NOAH'S ARK


An advanced Special Ministry of the Alabama West Florida Conference United Methodist Church
Panama City, Florida
noah@noahsarkpcb.com

The purpose of Noah's Ark are:

1.) to witness to the presence of Christ and the Church in the midst of the busy vacation area.
2.) to provide the opportunity for church groups to conduct their retreats on the beach and to join in the witness.
3.) and to provide a caring, pastoral family for the Northerners who live here during the winter months and the summer vacationers.

Summer Ministry (Youth Ministry)
Winter Ministry (Snowbird Ministry)
Reservation Sheet
History

The Snowbird Club
November thru March

The most commomly asked question about winters in Florida is: "What do you do all day?" And many snowbirds ask themselves the same question. Some of the trailer parks and condos have an organized card evening or a shuffleboard league, then there are books to read of course and, well, you can always walk on the beach... again! But you can also learn to paint with watercolors, acrylics or oil, learn to carve a loon, make stained glass art, learn to play bridge, join a square dance troupe, get into a dart or "HOT" bowling league. In fact, at our Noah's Ark Snowbird Club you can get involved in over 70 different weekly activities as well as numerous special events & trips. The Snowbird Club is here for anyone that feels they have a need for such an organazation. There is something going on in the club day and night, every day of the week. All led by members of the Club which are all volunteers. Worship services are held Sunday ant 11 AM and all Faiths are represented in the Snowbird Club. Monday through Saturday, various classes and activities are planned by members themselves and you will receive a schedule of these when you join the club at the membership desk Monday thru Friday 10 to 4. These schedules are updated throughtout the winter season begining in November. General membership meetings are held every Monday at 1pm in the Fellowship Hall. If you wish to get more information about our Snowbird Club you can e-mail us at noah@noahsarkpcb.com or call us at (850)235-7801.

Summer Ministry
June thru Mid August

If you are looking for a summer retreat experience for your youth group that will combine a fun time and leave a life-long ompression, we thing Noah's Ark will provide that. The accent of our summer ministry is on outreach to the world, personal spiritual growth, along with developing and nurturing interpersonal skills and leadership talents, and of course FUN. We hope to be part of a life changing experience through your youth group's involment in our beach ministry activity.

Churches from all Denominations stay at the Ark, and there are usually three of four groups staying in the Ark's facilities at the same time with plenty of opportunity to meet people, inter-relate and exchange ideas and esperiences. discussions often center around their involment in our beach ministry activities.

Tou see, everyday during the summer season, we present, free to the public, two musical witness and family entertainment programs. These are specifically designed to provide an INSPRATIONAL entertainment experience for retreat groups who stay "at the ARK", and for other vacationers at the beach. We stronly recommend that attend at least one of these concerts everyday, as part of our unique retreat experience.

Through their participation in beachside visitations, to invite others to our concerts, your yourth group will develop personal growth. Through their presence, conversation, influence, and participation, visiting retreat groups become a very important and intimate part of the Christian presence that is being made on Panama City Beach. A wonderful opportunity for youth to demonstrate their faith and put it into action!

Basically, we hope to be a tool in your hands to aid in enhancing your retreat experience. We have two full time ministers and a group of eight college students on full time summer staff. Our approach is very relational with all our guest groups staying with us. The college staff (called "Two by Two") serve as great positive Christian role models, sort of big brothers or sisters to the junior and senior high school people.

If you are interest in our programs and would like more information you can e-mail us at noah@noahsarkpcb.com or call us at (850)235-6062.

A LITTLE HISTORY

Noah's ark began in 1972 with Rev. James C. Rains, local United Methodist ministers, youth and lay people from the Panama City area. Concerts began during the Spring Break and summer of 1993. Youth and lay people from the area helped ready an old theater for the coming season. They went out in the afternoons to invite vacationers to the concerts in which 4 Huntingdom college students performed as the musical group "Two by Two." Youth groups and choirs from around the Southeast came and slept on the floor and shared in the concerts, as well as going out in the afternoons on our Beach ministry to vacationers.

The Snowbird ministry began with the informal meeting of Rev. Rains, Fredda Youngs, and 2 winter visitors. Each person brought another for the next meeting. Activities were decided upon to help a Snowbird community come into being. Activities were lead by the Snowbirds themselves and by the end of the first season there were nearly 300 people involved in the weekly activities.

The Ark had to move out of the old theater after the first few years and moved to various locations between the summer and winter seasons. This was the most difficult period of the Ark's existence. The summer ministry had its home a few blocks from the "strip." People had trouble finding the concerts at night. Concerts were done outdoors and if weather threatened there was limited space for the people indoors. The winter ministry was held in limited space at the Presbyterian Campground on Highway 77.

In 1978 a private foundation, (the Hearn Foundation), had funds available for a community service organization that would help the visitors to the beaches, but no organization had qualified. A grant from the Hearn Foundation was obtained for over $500,000 and the current location at 12902 Front Beach Road was obtained. New construction and renovation on older buildings began. Three buildings were made ready for retreats and activities. The property was obtained completely debt free.

Since the 1980's, with the additional space, the ministry has grown to over 1100 winter visitors participating in the Snowbird ministry many winters, with over 60 activities a week. The summer concerts draw an average of 200 people a night and as many as 74 groups stay in retreat and participate in the ministry each summer. The staff is expanded to 3 full time people and a part time secretary. A five bedroom house has been acquired and many facilities have been expanded and upgraded for retreat groups and activities.

Today the summer ministry continues to provide two concerts a night, six nights a week, free and open to all who will come. Fifty to sixty youth groups from all over the Southeast stay at the Ark and are involved in the afternoon beach outreach and hold retreats. Approximately 1000 people are involved in over 60 classes a week, trips, etc., each winter in the Snowbird ministry. The staff is made up of the Director, United Methodist minister, (both full time), and a part time secretary.

Noah's Ark is an Advance Special Mission/Outreach Project of the United Methodist Church to the 100,000's of beach visitors and an extension of your local church. As Christians, we are called to live in the world, not apart from it. As God's people, we are called to be His witnesses. We are God's hands, feet, mouth; in essence, we are to be a living reflection of God in the world today.

Regardless of where we live there are always people who are searching and in desperate need of God's love and touch in their lives. This is perhaps no more evident in a tourist town such as Panama City Beach. It is now the number two travel destination in the state of Florida (behind Disney World) with several million tourist flocking to the beach throughout the year. Many come through the summer on family vacation, looking for jobs, wanderers, etc. The winter brings thousands of Canadians and Northerners to the coast to live from October to April. Spring brings hundreds of thousands "spring breakers" to Panama City Beach (now the number one spring break destination in Florida ) from universities all over the country. Throughout the year Panama City Beach is inundated with people, many who are lost, hurt, lonely, and searching for something to give them meaning and purpose in life.

It is in this setting that Noah's Ark provides a year round ministry and presence of God's people on the beach. We are located in the heart of the "strip" where every good and evil can be found. Since as Christians we are called to live in the world we believe that the Church should have a visible presence in the world.

Noah's Ark is a beach ministry project and a church retreat center of the Alabama/West Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church and is an Advance Special Mission Project of the church. The purpose of Noah's Ark are to witness to the presence of Christ and the Church in the midst of the busy vacation area, to provide the opportunity for church groups to conduct their retreats on the beach and to join in the witness, and to provide a caring, pastoral family for The Northerners who live here during the winter months and the summer vacationers.

We have completed nearly a quarter century of ministry here on Panama City Beach. If the Ark is to continue for the next 25 years we need you on board with us. Due to changing times and increased competition of other retreat centers on the beach (which are businesses run for profit, not outreach ministries) it becomes more difficult each year to meet the financial needs just to stay afloat. In the past, about 18% of out total annual income has been from United Methodist sources, all other had to be self generated through retreats and the Snowbird ministry. We hope our district in particular, the conference, and you local church will join us in a renewed effort of support in helping this ministry sail into the next quarter century.

If your church is considering increasing its missions giving and looking for a new mission project to support within our own conference, Noah's Ark is one way in which you can reach out and touch hundreds of thousands of lives each year. Other ways you can be involved are through work teams, donations of needed items, and utilizing the retreat for meetings and retreats for adults as well as youth. As an outreaching arm of the Alabama/West Florida Conference and your district, Noah's Ark is a way for your own local church to be actively present in the ministry of making God's presence and love known to the world. We greatly appreciate all support and always inform churches of how their contributions are supporting the ministry.

For more information write or call Noah's Ark, P. O. Box 9376, Panama City Beach, FL 32417. (850)234-6062.

NOAH'S ARK ACTIVITIES

Summer Ministry
Winter Ministry

SNOWBIRD CLUB PHONE (850)235-7801


e-mail us at noah@noahsarkpcb.com

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