Lake Aurora Christian Assembly, Inc.
More than a camp... a ministry
Mission
A place to experience God's creation and see lives changed. Dedicated to helping youth through senior adults to develop core values based on Christian principles. To accomplish this we network with churches, educational institutions, and public/private organizations, including those who serve individuals with special needs, who share compatible philosophies and goals.
Notes from the nonprofit
One of the core values states: "LACC will act with vision. If our plans are not big enough to require God's blessings to succeed, then they are not big enough." We cannot achieve these goals unless they are God-honoring. This statement is a constant reminder of why Lake Aurora exists: honor God and introduce people to Him. It is with prayerful consideration that we seek the next steps and trust in God's timing. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with churches and individuals to provide a facility, programs, and staff where Christ is proclaimed in central Florida. "Not only is Lake Aurora beautiful, serene and full of His Presence, but the staff and volunteers are truly there with the heart of God to serve. From the moment you arrive up until the closing prayer, they give it their all. I was literally touched by His Presence and embraced by His Love. Simply put, beautiful atmosphere, tasty food and the love of God are what you will experience at Lake Aurora." WR
Ruling year
1993
Executive Director Team - CFO
Steve Bornemann
Executive Director Team- Operations/Donors
Phyllis Gower Bornemann
Main address
237 Golden Bough Rd
Lake Wales, FL 33898 USA
EIN
59-1466706
NTEE code
Christian (X20)
Religious Leadership, Youth Development (O55)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is not required to file an annual return with the IRS because it is a church.
Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2011 and 2010.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
January 2020, using a tool called "Tent Pegs," a $25 a month gift for three years, retired our debt 40 months early. This early goal saved the ministry over $63,000 in interest. This tool has allowed us to involve many and each being a stakeholder in the ministry. This was accomplished just two months prior to the Pandemic completely shutting down our ministry. Because we were debt-free we were able to keep all full-time staff employed during that trying time. We are currently using this program to fund our project to build a large assembly building and already have over $350,000 in savings as of November 2021.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Christian Summer Camp
28 programs in 8 weeks serving youth 1st-12th grade. Leadership programs, off campus primitive camping adventures, special needs camp, and traditional camp programs on site. Campers develop physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually in a safe, trusted atmosphere to discover God's love for them.
Adult/Family Retreats
Opportunities for adults, families, and youth to step away and reconnect with their faith through nature, camp activities, and spiritual instruction to develop strategies to continue building their spiritual life at home.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Christian Camps and Conference Association 1973
Christian Camp Leaders 1970
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of groups brought together in a coalition/alliance/partnership
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups
Related Program
Christian Summer Camp
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
We serve central Florida and south Florida regions that bring over 135 churches together for biblical education and inspiration.
Number of attendees present at rallies/events
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children, Adolescents, Preteens, Protestants
Related Program
Christian Summer Camp
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Total guests on our campus both hosted and programmed.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
As we near our goal, we are looking forward to using this tool of Tent Pegs, to provide capital for our next projects. These projects include a large assembly building that does not exist for programming, Stirring Waters, an aquatic facility intentionally designed for those of any ability, and the completion of the Hillside campus of four more housing cabins.
We currently use our lakefront for swimming. While we have some equipment that assists limited mobility guests to access the lake, it does not provide an experience that they deserve or seek. We are intentionally designing an aquatic adventure of a splash pad, zero-entry pool, lazy river, and slide that even the most severe cases can enjoy.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our strategies include but are not limited to our Tent Peg program of $25 a month gift, matching gifts from former campers, grants that assist with special needs.
"Roots Secure, Branching Out" is our capital campaign that will also include Phase One of the Stirring Waters Project of the splash pad and inclusive bathhouse.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The ability to raise over $720,000 to reduce debt, a reasonably unexciting goal, has encouraged our constituency to believe in our purpose and direction. We believe we have the right Board in place, directing us in our dreams and operating staff to carry out those goals.
Highly regarded companies are involved in the design process of each of our projects to build not just esthetically functional buildings but ones that meet the needs of those with limited accessibility.
Lake Aurora, instituted in 1947, has a strong legacy donor base dedicated to being good stewards of every dollar that is donated. 2022 will mark her 75th year of ministry. We have also challenged 75 partner churches to encourage 75 families to give a one-time gift of $75 towards the building project to catapult us to an earlier start date.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since becoming debt-free in January 2021, we have saved over $350,000 towards our capital campaign. "Roots Secure, Branching Out" will begin funding the large assembly building and phase one of the Stirring Waters project of the splash pad and inclusive bathhouse. We intend not to begin construction until we have 75% of construction costs in savings. Our master plan includes several other structures to meet the growing program needs of our constituency but feel the above mentioned are our most pressing need.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
We serve youth, families and churches, and schools. We are primarily a summer youth camp but host opportunities year-round for groups and churches.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
We have adjusted our check-in system for summer camp programs to allow for a more efficient and less stressful experience. We have reduced the number of beds per cabin by 2 to help give a better experience and have a greater impact in regards to camper/counselor ratios. We have offered options to our menu to help accommodate allergies and preferences.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Lake Aurora Christian Assembly, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 09/01/2022
Todd Thomas
Lake Aurora Christian Assembly/Sebastian Christian Church
Term: 2021 - 2023
Brad Weaver
Lake Aurora Christian Assembly, Inc/Real Life Christian
Term: 2019 - 2023
Tim Paul
Aaron Fusselman
Todd Thomas
Kim Atkinson
Jen Canary
Chuck Babbino
Steve Greshel
Brian Palmer
Bob Mehlenbacher
Brad Weaver
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
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