Camp Good News® is primarily a day camp with activities for children ages 5 through 12.  Spring Break Camp this year will be held April 6th through April 17th.  Our summer camp begins on June 8th and continues weekdays through August 21st.  We are located at 120 Twin Lakes Road Hawthorne, FL 32640.  This will be our 41st summer in operation at this location.  While children can be dropped off directly at camp we have several convenient pick up locations, such as Westside Park in Gainesville, where children can ride the bus to camp.

Camp Good News is a ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship of North Central Florida, Inc.  Child Evangelism Fellowship® is a non-denominational, evangelical, Christian organization.  Consequently in addition to our many indoor and outdoor activities (including archery, basketball courts, climbing wall, large multi-purpose activity field, trampoline, water slide, and more) we provide the children with the daily opportunity to learn life skills gleaned from the Bible and the adventures of missionaries around the world. 

Camp Good News® -A bit of History as given by Delmar Northam.

Child Evangelism Fellowship was organized in Alachua County in The late fifties or early sixties. The charter was officially recognized by the state of Florida on 11/03/64 when we applied for our Florida incorporation. The State director lead in the organization. ( ). In the early to mid sixties Delmar and Barbara became committee members.  They were introduced to CEF by Archie and Mable O’Steen. Donna Bell was also on the committee. She came before the Northams.  Donna had taken the Institute and became a summer Missionary. She stayed in Florida and was a director in the Orlando area for several years.

David Hughes became the local director in the late sixties. David had a vision of a camp for the ministry.  He found eleven acres close to Hawthorne and located on Lake Ann. The CEF Committee voted to buy the land for the camp.  At that time the Neil Thompsons, Roy Brambaugh, Archie and Mable O’Steen and Delmar and Barbara Northam were on the committee. The camp was dedicated in ___________.   Mr. Bob Grey from Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville came and spoke for the dedication. It rained and rained and oh did it RAIN!

The first camps at Camp Good News were held in 1969. A little building, the snack shop was built. In about 1969 the open chapel was added. (Now enclosed and called Oak Hall). The first summer the children paid $10.00 a week. The camp grew and Saturday night became Teen Night. Later two changing cabins were added. The snack shop became the kitchen and canteen.

Ellis Parker became the next director of CEF of Alachua County. He was followed by Marty Alto and then Bob Hawkins.

Mrs.Reacts of Ocala directed the camp ministry for two years. For a time the ministry was almost nil and there were two years in which there was no camp activity.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Barram accepted the directorship in 1984 and are now thinking about retiring! (1999).

In 1985, after the Barrams came, the camp ministry began to grow and has continued to grow , even more then we could expect.  The camp was opened again their first year here. The vision has grown and the people have worked.

Teen Training was held at Camp Good News the following year. Housing was a tent, pop up trailer and a small camper. It rained and rained and rained.  God blessed and we see the results of that training even today. (1999).

Again in 1989 there was a vision, the desire to build cabins. It proved to be difficult to get the permits. God answered. Two cabins were built with a bathroom between, then two more were added with a bath. All are under one roof, yet separated. There was no debt. Praise the Lord!  The people had a mind to build as in Nehemiah’s time.

Again the vision grew, in 1994 construction was begun on the new building, 118 ft. by 50 ft. Much of the work was done by volunteers, both local and the Sowers (Servants On Wheels Ever Ready to serve). The building was dedicated in May of 1998. Chuck Martinez, State director gave the dedication message. That was after a scrumptious barbeque. The building is debt free. It is called, “Cyprus Hall."  Again, to God be the glory.

In 1994 the Rodney Poston’s were called and were the first director’s to live at the camp.. In 1997 God called them to become directors of another CEF camp in Ill.

In 1999 Mr. and Mrs. Mike Brennan became the directors of Camp Good News. The ministry continues to grow.

The staff and committee, plus many, many who have given, prayed and worked through the years can but say, “ Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.”   We thank the Lord for precious souls saved and lives changed through this ministry. Only time and eternity will tell the Good News of what God has done.

Let’s not lose the vision. Let’s keep on working and praying until that glorious day when we shall meet our Savior face to face.