Director’s Update
Last updated 3/21/2026
2026 update
We had a fair amount of snow in a relatively short period of time. It was beautiful, but the snow was very clingy. Trees came down, our Cafe Deck railings were broken, and we had a significant amount of post-storm cleanup to do. Some of those repairs are ongoing and may enter into May as we navigate those items in the order of importance. The great news is that no guests were impacted and we’re doing constant improvements despite any challenges coming our way. It’s a testament to God’s continued faithfulness and the commitment of our staff and donors. Thank you to all who helped. We’ll have the Cafe deck restored prior to summer.
Spiritual Growth:
The Dunkerton family has joined us all the way from the East Coast. Robert has taken on the role of our Sponsored Ministry Partner, he’ll be reaching out to churches to tell them about the great things happening here at camp and he’ll help get you registered for our events. He’s joined by his wife, two daughters, and son. We’re thrilled to have them as part of the Hartland family, be sure to stop by the office and say hello when you’re here at camp.
Major Projects:
The New Dining Hall and Chapel project construction is still ongoing. A few weather delays pushed us back a few weeks, but we’re in what I’m calling the “waffle” stage right now. The grade beams are being dug and filled in with rebar and concrete. Grade beams are concrete beams constructed in the ground (dug out and filled) and to me at least, resemble the ridges of a waffle. Once these are in place, they will begin the primary foundation pour. In summary, the in-ground pillars are done, the waffle stage is ongoing, and the main foundation pour will happen shortly after. With our updated time-frames we hope to have the full foundation complete by May 28th.
Donation Match: A generous donor is matching all donations received up until May 31, 2026 (up to $250,000 towards this project). Would you prayerfully consider joining in this donation match challenge?
You can donate towards this project by texting the word “Give” to 559-258-1701, mailing in a check, donating online, or giving us a call at 559-337-2349 Monday through Friday from 8:30am-4:30pm.
Verses to Ponder:
Mark 13:1-2 (NASB 1995)
As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples *said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”
As shared early in the update, our beautiful Cafe deck was damaged during the last snow storm. This verse serves as a reminder, all of these beautiful things, even great buildings (and decks) will not stand the test of time, and should never be our primary focus. We have in store for us so much more when our Lord returns! (Don’t worry, we’ll still fix the deck).
The Gospel: You’ll note this section doesn’t change with the director letter updates, it’s that important!
If you do not know Christ as your personal Savior, I invite you to learn more by visiting our Gospel Page and getting plugged into a local church. While we love serving you here at Hartland, consistent discipleship happens at your local church (in your city/town) and it makes a huge difference in your walk when you are gathering regularly with other believers. For those continuing in their walks, we also have Bible Resources available to help spur on the study of God’s Word.
Prayer:
Please continue to pray for all those that minister here at Hartland, from the Hartland staff and volunteers to the visiting Pastors and leaders that boldly proclaim Christ’s Word to a world that desperately needs it.
In service to Christ and His Church,
Joshua Embry
Executive Director/Steward/Minister – Hartland Christian Camp
