting to work at camp someday. I am just so encouraged and feel so blessed. Thanks for pouring into all those kids."

And the world needs the kind of people Inspiration Point hires and prepares. The January 20, 2021 issue of Forbes magazine included this statement, "Soft skills - such as empathy, emotional intelligence, kindness, mindfulness, adaptability, integrity, optimism, motivation, grit, and resilience - have become crucial success factors..." In 2017, Deloitte reported that "soft skill-intensive occupations will account for two-thirds of all jobs by 2030." These are skills and dispositions that are developed working at camp.