CCPD

Christian Council on Persons with Disabilities

1100 West 42^nd Street, Suite 223

Indianapolis, IN 46208

(317) 923-CCPD

www.ccpd.org

January 15, 2004

Dear Camp Director:

People with disabilities represent the largest undiscovered mission field in our nation today. They too will stand before the Judgment of God. They too need the Savior.

Christian Camps are often the best opportunity to reach them for Christ. The facts are

evident. Fifteen years ago about 5 per cent of the churches included people with disabilities in their outreach concerns – and that statistic has not really changed.

My name is Don Crooker. I’m a member of CCI and former President of the Board of The Christian Council on Persons with Disabilities (CCPD). The national coalition of CCPD was founded in 1988 with Joni Eraeckeson Tada as our first President. It consists of ministries – church-, community- and camp-based – that serve the disability community.

From 1970 to 2001, I was blessed to lead an organization called Christian Berets in

Northern California. Our purpose was to reach people with disabilities and their families with the

Gospel. I retired from that ministry in December 2002, and would like to share some observations:

Parents and Care Homes happily send a person with a disability to camp for a week. It is a week of much-deserved respite and a break. They will gladly pay. Here in California, the State pays to send them to camp. While at a Christian Camp they learn about our Lord and gladly receive Him into their lives.

Families and Care Homes don’t get very excited about sending them to church on Sunday even when they can find a church that has a program for them. They have to get them off to school or day programs five days a week. They don’t want to do again on a sixth day every week.

The reason most churches or camps do not include people with disabilities in their outreach concerns is because they don’t understand them or their needs. Many people without obvious disabilities have told me they don’t feel comfortable around those who do have them.

Enter Christian Camps! This is a prime opportunity to give people with disabilities and their families the opportunity to hear the Gospel. It will not happen overnight but if we create the foundation, more and more will become involved.

CCPD has been doing National Conferences since 1989. In 2002, in Orlando we added a day of Workshops that brought in 25 Christian Camping leaders for people with disabilities. In 2003, we added an evening program on Thursday, with a full day of camping-specific workshops on Friday and had more than 50 in attendance! The response was so positive that we are including this importance emphasis once again in 2004, April 222-23 in Indianapolis. Reserve those date in your calendar!

On Friday, workshops will include: Q&A time with a panel of experinced professionals in providing camping programs for people with disabilities; horseback riding; program ideas, international camping for people with disabilities; developing your nature site, what your nurse needs to know, and how to minimize paperwork.

I hope you’ll also plan to stay for the general conference on Saturday, as there will be another 15 workshops that day which will be of benefit to camp and program directors.

Would you pray and see if God would lead us to serve together in getting the Gospel of Jesus to the people with disabilities and their families? Email me your questions at:

mailto:dcrooker@pc-intouch.com

Thank you,

Don Crooker

Christian Council On Persons With Disabilities

http://www.ccpd.org/