We are a Bible Camp, and we do Bible Camp things well. We offer a challenging outdoor program in the Canadian Rockies. Our focus is using the outdoors as a vehicle for evangelism and discipleship. We offer rock climbing (outdoor and indoor), canoeing, and archery, as well as the traditional camp activities of games, music, chapel, crafts etc.
Our intention is to address all aspects of the person. In that sense we try to help children grow in all ways: socially, emotionally, intellectually, physically and spiritually.
From the very first board meetings in 1956, Crowsnest Lake Bible Camp has always been free. Over the years, Crow has grown and changed in many ways, but one of the constants is the price. For almost 70 years, all of our camps have been offered free of charge.
Crow operates fee-free for many reasons. In part, it is a recognition of the challenges unique to the immediate area. The Crowsnest Pass has traditionally been a “boom and bust” economy largely based on coal extraction and forestry. When the companies had contracts, there were jobs, and the whole community thrived. When there were no contracts, the economy stalled, and the entire area struggled: living on savings, or subsistence incomes and less.
There’s more than just a rough pragmatism at work in our fee structure. However, there is also some poetry. The founders of the camp have taken seriously Jesus’ message given first to the disciples: “Proclaim this message:” Jesus said. ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” There have been times, riding the Boom and Bust cycle, when we certainly could have added to the bottom line with a little careful marketing and some aggression in the price setting, We’ve never done it, because we believe the Kingdom of God is free; we believe the Kingdom of God is not conditional on our present circumstance, but solely because of God’s grace. We want Crow’s very operation to be a picture of God’s provision.
