We are so grateful that you have chosen to be a part of the Outback America family.
This newsletter is full of ways you can get more involved and help carry God’s message through the Outback America program.
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A New Southern California Outback America Weekend - Fall 2009 That's right. Southern California is coming on board in the fall. To help you see God's hand at work in Southern California, this article was submitted by Jim Wenger, the Development Director for Idyllwild Pines Camp. It all started about three years ago when the board, management and staff of Idyllwild Pines Camp felt a burden to do more for the Lord. Up until this point we had operated as a rental facility serving the various churches and Christian organizations in our area. Although this was fulfilling we still felt that God had something more for us to accomplish for his glory.
To see the pictures from the Outback weekend select your city… Here’s what some of our campers had to say about their weekend experience…
I went to my first Outback 8 years ago and it changed my life. I went on to college and just graduated. I am making this donation because I want to contribute now that I am able to so that some other young girl can go and have her life transformed. After the Outback weekend with my mom, my whole life radically changed! For the first time in my life, I had a purpose. It was just awesome, so ROCK ON OUTBACK.
Click here for Dates and Details for Spring 2009 Weekends. So you ask…How I can get involved... |
Outback America relies entirely on donations from people like you. We are often asked if Outback America receives the money collected from the camper registration and staff fees. In fact, those funds remain with the individual cities to help them with the costs associated with the weekend itself. The Outback America ministry regularly operates as funds are available keeping us from being able to operate purposefully, with an eye toward the longer term. Thanks to the remarkable men who make up our Board of Directors, the ministry has put into practice God-directed plans and processes that ensure that we are good stewards over God’s provision for the Outback America ministry. Today, with economic conditions as they are, many have tightened their belts and we at Outback America have as well. As you contemplate your year-end giving, please consider Outback America as we continue to trust Jehovah Jireh (God our Provider). We thank you very much for choosing to make a donation to Outback America. Your tax deductible donation can be made in honor of, or in memory of, someone special in your life. We will acknowledge your gift with a card. A contribution to Outback America makes a great gift: Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries… Outback America is a 501©3 tax exempt organization. All contributions, monetary and in-kind gifts, are tax deductible. Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. Donate online Or by mail |
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1. Prayer, Prayer and More Prayer – God tells us to go boldly before His throne with our prayers and petitions. He also promises us that He will hear our prayers and He does! Please pray for the Outback America ministry. Specifically, here are a few areas you can lift up as a sweet aroma to the Father: Our finances that we will prosper. Our continued growth, that Outback America will continue to take this wonderful ministry to other cities across America. Pray for the existing cities, the city leaders, the Board of Directors and the staff of Outback America. Outback has a very committed intercessory prayer group for which we are so very grateful. If you would like to become a prayer warrior for the Outback America ministry and receive the prayer requests regularly, please call the office and we’ll get you involved! 2. Sponsor a Camper - Pray for the Lord to show you a camper pair (husband/wife or parent/teen) that you can sponsor/invite to a spring 2009 weekend. A sponsorship to an Outback America weekend makes a great Christmas Gift for your friends and family members. Gift Certificates are available at the Outback America office. Please email Martha Snyder at martha@outbackamerica.org or call the office at 205.344.6578. To ensure delivery of your Christmas gift certificate please order them before December 17th. 3. Serve on Staff - Consider serving on staff during the Spring 2009 Outback America weekend. You can register online. Go to www.outbackamerica.org to register or to learn more about how you can volunteer for all or part of an Outback weekend. 4. Be a coach! All cities struggle to get the coaches needed for a weekend. If you would like to be a coach, when you complete your staff registration form online check the box – Yes, I Would Like to be a Coach! The Coaches Team Leader will be in touch! 5. Financial support is always needed. The Outback America ministry is totally dependent on the contributions of all of us. We ask you to prayerfully consider making a donation to the ministry.
Outback America Men’s and Women’s Groups You can become part of the Outback America family through our Outback Men’s and Women’s groups. We meet regularly to strengthen our relationships with God and with one another. These meetings are, in many ways, the very foundation of the ministry of Outback America. Simply put; as we grow together in our relationships with God and with each other, we then reach out to other people as we organize the Outback America weekends each spring and fall. Through the growth and development of these men and women and their individual relationships with God and with one another; their families, churches and communities are profoundly impacted. We hope you’ll join us at the Outback America men’s and women’s group meetings. If you have any questions please call the Outback America office at 205-344-6578. Click here for more information on group meetings. |
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How great is our God! The fall Outback America season was perfect in His eyes. 700 plus people in three cities…commitments were made, relationships were strengthened, people’s hearts were turned to Jesus and we all had fun!
This was a record season for the Outback America program – here are some highlights… 
I reluctantly decided to go to an Outback weekend with my mom – I did it for her. It turned out, I had a great weekend, one of the best weekends of my life actually. I got closer to my mom, but I also found “something” else – Jesus!” 
Yes, another Outback season will be here before you know it. In fact we already have 20 couples registered for the spring 2009 weekends! Remember, the weekends can get full to capacity in a hurry so make sure you register your friends and family EARLY. 
A New Southern California Outback America Weekend - Fall 2009 (continued)
We decided to set aside a weekend to pray and to seek God's will for our camp. We called it our vision weekend. Out of this weekend we feel that God showed us His desire to minister to young people and the family as well as the over-arching command from our Lord to make disciples of all men. We immediately started to pray for these goals and prayed also to come in contact with other groups who were like minded. We felt that if we could come along side of, or partner with groups who were already reaching out in these areas we could learn from them and be more effective.
It was then that one of our board members heard about a place up in Northern California called the JH Ranch, a place where young people and families are reconciled and restored – where lives are transformed. Ray Detweiler our operations manager called the JH Ranch and had a very enlightening conversation with Bruce Johnston, its founder. Bruce shared with us just how important prayer was in running an organization like ours and invited us to come up and experience "The Ranch". Kevin Relyea, Bruce and Jen Harshman, my son and I decided to take him up on it that summer. In short, all of our lives were changed.
We came back to Idyllwild and shared with our Board of Directors that the JH Ranch was the type of ministry that we wanted to be involved with. While attending JH Ranch we heard about their outreach program, Outback America. We thought that Outback America would be perfect for us to get involved with. We then started praying even harder. Paul Schlenz, Ray Detwiler and I committed to praying each week for not only our camp but also to bring an Outback America to our area. We also decided to hire a Development Director (myself) to work fulltime to accomplish this and other goals.
Just as the ball was starting to roll we experienced some major spiritual warfare. Three days after starting my new job I was struck down with a horrible illness; one in which only four people in the last eighty years have had. It affected my back and prevented me from walking on my own for ten months. It came close to killing me three different times. During this same time Paul Schlenz's family suffered a very difficult death of a loved one and Ray Detwiler's family underwent severe trauma.
During all of this we remained faithful to our commitment to pray and God delivered us from everything. We have prayed for two years and are now starting to see the fruit. Wade Watkins of the JH Ranch told us about a group of men in San Diego who have been meeting and praying for an Outback event to come to their area. I then received a call from Dave Thorpe, one of these Outback men in San Diego and by the end of the phone conversation we both new we would work together to bring an event to our area.
Today, God's hand has been on everything. If I could go into all the areas of connection between the men who are involved it would blow your mind. God is truly sovereign and in control. A group of sixty pastors representing sixty churches has committed to pray and to work with us to accomplish an Outback weekend. Now, we have four men's groups meeting in the Southern California area with more on the way, God willing. We have set a date of October 2-4, 2009 for our first Outback America weekend. We are working hard and stepping out in faith. Currently we are looking for and praying for a big top tent. Please pray with us.
To all of our brothers and sisters out in Mobile, Alabama, John Petersen and I say thank you for your hospitality and showing us how it is done. John and I went to the fall 2008 Mobile Outback America weekend with many questions and we left with all of them being answered. I also gained five pounds, great food!
John and his daughter actually went through the weekend program and their relationship was deeply impacted. Thank you to the two prayer warriors in the prayer tent who set aside two hours to pray for an Outback weekend in Southern California. Thank you Bill for the hospitality of your home, great fellowship. Thank you everyone involved with the event for making time to answer my questions. God bless you and know that every Wednesday the Southern California prayer groups are praying for you.
So Cal Outback America Fall 2009, please pray for us.
I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this weekend. It is worlds apart from any other recreational weekend I've ever experienced.
Thank you for introducing me to Christ, and letting me understand my place on earth, also letting me notice what I needed to work on in my marriage.
I had a blast and it was for the better. I feel better than I have in a long time.
I loved it so much that I and my son would like to help in the fall being a volunteer.
Thank you for such a wonderful experience. I'm already praying for some of my other friends to come and enjoy Outback America.
It was one of the most fun weekends I've spent with my dad.
I have never felt so close to the Lord, and so free from burden. I know that I truly am God's child! It is awesome. Can't wait to bring our children!
It made me come really in touch with God and I think ya'll really get the point across and the skits really help! The best thing I've ever been to.
My daughter and I talked about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit for the first time. This has been an awesome experience. I have learned I need to slow down and spend more time with the Lord and abide in Him.
I cried like 7 times, but I laughed 7,000 times. Ha-ha
There was a chance to get away from the "world"
It was cool and it turned out better than I thought!
I have been revived, renewed, made stronger, and weak enough to let God handle it from this point forward.
It was one of the best weekends I've ever had with my grandmother it was so much fun.
wow wow wow-- let it grow-turn no one down.
In the past I made a decision to follow Christ and subsequently made a commitment to Him, but as distractions came into my life I slowly began to forget the decision I made and broke my commitment. This weekend has allowed me to decide to make a decision to follow Him through all distractions, trials and stumbling. I have decided to re-commit my life to Him. I know that He has not given up on me, so why should I give up on myself or much worse give up on Him. It is a daily struggle and I know that the tools I received her this weekend are priceless because I will be able to implement them in my daily walk with Christ.
I had an awesome, life changing experience. I’m glad that the Lord worked it out for me to attend.
Come to an Outback America Weekend Near You – Spring 2009
