Family Camp

First OPC holds an annual camp on the east side of scenic Mt.Hood, where the sun shines as much as 340 days of the year, about 30 miles south of The Dalles. Campers of all ages look forward to this event.

Dates and Location

Family Camp 2008 is scheduled for Wednesday, August 20 (4:30pm) through Saturday, August 23 (2:00pm), at Camp Morrow near Wamic, Oregon. Please contact the church office for more information about cabins and meals.

Activities

Christian Instruction, Fellowship, Singing, Good Food, Swimming, Boating, Water Slide, Biking, Miniature Golf, Archery, Horseshoes, Basketball, Volleyball, Softball, Hiking, Frisbee Golf, Skits, Games, the Great Annual Bananathon, and much more!

Accommodations

Primitive cabins (bring your own bedding), tent sites, primitive RV sites (no hook-ups), all on a first-come, first-served basis.

Speaker sessions

The highlight of the camp is a twice-daily session with a notable speaker on topics of interest to members of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. In 2006, our speaker was Mark Bube, the General Secretary for the Committee on Foreign Missions. Rev. Dr. Rob Rayburn, the pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, Washington (PCA) addressed us in 2005 on the topic of reading Scripture submissively.

This year, we met the historian, Dr. D.G. (Darryl) Hart. Dr. Hart is Director of Academic Projects and Faculty Development at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Prior to accepting this post, he served as dean of academic affairs and professor of church history at Westminster Theological Seminary in California. He is a ruling elder at Calvary OPC, in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Dr. Hart is a provocative essayist and the author of numerous books, including Deconstructing Evangelicalism: Conservative Protestantism in the Age of Billy Graham (2005), Defending the Faith: J. Gresham Machen and the Crisis of Conservative Protestantism in Modern America (2003), and A Secular Faith: Why Christianity Favors the Separation of Church and State (2006).

The series of five talks presented by Dr. Hart was titled, "Born Again without the Burn Out: A Presbyterian Guide to Christian Devotion". The lectures illustrated how the classical expressions of the Reformed faith direct attention to the ordinary aspects of the Christian life, to assure us that within them there is the grace of God to sustain us in the life to which we are called in Christ, to bring us to the maturity and wisdom we need for the sake of our children, and for the sake of the world.

Session One	How to Get Religion: Conversion is to be continually sought — not dramatic experiences, but the sobriety, quietness and meekness that are appropriate to the Christian calling. The religion that turns the hearts of parents toward their children, a religion of catechism and unpretentious piety, is one that reveals the power of God. In contrast to the signs and ecstatic experiences sought by many, those of the Reformed faith long to see gentle fathers teaching their children. The Reformed faith seeks maturity and therefore seeks continuous conversion.
Session Two	Recovering Mother Kirk : A low view of the church does not equate to a higher view of God, but only a high view of onesself and doubt of God's faithfulness to his promises regarding the church.
Session Three	24-52, The Reformed Church Calendar: The Lord's day commemorates the advent, birth, circumcision, life of holiness, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, and the gift of himself in the Spirit for our salvation; and whatever other mighty acts of God in Christ there be, the first day of the week has been appointed by the finished work of Christ as the time for regularly bringing these to mind.
Session Four	Manna that Sticks to Your Bones: The means by which God keeps us and causes us to grow in grace are not invisible only, just as we ourselves are created with both, invisible and visible aspects. Therefore, God has appointed means of grace for us - the word of God preached, the sacraments, and prayer - appropriate to our nature, and appropriate as well to the divine nature of which we are partakers. These means, by which we commune with the Father, in Jesus the incarnate Word, by His Spirit given to us, are intended to be used as often as we come together in faith visibly, as the church. These communicate a life that can be seen in us, and which will not waste away.
Session Five	Hide it Under a Bushel? Yes: Anyone who seeks to glorify our Father in heaven will proclaim that the good works of which we boast are those done by Jesus Christ. Our Father is glorified in his Son; and this is the light that must seen by men. No little light of our own adds to the light of God, of Jesus Christ, who is our righteousness.