THOUGHTS
T
he Parable of
the Talents in
Matthew 25
is sometimes called
the Parable of the
Faithful Servants. It
Joel Rude
truly is about faithful
Executive Director
obedience on the
part of those assigned to be stewards
of whatever the master chooses to
place in their care. In my eight years as
Alpine’s associate director, I witnessed
many major improvements to the
facility; some of which are still being
completed. The last major project on
the drawing board was a significant
remodeling of the chapel. A number
of considerable factors played a part
in the decision to delay that remodel
indefinitely. In the meantime, we are
operating under the principle of being
Faithful in a Few Things.
In addition to being good stewards
of the tangible things at Alpine
(buildings, grounds and equipment),
we are responsible for the spiritual,
emotional and relational well being
of campers, young and old. Sometimes
that means real-time risk management.
Sometimes that means managing
perceived risk and security. There
are several projects underway which
address both the stewardship of
T
tangible “things” and attention to the
intangible realities that affect questions
such as “Will my child be taken
care of and safe while at Alpine?”
That list of “things” being tended
to includes the following, some of
which will be addressed before the
summer of 2017, when Alpine celebrates
its 60th anniversary, and some
throughout the rest of 2017-2018: Replacement of 11 low efficiency
furnaces nearing the end of their
safety life;
Completion of the main entrance
welcome sign and landscaping; Additions to the Alpine Trail
seating areas and other outdoor
gathering/seating areas.
Completion of the kitchen
entrance/dish return area;
Completion of The Branch (gift
shop) and Redwood Lounge
renovations;
Repaving of the basketball courts
and replacing of basketball goals;
Repairs to and repainting of the
seven buildings and staff homes
along Club House Drive;
Completion of the Makuala Village
shower house renovations (interior
finish details);
Repainting of the six original cabins
and the maintenance shop;
Reroofing of 17 buildings, two of
which are leaking and several of
which are on the verge of doing so;
here are many ways to give, and some
provide tax benefits to help steward your
gift more fully into the ministry itself. When
you name Alpine as the beneficiary of your
IRA (or Qualified Plans), Alpine pays no income
tax when the distribution of assets is received.
For more information, please contact our
denomination’s financial planning service through
Ingrid Prater our regional representative at
(877) 727-5270 or email her at ikprater@
covenanttrust.com. She will be happy to assist
you. Alpine Camp and Conference Center and
Covenant Trust Company are both ministries
within the Evangelical Covenant Church. All
donations to Alpine for which no goods or
services were given in exchange are tax deductible.
Replacement of 130 bunk beds for
pest control purposes;
Additions to the outdoor recreation
spaces at both the year-round area
of Alpine and the summer Makuala
Village area;
This extensive list is comprised of
both deferred maintenance realities
and a desire to more fully meet the
needs of our campers and adult guests.
It will take time, money, paid and
volunteer labor and a disciplined
focus of all those. However, we
believe that all of the above is merely
taking care of what we already have,
as a faithful steward ought. Please
prayerfully consider how you and
others you can enlist may be able to
help with the above. Our small crew
of faithful staff cannot tend to this list,
along with running the operation, on
its own. Alpine needs prayer, people
and profits in order to actively
remain Faithful in a Few Things.
The Many
Faces of Giving
Memorials given to Alpine
during 2016 totaled $3,107.
The dear people these gifts
were given in memory of include:
Lurlene Anderson • John Barkman
Bud Ekblad • Ralph Johnson
Paul Lindskoog • Jean Stayboldt
Joel Anderson, pictured
next to his junior high
initials on a camp tree,
has a long family history
of giving to Alpine.
Peace to their memory, and many thanks to those
who gave these gifts which benefit scholarships and
special projects for the ongoing ministry at Alpine.
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