As I write this, I find myself reflecting on something God has been teaching me during this season at Lakeview. Over the past thirteen years, I have had the privilege of serving as Executive Director and witnessing incredible growth in this ministry. We've seen new facilities built, new programs launched, increases in staffing, more campers and retreat guests served, and countless lives touched by the Gospel. It has been exciting to watch God at work.
This summer I was privileged to be able to spend 4 weeks on sabbatical with my family. During this time away from camp one of the thoughts that kept winding through my mind was the humbling truth: this ministry was here long before I arrived, and, God willing, it will continue long after I am gone.
My daughter had the opportunity to take a trip with her high school classmates this summer over to Europe where they were able to visit multiple cathedrals. This reminded me of an amazing fact about cathedrals...they take a long time to construct! Notre Dame took nearly a century to build. Sagrada Familia has taken more than 140 years. Cologne Cathedral required over 600 years before its completion. The vast majority of the people who laid stones, carved beams, or funded the work never saw the finished product. They simply did the work God had placed before them.
That reminds me of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."
The reality is that every generation receives its assignment from God. Some plant. Some water. Some harvest. None of us complete the entire work. God alone sees the whole plan.
As I look toward the future of Lakeview, I am increasingly aware that my time in this role is just a small chapter in a much larger story. There will be a day when someone else sits in this office. There will be a day when the campers we serve today become the leaders, pastors, volunteers, and supporters of tomorrow. There will be a day when God calls each of us home.
The encouraging truth is that the success of God's work does not rest on me or any one of us. It never has. The ministry belongs to Christ and rests on His shoulders. He is THE builder. He is THE cornerstone. He is the one who promised, "I will build my church."
Our calling is not to finish everything. Our calling is to be faithful with what God has placed in front of us today. We may not see the full results of our labor, but God promises that His Word will accomplish the purpose for which He sends it.
Thank you for the role you play in this ministry. Whether you serve through prayer, volunteering, financial support, or sharing Lakeview's mission with others, you are helping build something that God is using across generations. Together, we are laying stones that will continue to bear fruit long after our individual work is done.
May we each be found faithful, trusting that God is accomplishing His purposes through Lakeview Ministries, both today and for generations to come.
