Giving Principles
Thank you very much for the consideration of supporting Sonshine Specialized Camping Ministries. We have been partnering with churches for 35 years to serve students and staff on houseboats so that they would experience a deeper, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. Your involvement allows us to accomplish this mission. On houseboats campers grow spiritually through morning quiet times, small groups, evening lessons from their youth pastor, and powerful rooftop worship sessions amidst the breathtaking sunsets reflecting the Lord's beauty. During the daytime students enjoyed wakeboarding, waterskiing, knee boarding, and riding the six-man banana. In the evening, many life changing rooftop conversations take place among campers, their leaders, Sonshine staff, and best friends beneath millions of stars. Many thanks and praise to God for 35 incredibly successful summers. We are also very thankful for the friends and supporters who the Lord has used to provide the houseboats, ski boats, gas, and food needed to make the camp come to life week in and week out. As we enter our 36th summer, we ask for you to consider financially supporting Sonshine. We are a religious non-profit, like a church, so your gift is tax deductible. Please take some time to pray to the Lord and ask Him if it is His desire for you to participate in our ministry. As God has faithfully provided for Sonshine Specialized Camping Ministries through the years, our desire as a community is to continually grow and that happens through your giving according to several biblical principles:
Giving from your first fruits
Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites were consistently commanded to give from the first fruits of their crops as an acknowledgement that everything they had came from God. Proverbs 3:9 says, "Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce." God does not ask for what’s left after we’ve paid for everything else. Our giving to him should be from our first fruits and Sonshine believes that these "first fruits" should be directed to your local church.
Giving cheerfully
2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each man should do what he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” God doesn’t want us to give out of duty—he wants us to give because we love Him. We should give what it is in our hearts to give with joy and thanksgiving. We ask you to support Sonshine Specialized Camping Ministries cheerfully!
Giving sacrificially
In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus was watching people put their money into the temple treasury. Rich people threw in large amounts. And then a poor widow came along and put in a fraction of a penny. Jesus commended her. The others had given out of their wealth, but she had given sacrificially—she put in all that she had to live on. Jesus makes it clear that our gifts to God should be substantial enough to be considered sacrificial. And giving isn’t sacrificial unless it’s a sacrifice. God wants us to demonstrate our love for him through sacrificial giving. When we give we allow God to prove his faithfulness to us. We ask you to support Sonshine Specialized Camping Ministries sacrificially.
Sonshine Specialized Camping Ministries P.O. Box 1527 Woodbridge Ca. 95258 209-367-0212 (ph) 209-368-1662 (fax)
*YOUR GIFTS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE*
R-J-W / Send-A-Staff
