Coming
in 2008
Church
investing
$25
million
in youth
camp at
Lake
Hawkins
By John
Sparks
Fellowship
Church
of
Grapevine
Texas
has
begun
construction
of a
youth
camp and
retreat
center
at the
west end
of Lake
Hawkins
off of
FM-2869.
Beck
Construction
is
serving
as
contractors
on the
ambitious
camp
project
which is
projected
to open
in the
summer
of 2008.
The land
for the
camp,
1,000
acres,
was
donated
to
Fellowship
Church
by a
nonprofit
agency
that had
owned if
for
several
years.
The
agency
sought
applications
from
churches
and
after an
extensive
interview
process
Fellowship
Church
was
selected
to
develop
the
land.
In
announcing
the
camp,
Fellowship
spokesman
and camp
director
Barry
Ford
said,
“This
picturesque
setting
will
enable
us to
refocus
our—and
our
children’s—hearts
and
lives on
God’s
presence.
Imagine
a place
that
will
allow us
to
refocus
our busy
lives
around
God’s
principles
immersed
in the
beauty
and
wonder
of his
creation.”
Ford and
the
general
contractor
hosted a
tour and
luncheon
of the
facility
for
Hawkins
and
Holly
Lake
business
and
civic
leaders
last
week.
Roads
have
been
established,
foundations
are
being
laid for
the main
auditorium
and the
camp’s
numerous
cabins
and
utilities
have
been
installed.
The
campground
will
feature
a water
park and
swim
center/lazy
river,
an
8-acre
private
lake and
a
meadowland
with
trails
for
mountain
biking
and
horseback
riding.
Basketball
courts
and a
baseball
field
will
complete
the
recreational
offerings.
A main
auditorium
will
serve as
the
dining
room and
worship
center.
The
dining
facility
will
accommodate
more
than 450
people
at a
time.
For
worship
and
fellowship
the
state-of-the
art
facility
will
accommodate
800
people.
An arts
and
crafts
room and
a
medical
station
will
also be
housed
in the
auditorium
complex.
The camp
will
feature
three
cabin
villages
consisting
of one
and two
story
cabins
in four
different
configurations.
All
cabins
feature
large
decks,
counselor
quarters
and
comfortable
living
quarters.
Fellowship
Church
is a
non-denominational
congregation
headed
by Ed
Young
and his
wife
Lisa.
Weekly
attendance
at the
sprawling
Grapevine
campus
is
15,000
to
20,000.
Since
the
inception
of
children’s
camp,
over
4,000
kids
have
heard
about
Jesus
Christ,
and more
than
1,000
have
trusted
Jesus
Christ
for
their
salvation.
The camp
facility
will
operate
year
round
with a
particular
focus on
a series
of
summer
camps;
student
retreats
in Fall,
Winter
and
Spring;
Father/Son
campout,
Mother/Daughter
getaway;
student
leadership
training;
graduating
senior’s
retreat;
Jr. High
transition
retreat
for 7th
graders;
volunteer
appreciation
events,
and
volunteer
training.
The camp
facilities
will
also be
available
to other
Christ
centered
organizations.
