The ministry of Mt. Hope Bible Camp operates under the umbrella of the Ohio Bible Conference, Inc., our official 501(3)c. Our ministry exists to evangelize and disciple people in a relationship with Jesus Christ through retreats, camps, one-day events and small group settings. Our organization uses print and direct mail to market our events, especially with the use of postcards with QR codes that encourage participants to sign up online. We have found this to be effective and efficient for our ministry and while we are reaching a younger generation, we are consistently aware we are communicating information to parents and grandparents who prefer mailed information and/or reminders.

In the past, we have also used printing companies to print student workbooks as companion guides for our teaching sessions during camp. We utilize these books to keep our campers engaged in the Gospel message and it also allows them to take their booklet home to refer to after camp is over.

Additionally, we use print and direct mail to communicate to our donors and supporting churches through newsletters and letters detailing specific events. For instance, we are starting promotion for our "Give Hope" online fundraising campaign in early May and have written a letter to our supporting churches explaining how they can get involved in the event.

We plan to continue to use print and direct mail in the ways mentioned above and any additional ways our teams deems creative and engaging to our Mt. Hope community. For instance, we have considered adding more signage to parents and campers unfamiliar with our camp, especially during registration, open houses, etc. We are striving to become better communicators of what is taking place on our grounds and finding ways to do it more efficiently. Simply incorporating signs (vinyl banners and others) around the camp will help things move more smoothly.

Our planning team has also agreed that we will attempt an EDDM this year to promote our summer camps. We are planning to target four mail routes (Otway, Rarden, Lucasville) surrounding our campgrounds to see if the return from such a mailing helps us connect with new campers and families.

Lastly, my wife and I, as camp missionaries, often purchase business cards and prayer cards to encourage people to pray for us regularly and to have our contact information close. I anticipate this will be another area of printing we will continue to use in the days ahead.

As a non-profit organization, especially one with a smaller budget, it is important to find creative ways to connect with donors and churches to remind them of what is taking place in the ministry. Without print and direct mail, especially for our older community, many would no longer be engaged with what we do. Printing helps us to stay connected, to remind people of opportunities to volunteer in the ministry, to invite others to attend events, to give and support us financially and more. The print grant we received this year and hopefully in the future will allow us to continue reaching people for the cause of the Gospel. Thank you!