New Beginnings for Kodiak
Luke LaRocque
In July, Luke LaRocque informed the Board of Trustees that his time as Executive Director of Beacon Bible Camp is coming to an end. Luke has been excellent in this role but he felt it was time for a change after five years serving in this role. Luke has offered to remain in the position over the next year to ensure continuity and allow for in-session training.
The Board of Trustees is now going to begin a search for a new Executive Director. During this change, the Board will be assessing our needs and expectations for this role given the changing environment in youth ministries and camping. If you are interested or know of a candidate for this position, please contact the Board via the camp office.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we would like to congratulate Luke for his service at Beacon and thank him for his thoughtfulness. Luke has challenged the status quo in our ministry, utilized the unique gifts God blessed him with that moved Beacon forward to where we are today. We know that Luke will remain an active leader at Beacon, even after he leaves this role. We look forward to seeing what the Lord has for Luke and his future ministry.
As you pray for Beacon, please pray that the person the Lord has as the next Executive Director feels called to the ministry. Also, pray for the Board, as we assess the expectations for this role, so the ministry glorifies God while “Pointing Eyes to Creation, Calling Hearts to God”.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees,
Brian Fairley
Dear Beacon family,
When I began serving as the Executive Director five years ago, I couldn’t have imagined what life would bring. In 2015, we had no way to know that we would be experiencing this kind of year in 2020. This summer should have been my fifth summer as camp director, but instead of welcoming campers this summer, we shipped dozens of packages to families across Ontario, and hosted 397 campers during eight fantastic weeks of Beacon Unlimited. God is truly good. His timing is perfect, even if we don't always see it. That perfection is good in all sorts of ways.
When Alyssa (Dash) and I started at Beacon in 2015, we committed to an initial five year term as year-round staff at Beacon. Last winter, God helped me to realize that my time as Executive Director was coming to an end. I love Beacon with my whole heart, but there are some parts of camp leadership which weigh heavily, and I feel that it is important to recognize this burden before it's too late and the weight becomes too much to bear. This decision was one that was made well before we had ever heard the words "COVID" or "social distancing", but once the pandemic hit we focused on preparing for Beacon Unlimited. In early summer, I saw that it was going to be quite a few months before we had campers at Beacon and so I told the Board of Trustees in July about my decision.
Our family has enjoyed so many amazing memories at Beacon, and I look forward to making more memories as a cabin leader, canoe trip leader, dishwasher, or whatever is needed by the staff at camp. Alyssa plans to continue in her role as Program Director at Beacon, but we also know that the world is a very strange place these days, and as always, we want to put the needs of Beacon above our own hopes and desires. To answer the question that has been asked by the few people who know: I don't have any plans for "what comes next" at this point - our work at Beacon continues, especially as we explore how to serve our camper families during this global pandemic.
Please pray that God would provide the right person going forward to take over the work here at Beacon, and that the Board of Trustees would be given wisdom, courage and strength as they look to Beacon's future. As I said before, God's timing is perfect. He knows the next person to lead Beacon, and is already preparing them for this work. I can't wait to see His mighty hand at work, and Lord-willing, to be a part of the action alongside the other incredible volunteers.
Yours servant in Christ,
Luke "Kodiak" LaRocque