Dear Encounter Family,
We hope this letter finds you and your household blessed beyond measure! We’re excited to highlight some of the miracles and accomplishments our God made possible through Encounter Ministry in 2023. It has been a record year of Kingdom building through salvations, rededications, baptisms, chains broken, miracle healings, restored marriages, and babies conceived!
We added 3 new Missouri Post Locations in 2023, which include Ashland, Gallatin, and Marshfield. This brings our total Post number to 42 Post Locations across the United States.
The November I Still Do Marriage Weekend with 979 couples came with some exciting changes when we found out we needed to move locations two weeks prior to the event. God showed up in a great way, just as He always does!
Encounter Cove held a very special Day of Repentance on July 15th. With many in attendance and even more watching online, people came together to mend and reconcile what was once broken to set us back on the path to carry out the Vision that God has always had for this property. We are embracing Isaiah 43:18-19 and believing that God is doing a new thing through Encounter Ministry at Encounter Cove.
Encounter Ministry’s Mission has always been to create space for people to encounter Jesus and there has been massive amounts of work being done to make that happen! We want to share a glimpse of all that has taken place and been accomplished at Encounter Cove in 2023.
We have renovated 40 rooms in Lakeview Lodge, finished Wilderness Creek Dorm K which created 96 more beds, and completed Wilderness Creek Dorm N for our Summer Staff. More projects accomplished in 2023 include sound and video being installed in the Harding Auditorium, the demolition of the burnt building called “Fireside” was finally hauled away, many sewer and water lines repaired, and extensive remodel of one Family Cabin and the Deer Ridge Lodge conference rooms. All these projects included electrical, relighting, plumbing, refinishing of walls, painting, flooring, and refurnishing.
Extensive repairs were done on our Wastewater Treatment Facility to become compliant, and our Camp Dining Hall kitchen was completed to meet requirements that were set. We repaired our Cove Swimming Pool, including a beautiful new Cove Pool Mural being painted. All Lakeview Dorms received new exterior doors, with four of those dorms getting new paint and bunkbeds. This is only a small list of 2023 repairs and remodels that our incredible staff at Encounter Cove has accomplished.
We were very excited about our new addition to our Aqua Park. “The Wibits” helped us expand our water recreation to accommodate more campers and community. We were also very excited about being able to impact local communities by hosting a Summer Feeding Program where we provided over 79,000 meals for students in the Macks Creek & Camdenton areas.
Some of our near future goals include purchasing additional Wibits, expansion of “The Edge” Ropes & Challenge Course, building bathrooms in the Harding Auditorium, restoring the RV Park, finishing Wilderness Creek Dorms I & L and the purchase of 192 more bunk beds for them, and painting the other 10 Lakeview Dorms and adding more new bunkbeds and internal fixtures.
2023 Kids & Youth Camps were full of life! There were 30 camps from many states, which included 5 Encounter Ministry Camps and our very first Encounter Winter Blast. We were able to witness multiple baptisms this Summer in our very own Cove waters. It’s exciting to watch and be a part of the defining moments these kids and adults will never forget!
In addition to camps, we also had many other groups this year at Encounter Cove including family vacations and reunions, school field trips, Chamber of Commerce leadership training, Baptist Foundation and Children’s Home board meetings, and our very first 4th of July Bash!
We want to say THANK YOU for making it possible to exceed our goal of $50,000 for “Giving Tuesday!” We received a total of $53,444.00 which will help us with the 2024 goals to create space for more people to encounter Jesus. With that being said, we can honestly say none of this would be possible without our Lord & Savior, our amazing Staff, countless Volunteers, dedicated Post Leaders, and those who partner with us financially. You are all proof of God’s hand and blessings on Encounter Ministry and we pray for an abundance of blessings over your lives! Thank you for your sacrifice and obedience to make an eternal difference!
We cannot wait to be a part of what God has instore for 2024 with YOU!
We are always giving Him the Glory!
Abundant Blessings & Love,
Jeff & Sheila Brawley & Your Encounter Ministry/Cove Team
We hope this letter finds you and your household blessed beyond measure! We’re excited to highlight some of the miracles and accomplishments our God made possible through Encounter Ministry in 2023. It has been a record year of Kingdom building through salvations, rededications, baptisms, chains broken, miracle healings, restored marriages, and babies conceived!
We added 3 new Missouri Post Locations in 2023, which include Ashland, Gallatin, and Marshfield. This brings our total Post number to 42 Post Locations across the United States.
The November I Still Do Marriage Weekend with 979 couples came with some exciting changes when we found out we needed to move locations two weeks prior to the event. God showed up in a great way, just as He always does!
Encounter Cove held a very special Day of Repentance on July 15th. With many in attendance and even more watching online, people came together to mend and reconcile what was once broken to set us back on the path to carry out the Vision that God has always had for this property. We are embracing Isaiah 43:18-19 and believing that God is doing a new thing through Encounter Ministry at Encounter Cove.
Encounter Ministry’s Mission has always been to create space for people to encounter Jesus and there has been massive amounts of work being done to make that happen! We want to share a glimpse of all that has taken place and been accomplished at Encounter Cove in 2023.
We have renovated 40 rooms in Lakeview Lodge, finished Wilderness Creek Dorm K which created 96 more beds, and completed Wilderness Creek Dorm N for our Summer Staff. More projects accomplished in 2023 include sound and video being installed in the Harding Auditorium, the demolition of the burnt building called “Fireside” was finally hauled away, many sewer and water lines repaired, and extensive remodel of one Family Cabin and the Deer Ridge Lodge conference rooms. All these projects included electrical, relighting, plumbing, refinishing of walls, painting, flooring, and refurnishing.
Extensive repairs were done on our Wastewater Treatment Facility to become compliant, and our Camp Dining Hall kitchen was completed to meet requirements that were set. We repaired our Cove Swimming Pool, including a beautiful new Cove Pool Mural being painted. All Lakeview Dorms received new exterior doors, with four of those dorms getting new paint and bunkbeds. This is only a small list of 2023 repairs and remodels that our incredible staff at Encounter Cove has accomplished.
We were very excited about our new addition to our Aqua Park. “The Wibits” helped us expand our water recreation to accommodate more campers and community. We were also very excited about being able to impact local communities by hosting a Summer Feeding Program where we provided over 79,000 meals for students in the Macks Creek & Camdenton areas.
Some of our near future goals include purchasing additional Wibits, expansion of “The Edge” Ropes & Challenge Course, building bathrooms in the Harding Auditorium, restoring the RV Park, finishing Wilderness Creek Dorms I & L and the purchase of 192 more bunk beds for them, and painting the other 10 Lakeview Dorms and adding more new bunkbeds and internal fixtures.
2023 Kids & Youth Camps were full of life! There were 30 camps from many states, which included 5 Encounter Ministry Camps and our very first Encounter Winter Blast. We were able to witness multiple baptisms this Summer in our very own Cove waters. It’s exciting to watch and be a part of the defining moments these kids and adults will never forget!
In addition to camps, we also had many other groups this year at Encounter Cove including family vacations and reunions, school field trips, Chamber of Commerce leadership training, Baptist Foundation and Children’s Home board meetings, and our very first 4th of July Bash!
We want to say THANK YOU for making it possible to exceed our goal of $50,000 for “Giving Tuesday!” We received a total of $53,444.00 which will help us with the 2024 goals to create space for more people to encounter Jesus. With that being said, we can honestly say none of this would be possible without our Lord & Savior, our amazing Staff, countless Volunteers, dedicated Post Leaders, and those who partner with us financially. You are all proof of God’s hand and blessings on Encounter Ministry and we pray for an abundance of blessings over your lives! Thank you for your sacrifice and obedience to make an eternal difference!
We cannot wait to be a part of what God has instore for 2024 with YOU!
We are always giving Him the Glory!
Abundant Blessings & Love,
Jeff & Sheila Brawley & Your Encounter Ministry/Cove Team
