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Alkulana History & Information
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Camp
Alkulana is a year round ministry of the Richmond
Baptist Association with a targeted summer ministry
to inner city children.
The
camp has been in continuous operation since it began in
1915. The kerosene lanterns, which shone from the windows
of the first cottage, appeared as bright eyes shining
through the forest. Thus, the Indian word, "Alkulana,"
meaning "bright eyes" became the official camp
name.
Camp
Alkulana is located in Millboro Springs, Va, deep in the
Alleghenies. The proximity of the camp to the George Washington
National Forest provides it with boundless space and endless
program resources.
Some
of the activities offered are hiking, cave exploring, camping
out, cooking out, rock climbing, rappelling, ropes course,
swimming, crafts, Bible study and worship.
Above
all, Camp Alkulana seeks to provide an experience in which
the camper will come to realize, through various activities
and relationships, that he or she is a person of immeasurable
worth and potential who is loved by God.
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Camp
Alkulana Mission Statement
(Adopted by the Camp Alkulana Support Team, January 13,
2003)
Camp
Alkulana exists to make a difference in children’s
lives by revealing God’s existence as reflected
in nature and His love as demonstrated in camp leaders
and proclaimed in His word and worship.
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Children
are provided adventure-challenge activities
in a safe, nurturing environment.
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Counselors
are provided leadership training and opportunities
for spiritual and personal growth.
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RBA
churches are provided mission service opportunities
and access to a retreat facility.
Camp
Alkulana Values
(Adopted by the Camp Alkulana Support Team, January 13,
2003)
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Awareness
of God’s love through Jesus Christ.
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Physical
and emotional safety.
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Awareness
and appreciation of the natural world.
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Development
of interpersonal relationships.
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Physical,
cognitive and spiritual challenges.
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Opportunities
to experience success.
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Opportunities
to use unique gifts to advance the Kingdom of
God.
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Meet
the Director |
Gracie
Kirkpatrick came to Camp Alkulana as a counselor when she
was a college student in her home state of Florida. All
it took was one summer to get hooked on Alkulana! She’s
been coming back since, as counselor, volunteer, and since
1978 as director.
She
received a BME from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida
and an MA in Christian Education from the Presbyterian School
of Christian Education in Richmond, VA.
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Before taking the reins to Alkulana, she taught school in
Florida then moved to Richmond to direct the South Richmond
Baptist Center. During the early years of her Alkulana leadership,
when Camp Alkulana was a “summer-only” ministry,
she was music and youth director in a local church and later
went back to work with inner-city families at the Hillside
and Oregon Hill Baptist Centers. * In recent years with the
expansion of the Alkulana ministry, directing and managing
the camp has become a full time ministry and her full time
love.
Having
been appointed by the North American Mission Board of the
Southern Baptist Convention, her official title is “Community
Missionary.” She dispels any solemn notion one might
have of a missionary, as she is rarely seen wearing anything
but jeans and a T-shirt and is often seen instigating some
kind of harmless mischief. She’s serious, however, about
her mission: that kids come to know that they are loved—by
the camp staff and by God.
*(For
information about the Baptist Center work of the Richmond
Baptist Association, go to www.RBAonline.org)
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