September 2026 Newsletter

Dear Partner, 

A sweatshirt we had this past summer at HYC said, "NEW GROUNDS, SAME GOD.” It was a nice sweatshirt, and a cool slogan and while I knew God was with us, there were still moments of uncertainty.

The first Tuesday evening service of Teen Week One would have been one of those moments. When it was over, I witnessed something never seen at Hiawatha. In case you're wondering, that's approximately 250 services, spanning 60 plus years.

For starters, that night was hot. That's not extremely unusual, but it was a 90 degree, muggy, with zero wind. It was also at our new home in Allegan. Being new is no longer unusual for Hiawatha, however, with it being a new location there was a bit of nervous energy as to what the end of the service would bring. In previous years you assume the service will conclude a certain way. On this particular Tuesday evening, at our "new home,” I think it's safe to say there were no assumptions being made. I was anxious to see if God showed up here like He had so many times before at a Miracle Building in Eckerman. 

In a recent episode of our podcast "Beyond Hiawatha: The Miracle Lives On,” Dr. Clothier shared this quote from one of his favorite authors, describing the sense of what he feels when coming on the grounds at Hiawatha. He stated:

"You have crossed the threshold, from the common to the uncommon, 

from the secular to the sacred and from the profane to the holy." 

That's high praise and a lofty goal to live up too. I'm not sure we always hit the mark with that but it's the goal. And for many of you, there was a sense of something different happening in those Tuesday evening services. I think that phrase “crossing a threshold” describes it well for many of us. 

Tuesday evening, July, 7th of this past summer, I wondered if God would allow us to see young people go from the common to the uncommon and from secular to sacred as He had for decades before.

My brother gave the invitation, inviting young people to take their spiritual walk with God to the next level. It was a good invitation that took maybe two minutes. I was reluctant to look up when he finished, fearing that zero kids would be up front. When he called the staff up to pray with the campers, I noticed that not only did a few kids go forward, ALL the kids went forward. Neither my brother nor I could recall an evening where 100% of the young people went forward. There's a phrase I love that says, “Don't let your memories be greater than your dreams.” That Tuesday evening will be a hard memory to beat but maybe God wants that memory to be the catalyst for even greater dreams in years to come. 

Your support helps make evenings like July 7th possible. Thank you for all you've done to help HYC this summer. 

Sincerely, 

Craig