by Jennifer Lloyd

COLD SPRINGS - Serving the Lord through missions projects is a great way for groups to grow together in their relationships with the Lord and with each other, leaders at Jenness Park say.

Owned by California Southern Baptist Convention, Jenness Park is a year-round campground located near Sonora.

While doing missions projects in international locations is a valuable endeavor, JP staff noted sometimes groups are looking for a way to serve God that is economical, closer to home and achieves some unique, service-oriented goals.

When groups volunteer at the camp they assist with major projects in a short amount of time. Leaders are able to disciple student groups in having a servant attitude at a facility where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached all year long.

Groups often trade food and lodging for the work they accomplish, JP staff said, so the mission trip can be completed at an extremely low cost to interested groups. Youth pastors also have the opportunity to utilize a conference room in order to be able to study the Bible, worship, pray and foster group unity.

During March, three groups of young people volunteered at Jenness Park. Mountain View Southern Baptist Church in Lake Isabella traveled the greatest distance with their 13 volunteers; 23 people from Cornelia Avenue Southern Baptist Church in Fresno also contributed their time and energy for several days; while Big Valley Grace Christian School of Modesto brought their junior class for an overnight work trip.

The hard-working young people removed snow from the main dining hall deck in order to prevent damage from the weight of the heavy winter snows. The groups primed and painted family cabins and, with the spring thaw beginning, they cleaned up some of the trash and pine needles that had been buried under snow for several months. Other tasks involved general camp maintenance to help prepare the camp for the quickly approaching summer season.

"The volunteer groups did a great job of helping us leap forward in getting Jenness Park ready for summer camps," noted Bill Parson, facilities manager who supervises volunteers.

"They were all super groups," he added.

Although the students often had dusty faces or calloused hands by the end of the day, a sense of accomplishment and contribution was evident in the smiles of many team members, JP staff said.

The camp can accommodate teams of various ages and sizes. For more information call Parson at 800-258-7554, ext. 130 or e-mail bill@jennesspark.com.