Deep In The Heart of Texas lays an oasis of green prairies, huge oak trees, creeks, fishing ponds and beautiful sunsets. While this may sound like a dream, it is actually the backdrop for the Texas Christadelphian Camp and Conference Center. The brothers and sisters in the state of Texas who have poured their hearts, skills and time into the camp, affectionately and simply refer to it as T4C.
A typical weekend
The T4C story begins almost 10 years ago, when a native Texas brother inherited 13 acres of land in central Texas. At that time, he envisioned building a camp and conference center on the land to be used by all of the ecclesias in Texas. For the past five years, this dream is becoming a reality. Once a month, brothers and sisters from around the state gather at the site for a weekend of building, fellowship and fun.
A typical T4C work weekend begins on Friday night, as most of those coming make their way to the camp. Two mobile homes provide all the comforts of home, but some choose to sleep under the stars or in their own campers. After an evening of Bible readings and fellowship, it’s lights out, as a day of opportunity awaits.
Saturday begins bright and early with a hot breakfast cooked by the loving hands of the sisters. The aroma of fresh breakfast tacos, bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes and toast has made the alarm clock practically obsolete. By 8 o’clock, workers are at the building site of the main facility, ready to break into teams and begin working.
Local talent
The Texas ecclesias are blessed to have brothers and sisters who are skilled in many areas of construction. With electricians, plumbers, sheet-rockers, heating and air conditioning technicians, heavy equipment operators and construction managers, the construction can practically all be done by the brothers and sisters.
Work is not just limited to inside the main facility, however. Many of the teens, young children, and brothers and sisters set out to clear underbrush from the future campsites and haul it away to be burned on the bonfire. Choco, the chocolate Labrador retriever, keeps tabs on progress as he makes his way around the various worksites and checks in with different teams. A quick rub on the head and pat on the back ensures your team gets high marks for the day.
The cast-iron lunch bell is rung promptly at noon, and the sisters who prepare and serve it up never compromise on quality or quantity. Feeding a crowd of hungry workers takes not only time, but also talent. Lunch is followed by announcements, progress reports and committee meetings.
Work continues until dinner beckons at around 6 o’clock. After dinner, it is not uncommon to hear the notes of an acoustic guitar, the chirp of crickets or the laughter of fellowship.
Recent progress
As this article is being written, the main facility is nearing completion and will be ready to host a conference near the end of this year, God willing. Plans are under way to host the first annual Texas Youth Conference this coming December from Saturday, December 17 through Saturday, December 24, 2005.
Coming youth conference
The Texas Youth Conference is a Bible Study Conference for young Christadelphian adults who are between the ages of 17 and 35. Baptized members under the age of 17 may attend. The Texas Youth Conference is being formatted after the Manitoulin Youth Conference in Ontario, Canada, and its constitution and rules are being borrowed from the Southwest Christadelphian Bible School held annually in Kerrville, Texas. Registration for the Texas Youth Conference is set to begin April 1, 2005. Registration forms may be downloaded from the Texas Youth Conference Website http:// t4c.net/txyouthconference/ once they become available.
The study this year will focus on prophecy. It will be required for each attendee to complete a study workbook prior to attending the camp. The plan is for the first half of the workbook to be available from the Texas Youth Conference Website on June 1, 2005. The second half will hopefully be made available during the first week of September. Registrants may request that a hard copy of the workbook be mailed to them.
Currently, the plan is to divide the workbook as follows:
Section 1: Introduction to Prophecy
- Basic principles of prophecy
- The symbolism of natural elements and colors
- Man’s mind designed to comprehend time dimensions, past, present and future
Section 2: Fulfilled Prophecies
- Development of the Gentile nations
- Origin and development of the nation of Israel
- Jesus Christ and the bride
Section 3: Current Events
- Students asked to research news items from 2000 AD to December, 2005
- Foreign affairs relating to Israel (allies, enemies, false peace treaties)
- Other wars and international distress
- The false church, declining moral conditions, science opposed to God
- Global chaos (geophysical, environmental, epidemics, atmospheric conditions)
Section 4: Events Subsequent to Christ’s Return
- Resurrection, judgment, Armageddon & Israel’s national redemption
- Subduing the nations and life in the kingdom
- End of the kingdom age, God all and in all.
For further information and to receive the latest updates, please visit the Texas Youth Conference website at http://t4c.net/txyouthconference/ and the T4C website at http://t4c.net/.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One