Late December at Lakeview feels different.

Not empty. Not dormant. It is a different rhythm. The kind of slowing that comes after months of faithful, full hearted ministry. The land exhales. Staff continue their work with a steadier pace. December offers space to reflect on what God has been doing all year long while the ministry itself continues.

That slowing matters, because Lakeview does not belong to one season.

Spring and fall are full with retreat life. Churches arrive for confirmation retreats. Men and women step away from daily routines to listen, pray, and reconnect. Families and church groups gather around tables and campfires for conversations that do not fit neatly into an hour on a Sunday morning. Quilting frames fill meeting rooms. Scrapbooking tables stay busy. Faith is formed through time together, hospitality, and the Word shared in community.

Summer brings its own intensity and formation. Long days. Full schedules. Deep conversations that stretch late into the evening. Campers are invited to wrestle honestly with faith. Staff serve, lead, and walk alongside others in ways that shape both the people they serve and their own faith. Summer is demanding work, but it is holy work.

And woven through every season is preparation. Planning. Care for the land and facilities. Relationships that extend beyond a single weekend or event. Camp is active well beyond what most people see.

It is within this lived rhythm that Scripture speaks clearly.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

This is not a promise of balance or predictability. It is a confession of trust. Time itself belongs to God. Growth, rest, planting, and harvest are not ours to control. They are gifts to steward. At Lakeview, this truth is not theoretical. It is lived out across the year.

We have seasons when new groups arrive and trust is placed, and much of the work is quiet. Conversations begin that will shape faith and identity long after a weekend ends. Scripture is opened. Prayers are spoken. Hospitality is offered. Seeds are planted beneath the surface, often unseen, always faithful.

We have seasons where the pace quickens. Joy and exhaustion walk side by side. Faith moves from something inherited to something personal. Leadership is learned through service, responsibility, and life together. God uses ordinary days to do extraordinary things.

We have seasons of gratitude and gathering.

On July 25, 2026, Lakeview will host Celebration Day, a time to gather partners, supporters, alumni, past campers, and volunteers who continue to carry this ministry forward. It is a reminder that the work of ministry is shared, sustained by many hands and many prayers.

And as the calendar turns again, the pace turns without stopping. Winter becomes a season of preparation and trust. Planning happens. Maintenance happens. Training happens. Prayer deepens. Beneath the surface, life is being readied for what comes next.

Seasons teach faith that rests in God’s faithfulness even when growth is hidden. The ground looks still, but God is at work.

As we reflect on this past year, we give thanks for all the seasons God has given us. For busy months and steadier ones. For planting and harvest. For visible growth and unseen preparation. Where each of us remain part of a story that God is still writing.

As another year comes to a close, we rest in the promise that the One who holds time itself will continue to give growth in His perfect season.