Be All You Could Be: ...restoring hope and creating vision for the stunted Christian camp

Bob Kobielush, former president of Christian Camp and Conference Association writes in his foreword:

"Here is a straight-forward and highly informative book that must be read by those who are serious participants in, or looking at involvement with, a Christian camp, conference or retreat center.

Based on his success of growing a camp from 80 to 880 beds over 29 years, Earl Taylor gives you leadership and management gems of wisdom that only can be articulated by someone who has been there. AND he says it in a no-nonsense, forthright manner that jolts, resonates and may even cause you to chuckle--refreshing, insightful, gutsy, and down-right practical. I highly recommend this book to novice and veteran alike, no matter what the type or size of your camp. Here’s an excellent resource that cuts through the rhetoric for the reader and could also be used to stimulate great group discussions."

The Author writes:

This is written for those in Christian camping that are in need of encouragement and practical advice in operating a summer camp and retreat and conference center.

This is written for the stunted camp: the camp with just a handful of staff members who are over worked, underpaid, and in need of advice and hope. It is written for those who are feeling discouraged about their condition and position as a camp. This is written for the Christian camp that wants to grow and to influence even more people with the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is written for the new guy just fresh from another career who has been called from his layman’s job into the camping ministry; there has been no training, no schooling. This book will give you many of the nuts and bolts that create workable systems within the context of directing a camp and conference center. This book will show you the how's of running a camp, but will also explain why particular cultures must be in place to make a camp and conference center run efficiently. This book will show you how to revitalized a camp from a struggling position into a sustainable movement.

I pray that my insight will give you hope. I pray that you read my advice and apply some part of the principles that I lay out. I pray you make it through your first year or your fifth year or your fiftieth year rejoicing in the faithfulness of God: Jehovah-jireh, our Provider, our Helper, our Guide.

Earl Taylor is also the author of Be the Director I Could follow. Contact Earl Taylor at: earldtaylor@yahoo.com