The Mission of Joy El Ministries: Providing opportunities for people to experience life-change through personal encounters with God.
The Beginnings – 85 Years and Still Going
In 1938, Joy El Ministries began in Pennsylvania under the name of Children’s Bible Mission, also known as CBM. CBM developed the Released Time Bible Program (now known as Bible Adventure) after the Supreme Court declared it illegal to have Bible reading and prayer in public schools, which allowed students to be released legally from their classrooms once a week to go to an offsite location to receive Bible teaching. Released Time began in two elementary schools in 1967. In the succeeding years, it has expanded into more than 21 school districts, reaching over 3000 students weekly with the Word of God, and the program is still growing today. With an incentive prize of a free week of camp for memorizing 300 verses, CBM realized a need to build their own camping facility.
The Next Phase – Fifty Years at Camp Joy El
Camp Joy El held its groundbreaking for the new Christian retreat center in PA on March 17, 1974 and opened its first summer camp July 7, 1974. Over time Camp Joy El became the identity focus of the ministry and the name by which the whole of CBM Ministries was most widely known. Responding to that, in 2004 the Board of Directors took action to rename the entire organization “Joy El Ministries,” which is who we are today. Today at Joy El, we exist to provide opportunities for people to experience life-change through personal encounters with God. As we provide opportunities to encounter God, as we evangelize, as we encourage and as we equip individuals for active ministry, we recognize that God will use people in this process. We want the next generation to be known as a Generation that seeks him. We do this through our Generation (Bible Adventure/CIA and 4.12) and Camping (Summer Camp and Retreats) Programs.
The Bible Adventure Program is a Pennsylvania state approved release time program, which allows public school students to be dismissed from school for religious instruction. The Bible Adventure Program ministers to public school students, offering biblical instruction for one hour a week during the school day.
The CIA program is the continuation of the released time program for ministry to public school students of middle school age. CIA is a great place for middle schoolers to build strong, close friendships with other like-minded teens. Students involved in CIA will gain an understanding of God’s Word and why it’s important for today, and specifically how it applies to their lives personally. CIA students learn how to pray, how to study the Bible and how to have daily devotions. They also learn how to share their faith with others.
The 4.12 Leadership Training Program is a discipleship training program for students in grades 8- 12 who want to make a radical difference in the world. If you love Jesus, are ready to be serious about following Him, and would like to have some fun in the process, we encourage you to learn more. In the program, we will provide you with leadership training, opportunities to deepen your faith, chances to serve, a place to find friendships with others on the same journey, and lots of good memories. Each student enrolled in Joy El’s 4.12 Leadership Training Program commits to the pursuit of knowing and sharing Christ in several ways. Part of their commitment involves Bible reading, Scripture memorization, attending training sessions, serving others, etc. We also ask each student to recruit a local mentor from within his/her church. We know from recent research that having a spiritual mentor is crucially important in the spiritual life of a teen. Having a spiritual mentor is the number one reason that Christian young people continue their walk with Christ beyond high school.
Joy El Camps and Retreats
For 50 years, Joy El has been a premier Christian camp and retreat center in PA, providing a perfect getaway camp location for Christian retreats. Joy El Camps and Retreats operates year-round, providing summer camps, weekend connection events, and guest ministries.
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