To all concerned:
Last family camp? Oh, we have suggested that every
year for the last 12 for various reasons, but
this year is different. Let us try to explain
why this is Legacy Family Ministries' last family
camp...
There is no doubt in our minds that 12 years ago
God led us to begin Legacy Family Ministries with
our first family camp at Camp Balcones Springs
near Austin, Texas. What an incredible journey
this has been since 1994. The relationships we
have built, the memories we have shared, and the
family traditions we have created are priceless
and have forever shaped all of us to love God
and to love others. Needless to say, this has
been a very difficult decision.
For the past 3 or 4 years, we have struggled with
the decision to end this part of Legacy’s vision.
As we have tried our best to discern God’s activity
around us, we feel like now is the time to discontinue
the camps. The ministry of family camps have had
an impact on many lives, but the model we have
used is not able to sustain itself long term.
Such things as rising cost of facilities and insurance,
out pricing the families who really need it, being
the middle man using other’s facilities, struggling
to get church buying, etc. have created a need
for us to rethink this part of the mission of
Legacy Family Ministries.
This has been a very painful reality for us because
it makes such great sense in our minds, but our
model just has not worked like we thought it would.
Along the way, I have thought...well, we need
to buy a facility? At this point in our life,
this is not an option. I have jokingly said that
if someone actually gave us a family camp I would
give it back even if they endowed the operational
cost.
When we started in 1994, there were one or two
camps/ministries doing family camps in Texas.
Twelve years later, Pine Cove has added 2 more
family camps, TBarM has weekend family camps,
Kanakuk is building an amazing family camp, most
camps offer some type of family camp weekend retreat,
and many many churches are doing family retreats.
In fact, Camp Tejas, the facility we have made
our second home, has plans to add a family camp
in 2007 or 2008. So a family can find a place.
Bottom line for Legacy Family Ministries is this...
after we have looked it over, prayed, and considered
what we do really really good, we just feel like
it is time to focus on the part of our model that
has the sustainability for years to come -- marriage
prep for pre-engaged and engaged couples.
Two Common Questions that have been asked:
Is this the last family camp because Byron
is working at Baylor full time?
Answer: NO. Last summer prior to taking this Baylor
position we talked about Labor Day 2005 being
our last. . . and actually talked about our 10th
Anniversary camp (2004) being our last. So this
has been an on-going process.
Is Byron going to be the University Chaplain?
Currently I am still the interim University Chaplain,
and should know in late July if I am going to
toss my name in the hat for the permanent post.
Baylor will begin a national search in late summer
to hire a chaplain. In the meantime, Carla, Tiffany,
and Darrell are doing a great job of running the
daily operations of the ministry. This past year
has been very effective for Legacy Family Ministries.
Hopefully, this explanation helps clarify what
God is doing in the life of this ministry. We
would like to say thank you for investing into
this ministry. It has been a privilege and a tremendous
blessing to share family camp with so many incredible
families. As a way of celebrating, we are making
a DVD. So, we need those of you who have attended
to digitally send us your best family camp pictures.
If you have other questions, please email us at
office@legacyfamily.org.
Sincerely,
Byron & Carla Weathersbee
