Throughout All Generations
Honoring Our Past Generation
On August 18th, we honored Don Leicht, Executive Director of Angeles Crest Christian Camp from 1974-2001, with the renaming of the camp’s main meeting space to the Leicht Chapel. There were about 50 people in attendance at the service, including many members of the Leicht family, friends and staff. Dave Crouse, Ken LaMont, Ruth and Ron Klinsky, Sherry Morrison, Vicky Stevens, Brad Dupray, Marla Harrelson and Don’s daughters; Melanie and Jennifer all spoke at the dedication.
Lynn Leicht, Don’s wife, was moved by the event and wrote this, “Thank you for the dedication of the chapel to honor Don. The service was very touching. I did not know what to expect, but left there with a full heart. It was good to be back at camp and hear stories and reminisce”.
Don began his involvement with Angeles Crest by taking his youth group from Parkcrest Christian Church in Long Beach up to camp in the early-mid 1960’s. A few years later Don moved to Phoenix, where he was youth pastor at First Christian Church. When he returned to Parkcrest Christian Church as Christian Education pastor in 1969, he continued to be a big supporter and believer in Angeles Crest Christian Camp. He spoke at camp several times and made camp a central part of Parkcrest Christian Church’s family/children’s ministry.
In 1974, Don was hired by the board of directors as the first Executive Director and he never looked back. He loved camp and loved seeing how God used it in such a powerful way. Don directed camp with love, wisdom and a great sense of humor. He also established the Christian Fellowship Adventures program that took our senior adults on tours to Branson, Thailand, Africa, England, the Holy Land and beyond.
Don passed away in April 2023, but his vision and leadership will always be imprinted on the life and history of Angeles Crest Christian Camp.
In addition to the renaming of the chapel, we also recognized a longtime Angeles Crest family member, Dave Beard, with the unveiling of a special engraved bench that was presented at camp in August.
Dave Beard is a dedicated and active supporter of Angeles Crest Christian Camp for over 70 years now. His father Harvey, a local pastor, was very active in the camp start-up in the 1940’s. Dave began attending the camp as a young boy and witnessed the growth of the camp through high school. He additionally served as a camp counselor for youth camps for several years. His camp experience had a profound impact on this life. He went on to have a long successful career as a high school teacher and guidance counselor.
He remains an active supporter having served numerous terms on the camp’s Board of Directors. He has also been the face of the camp in his home church, Parkcrest Christian Church in Long Beach, California. As a Parkcrest elder, he has been instrumental in securing ongoing monetary missions support for the camp. He has personally organized and led many work crews from the church over the years for maintenance and beautification projects.
Dave has also led efforts to get Parkcrest men to the annual Man Camp, producing marketing materials, initiating signups and even arranging carpools up the mountain.
Throughout the years, Dave has consistently demonstrated his love for the camp through active support and leadership. Dave is a true blessing and we are proud to recognize him with his very own piece of Angeles Crest.
Serving Today’s Generation
Amber George here. This summer, I experienced first-hand how Angeles Crest is serving today’s generation. I visited summer camp several times and saw campers playing, worshiping and bonding with one another. On one of my visits in July, I had the pleasure of meeting Daniel Phillips while he was serving as a youth leader with Frontier Church in Pasadena. He was even able to lead his son, Caleb, that week at camp. But, that was just the tip of the iceberg. This was actually Daniel’s 3rd time at Angeles Crest in just 9 months. He had also attended camp with a guest group in November last year as well as a men’s retreat with his church in May. When I asked him if he would share his experience, this is what he said:
“What I loved the most about Angeles Crest is it’s all about Jesus at the center. The camps allow time to spend alone with Jesus and grow in His abundance, the daily activities allow you to grow in your relationship with Jesus. You will notice scripture on the buildings Jesus is being glorified all over the place. The activities are super cool with the outdoors involved. We participated in team games and group activities that allowed me to meet other people during the trips. I spent some days alone in the Word hearing the birds sing to the Lord.
The camps Angeles Crest provides are an amazing way that leave an imprint on your life and on your family’s lives. I know the Holy Spirit is working with Angeles Crest to impart the abundant life and salvation into its visitors. I am looking forward to being at Angeles Crest soon. May God Bless Angeles Crest as they continue to reveal Jesus.”
Building for the Next Generation
We are so excited to announce an update for our Climb-It Change Campaign.
Earlier this summer, we told you about the first of three new and updated experiences, the auto belay units for the climbing wall, that were already getting good use by many summer campers.
And, just last week we had the second (and largest) experience, the Low Ropes Hexagon Course, installed at the old Isaiah’s Perch location behind the volleyball court. The new 40 foot wide hexagon climbing experience is a sight to behold! It is sure to be a camp favorite for many generations. We are so excited for the guys attending the Father-Son retreat this weekend to be the first group to inaugurate this new activity.
The final experience, the Bouldering Wall, is planned to be installed after winter.
Prayer Requests
Please be praying for a positive and swift response from the Forest Service regarding our proposal for the new building project/ meeting room that seats 350. They will be meeting sometime after October 1st. We will be updating any progress.
Please be praying for our fall calendar to fill up with guest groups.
We want to pray for you too!
You can get in touch with us online or by phone.
DON’T MISS THESE
GREAT MOUNTAIN-TOP EXPERIENCES…
WINTER CAMPS
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SUMMER CAMPS
OUTDOOR EDUCATION
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