July 26 - Volume 26.3
SUMMER 2026!
Every year beginning with Family Camp and ending with our last camp in July, we are blessed by our guests. We have campers here from very young to very old, and each group has a unique way of displaying its personality. We at CGC never take for granted any group that makes up our summer schedule. Below is a glimpse of the camps of 2026.
Kamp Kennessee has been attending Camp Garner Creek for 34 years. Our motto is "Where Friends are Met and Kept" and Garner Creek provides a great atmosphere where these friendships begin. It provides us with as many as 10 Bible classrooms at one time.
Lori is so good to work with in coordinating our schedule and accommodations for our staff and kampers.
Allen and Blayne provide such great help for what we need at any given time. They are a great asset to the maintenance and support to the facility.
Rusty's menu is just perfect for both adults and kampers. His staff works hard to enable our 420 staff and kampers to move through the serving lines for every meal.
Our favorite place is the chapel. The singing we have in that building is indescribable. We have 420 in the chapel singing praises to our God, which is the highlight of each year at Garner Creek.
Our kampers love creek stomping. They crowd the creek looking for crawfish, turning over rocks, and splashing water on each other. It is the simple things God made is what brings our kampers the greatest joy.
Every year ends with "Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we'll be back here again next year". This is a special place.
From Andrea G
Director of Children's camps for 80 churches in Kentucky.
We have been going to Camp Garner Creek for many years. There are several reasons why we return year after year but let me highlight a few.
First, the location, campgrounds and facilities are great. It is easy for us to get to camp because it is less than ten minutes off I-40. The Tabernacle, pool, cabins, and lodging rooms are fabulous! The campgrounds are beautiful. My kids love the creek the most.
Second, is the FOOD!! Rusty is the best camp cook! I have been to camp across the United States and Rusty is by far the best cook. He accommodates all our food allergies and makes delicious food for every meal!
Lastly, the staff at CGC are top notch. Everyone from the housekeepers to maintenance to the Camp Facilitator are kind, helpful and easy to work with. Directing a camp with hundreds of people in attendance takes an abundance of coordination. Lori, the camp facilitator, is great at communication. She responds quickly to emails and is always reachable by phone. Camp Garner Creek will always be the right place for our Kids’ Camp. Every year we leave renewed, refreshed, and full! Whether you are having a spiritual retreat, a kids camp, or meetings, Camp Garner Creek is the place for you!!
Thank you again for a great week, our students loved it and God moved in mighty ways. We had students that opened up about sin struggles and took steps towards laying them down, some shared vulnerable moments from their past that cause them to hold onto shame and began to experience freedom from that, many who deepened friendships and felt God’s presence in worship.
You and your team took care of the logistics in a way that allowed us to focus on cultivating these Spiritual moments, and I’m very grateful for that. Your intentionality and care for the facility is evident, and we are grateful for the way you guys hosted us. Please thank your team again for me.
Drew P.
Dining Hall Construction - Ground is Broken!
Pray for the Group Leaders who have planned for months for these events. May God's Spirit move freely among the participants! Pray that God's Spirit would be free to work throughout these gatherings.
Groups for August - September, 2026
Jul 28-Aug 2 Kirundi & Kinyarwanda Youth
Aug 9-11 MidSouth District Staff Retreat
Aug 15 Pastors' Training
Aug 21-23 MidSouth Hispanic Family Retreat
Aug 27-28 MidSouth District Advisory Committee Retreat
Aug 28-30 Sacred Heart Church
Sep 4-6 Hilldale Church of Christ
Sep 4-6 Retrouvaille Retreat
Sep 5-7 Lifestream Church
Sep 11-13 Covington 1st Presbyterian Church Retreat
Sep 11-13 MidSouth District Men's Retreat
Sep 18-20 Nashville Korean Presbyterian Church
Sep 24-26 MidSouth District Leadership Retreat
Sep 28-Oct 1 Peer Support Conference
Pray for the sell of Alan and Cameron Winter's home in East Texas. The Winter's joined our staff January 1, 2026, and they have yet to have an offer. Most of you understand the pressure this creates. Pray that the right buyer finds the house.
Pray for summer campers who made fresh commitments this summer. Did you go to summer camps? I did, and I know though I was young, the commitments I made each year were serious and helped shape me. As I think of the hundreds who make these defining decisions through our summer camps, I also know how those same commitments are tested when they return home. Pray that God will give these folk the grace to be mindful and to stick to the commitments they made at camp.
Join me in giving thanks to God for the way we are being blessed financially. I know. I know. CGC is always presenting needs, and it may feel like we are drowning in a sea of financial lack. And, honestly, when we talk about needs too frequently, it's a temptation to feel like God is overlooking us. That's a lie from satan. As I look around campus, I see the signs of God's supply all around.
- This year's Family Camp donated funds to buy the tables and chairs we need for the new dining hall. Because more than the goal was given, we are also able to buy several bike racks to help with the safety of our young bikers.
- We had gifts to remodel the new space for the relocated Snack Shack.
- We have gifts to remodel a new space for our offices, since our current offices are in the floodplain. We are within weeks of finishing up the project.
- We had a new $1,000 donation to TBAM in the last 30 days along with the almost $1,000 that is donated on a monthly basis by a host of donors. The need is still great, but I see God's hand at work still.
- We have a steady trickle of donations from people like you who carry a burden for CGC. This helps us pay the bills.
- We have two new or like-new lodging places, i.e. the new Maplewood Cabin and the totally remodeled Springfield Cabin uniqely designed with mini bunk rooms...both with private showers and toilets. Both of these came through special donations to the camp.
- We had two special donations to help us update our fleet of golf carts. The floods had us limping along for years, and we now have what we need.
- God has brought new groups to us to help us make up the extra expenses caused by our insurance price surge in 2024. We are still paying those high rates. (We pray that we will be able to find better rates for the 2026-27 year.)
Pray for the CGC staff and their families. The campground is a beautiful, serene place, yet our enemy is relentless in his attack of all ministry. We have challenges with the staff’s health. We continue with a razor thin cash flow margin. Your prayer is sustaining.
Pray for God's blessing as we proceed through the construction of the new Dining Hall.
Pray that God will raise up donors to support CGC. The focus is always on the people. The checkbook is always about money. God is the supplier of both!
Pray that God will call people to be part of the Ten Bucks a Month club. It's our primary way to pay the new Dining Hall mortgage when that time comes.
TBAM Is More Important than Ever.
What Do You Say?
Will you say "Yes" to the Club?
The Ten Bucks a Month Club (TBAM) is an important part of funding the new Dining Hall. It is the plan for servicing the expected $500+K mortgage on a $2M building.
If you have waited to join in support of our new Dining Hall, today is a great time to get on board.
Learn more about TBAM
Donations Made Simple
- Mail a check to Camp Garner Creek, 700 Sam Hollow Rd, Dickson, TN 37055.
- Give instantly online by clicking HERE.
If you prefer not to give online, you may
participate by mailing a check for $120 annually.
