Heart, Guts, and All

It's more than just a place where people go to have fun, share in some adventure, make life-long friendships and unforgettable memories.

It's more than the horses, the climbing walls, zip-lines, swimming, sports, archery and activities that so many children enjoy, summer after summer, year after year, over Birch Bay Ranch's 47 year history.

It's more than the place where you found that guy or that girl that you fell in love with that summer and eventually married and raised a family with. When your children were old enough to come to Birch Bay Ranch you sent them here too.

To find something that you found, for themselves.

It's where I found, my first love. Where that relationship grew over the ten years of summer months that I invested there. I didn't spend my time… I invested it. I invested it in my relationship with my first love and my relationship with children and youth and young adults. I invested it in people. I invested in campers who would grow up to be, amazing and lifelong friends. Staff members who became like family to me. I met friends that went on to international acclaim in the worlds of art and music. I met friends that went on to build the kingdom of God, as pastors, evangelists, teachers, prophets and apostles all around the world.

Let me tell you about my love, my first love and how we met, (again) at Birch Bay Ranch. We knew each other before, even from a young age but I met my love once again, at Birch Bay Ranch in a most peculiar way. At the age of 13, I found others who loved and accepted me and reflected the love of Jesus, my first love, to me.

So, penetrating and tangible was this expression of love. So far apart from a superficial expression of love I had experienced in far too many churches.

Love that was genuine, that grew and that lasted the test of time.

Birch Bay Ranch was the first place that Jesus showed his love to me, through other people and it was the training ground for my heart to receive that love, freely and to give that love in return. Disciples made disciples for the Kingdom of God.

My Parents loved me and they taught me about God. but that's Family. We are supposed to love each other, right? Who told the Staff at Birch Bay Ranch that they were supposed to love me? Who told them that Sam was more than just another camper, one out of a hundred kids? Who told them to act towards me in such a way, that Jesus loved me through them?

That wasn't on the brochure. It wasn't on the registration form and when I walked up to the table and met Pam Bell and Debbie Devlin Fawcett, with their effervescent, gleaming and authentic smiles...

Nobody asked me: "Sam, would you like to experience the love of Jesus, tangibly, noticeably, consistently, through our Staff?"

"Just initial, right here."

Nobody asked me. Nobody warned me. Nobody said that the love of God was contagious, that it was love that never fails, that being at Birch Bay Ranch as a camper for two weeks in August 1976, would shape my destiny over the next decade and beyond.

A few years later, as the summer approached my Father took me aside for an important conversation.

"Son, you've been going out to Birch Bay Ranch over the summer months for a few years now and you don't get paid for being out there."

I’m sure I responded intelligently, “Mm Hm.”

My Father continued. "Other boys your age are getting paying jobs over the summer and they will be making money and buying cars..."

Was this going to be the “it’s time to get a real job Father and son talk?"

I’m sure I responded intelligently, “Mm Hm.”

"They will have new cars... and you won't have a car… I don't know if that's going to bother you or not.”

“You might not have the same things that other boys your age have.”

I’m sure I responded intelligently, “Mm Hm.”

“But God may be calling you to ministry...”

“Yes… I know he is.”

“I thought so. It’s a different life, Sam… it isn’t easy but it’s your choice to go down that road… You may have less but God will provide… God will provide.”

I was only 15 years old. What was very significant to me was that my Father recognized that his son, Sam was investing his summer months at Birch Bay Ranch, as a response to a calling of God.

Birch Bay Ranch is more than just a place of ministry, it is the living, breathing personification of the body of Christ, with many members working together and showing the love of Jesus to whosoever will come and I am pleased to say that people have been coming year after year. Not just for summer camp, but throughout the entire year and enjoyed by both the young and old alike. Birch Bay Ranch has been a home away from home for multitudes of people who gather to celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving and Family reunions at BBR every year.

I was baptized at BBR, in the swimming pool with John Carson and Cam Milliken at my side and a group of loving and supportive staff members looking on. Cam and I would later cross paths when we both served in ministry at Evangel. Mark Frend and Graydon Bishop were campers in my cabin and later became staff and later still we ministered together at Evangel. Dave Wood and I were both campers at the same time and we went on to be staff members, comrades in comedy and life long friends. Dave is now the senior associate Pastor at West Edmonton Christian Assembly and has spoken overseas, in India to tens of thousands of people. There are many others. Lifers. It wasn’t just a summer thing.

Over the last three decades I have returned to Birch Bay Ranch, from time to time and for different reasons. I’ve brought my three young children out to Birch Bay Ranch and they love it here.

Why wouldn't they?

It's God's property and I met my first love here.

"A WRITER WHO FAILS TO WRITE IS A FAILED WRITER."