Week Two Has Started

We have 94 youth plus the staff here for week. Week 1 was a very busy week. There were 8 young people that were Baptized.

Florida Bible Camp Week 1

FBC 2008 Youth Camp

Well yesterday started out 2008 camp season. This year we have a new head cook (Patty Honey) from Alachua Church of Christ. We have approximately 115 youth and 51 staff here at camp this week.

Midwest Storms

Update from Don

At the Howell Church we are working on our upcoming "Super Saturday" that is to take place Sat. July 26th. We are planning a three hour VBS followed by a cook out, followed by a hay ride. In preparation for this, we are encouraging our young people to make sure they invite their friends. We are also planning a door to door, house to house campaign. We plan to visit all of the houses in the community with a personal printed invitation to attend. We plan to put large posters up in many of the places of business. The names address and telephone numbers of all who attend will be taken so that we can follow up encouraging them to attend the church in Howell. We hope to set up several bible studies from this effort. We have found that these "Super Saturday" VBS's are an excellent way to engage the surrounding community. We are working now to put together a seminar that we can present on our mission work with other churches so that they too, if they desire, can make use of this "Super Saturday" method in Church Growth.

The material from the Sycamore Bible Bowl should be arriving anytime now. At Howell, we are looking forward to fielding a competitive team for the Bible Bowl that is in Sept.

It has been said, When you show an interest in people, they show and interest in you. Could it be, that as the church shows and interest in the community, the community will show an interest in the church? "I think so".

Ocala National Forest Fires

Yesterday around 2:30 pm a fire started in Ocala National Forest within an hour it was burning over 1000 acres. Authorities evacuated around 100 families and set up shelter in Paisley. I talked with 3 of the Churches of Christ closest to the area and we agreed to keep close contact in case things got any worse. Today the wind had calmed down and they have let the residents return to their homes.

National Hurricane Center

With less than two weeks until the beginning of hurricane season, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center issued their predictions for the season on Thursday.

They said to expect 12 to 16 named storms, including six to nine hurricanes.

The predictions were announced at a conference in St. Petersburg Thursday morning.

Forecasters said they're afraid that two years without a major landfall in the United States may have lulled coastal residents into complacency.

Update from Don & Rosemary

Rosemary and I had a good mission trip helping the Hemly Rd. Church in Bayou La Batre. We were given the job of going and visiting new members of the church. This we did and were successful in our visits and study with them. This is a very young church and is striving to help people in that area know the gospel. They have done a lot of work on their building and I was privileged to preach the first gospel sermon in their auditorium. This church works hard to influence the youth in the area.

Some other good news: The Plain View church in Merianville, Al. has an interest in helping the Church in Key West. I believe with the proper help they could have a great work in Key West. Of all the places, that I have door knocked, setting up bible studies, I have never had a more favorable reception than at Key West.

Our work on the fellowship hall is nearing completion at the Howell Chruch. We are looking forward in making good use in outreach for the Lord with the completion of this building.

Camp Joy will be hosting the Fri. night singing Aug. 1st at 7:00pm. If at all possible, I plan to go to this singing.. For more info about Camp Joy, you can write them at Camp Joy P.O.Box 8192 Lynchburg, Tn. 37352

Speaking of camps and the great work they do, I spoke to Mike at the Fla. Bible Camp in High Sprigs Fla. and he tells me that the camp is really booked for this summer. He is doing a great work at this camp. You can go to Mike's blog at www.mikesmissionupdates.blogspot.com

If you are retired -or not retired- and are looking for a great way to serve the Lord, may I suggest you look at the Sojourners. You can go to the web site www.sojourning.org and find out a lot about opportunities for service in this great organization. You will meet some of the finest christians you will ever want to meet and you will have an opportunity to work and grow side by side with them.

Neal Holt and several sojourners will be working on the New Hebrew Chruch building starting June 1st. This is near Lewisburg, Tn. Even though I have to go to Fla. for about a week in June to see my Dad, Rosemary and I hope to spend some time on this sojourn.

Thanks for your email and updates about what all good is going on. Don

Busy Times At Florida Bible Camp

We have had groups here 14 out of the past 16 weeks and the next 3 weekends are booked. After that our youth camps start on June 8 and run through July 19. Following that we have 2 more weeks of youth camps scheduled with other groups. We are also getting bookings for late summer and fall. If you would like to schedule a men's or ladies retreat, church meeting, youth meeting, family reunion or company outing. Please let us know before the date you need is taken.

From Missions with Don & Rosemary

Those of us who are involved in evangelism, know there are many opportunites to teach people the gospel. An opportunity that we might not think of is our bible camps. I learned just yesterday that a bible camp is being developed, probable not over 5 miles as the crow flies from where I live. It is called Camp Joy. Some brethren visited us at Howell last evening and told us about it. It sounded so interesting that we have invited them back next Sunday evening to conduct the evening service and better inform us about the opportunities in helping reach people thru the use of "Camp Joy". For more information about this good work, you can go to their web site at www.campjoyinc.com. Some of us are planning to ride out this Fri afternoon and see the camp. This could really be a great opportunity to help with our young people as well as other good works. On another note, I was talking with Russ Blackwell and received an email about an upcoming campaign with the Creekwood Church of Christ in Mobile, Al. Russ is an excellent teacher and teaches the "Safety Chain" method. If you and the congregation would like to learn this method you can contact Russ at judrus@gmail.com The campaign is going to be June 22-27 with preaching each evening. Larry Kilpatrick, who is a very good speaker will be preaching each evening. I really appreciate the Creekwood Church. We stayed at the church for the better part of 2 mos. helping in the aftermath of Katrina. David Sargent i s the minister there. I was at a church recently and when they sang the song, "Send the Light" they sang instead "Take the Light". I thought that was rather meaningful. I personally use the "Safety Chain Method" in most of my studies, it is easy to learn and it is easy for the student to read what the bible says about salvation in Christ. Good Night Don

Local Youth at Florida Bible Camp

This week end we have another group of youth here at camp from the High Springs area.

Saint Augustine CoC here at FBC for weekend retreat

Forecasters Predict Busy Hurricane Season

By DANICA COTO,
AP
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (April 9) - A noted hurricane researcher predicted Wednesday that rising water temperatures in the Atlantic will bring a "well above average" storm season this year, including four major storms.

Past Predictions vs. Reality
1 of 3
2007 Hurricane Season
Named storms - Predictions: 17 | Reality: 15
Hurricanes - Predictions: 9 | Reality: 6
Major hurricanes - Predictions: 5 | Reality: 2

The updated forecast by William Gray's team at Colorado State University calls for 15 named storms in the Atlantic in 2008 and says there's a better than average chance that at least one major hurricane will hit the United States.

An average of 5.9 hurricanes form in the Atlantic each year.

"The Atlantic is a bit warmer than in the past couple of years," said Phil Klotzbach, a member of the forecast team. "That is something we would like to keep an eye on."

Gray had projected seven hurricanes with three major storms in a preliminary forecast in December.

One of the most closely watched hurricane forecasters, Gray has been issuing hurricane predictions for more than 20 years. But he and others have been criticized in recent years for having forecasts that were off the mark.

Gray's team says precise predictions are impossible, and the warnings raise awareness of hurricanes.

"We have not been ashamed of our forecast failures. It is the nature of seasonal forecasting to sometimes be wrong," Klotzbach said in a telephone interview from the Bahamas, where the team announced the forecast at a weather conference.

The 2007 Atlantic season saw 15 named storms, six of which became hurricanes. Two were major storms.

Before the June-November season, U.S. government scientists predicted 13 to 17 named storms and six hurricanes, three to five major. Gray was further off, forecasting 17 named storms, including nine hurricanes, five of them major.

U.S. government forecasters issue their seasonal outlook in late May.

National Hurricane Center director Bill Read, who is in his first year on the job, has said he would prefer to characterize the season in general terms — as above average, average or below average — instead of trying to forecast a precise number of storms.

"It doesn't matter what the numbers are," center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said Wednesday, repeating a center mantra that it takes only one powerful storm to make it a bad season.

Tornado Hits Little Rock Arkansas

A tornado tore through central Arkansas late Thursday night, flipping over planes, damaging homes and vehicles and setting off tornado sirens in Little Rock.The tornado left a trail of damage from Bryant to northern Pulaski County, said Emilie Nipper, a forecaster with the National Weather Service’s office in North Little Rock at the North Little Rock Municipal Airport. Just after 10 p.m. forecasters went to a shelter behind the office while the tornado passed by.“We heard it go over our heads,” Nipper said.Damage was widespread and knocked out power to at least 20,000.For more information see today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.