“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” —James 5:16
Prayer is the foundation of everything we do at Tilikum, and your prayers make a difference. Would you consider lifting up our leadership team, ministry to campers and guests, ongoing projects, safety, and financial needs? Whatever support you can offer helps sustain and strengthen this life-changing ministry.
- Pray for the mission, administrative staff, governing board, and physical needs of the Camp.
- Serve as a volunteer on Wednesdays, or at a volunteer event.
- Attend Tilikum’s annual Potlatch fundraising event.
- Donate to the Summer Camp Scholarship Fund.
- Advocate for Tilikum with your Church.
- Consider making Tilikum a part of your estate plan.
Every Kid to Camp
100% of your donation goes directly to the scholarship fund to send kids to Camp. Your donation is appreciated and benefits kids who would not otherwise be able to attend Camp.
The Writer's Cabin
The Writers Cabin project at Camp Tilikum will soon serve as a quiet, comfortable rental cottage with a view of the lake, giving you space to work on your next worthy writing project.
Lakeside Village Capital Campaign
Through the construction of eight new cabins and a meeting house off the lakeshore, Tilikum is ensuring its future ability to minister to more campers and guest groups each year.
Tilikum Estate Planning
If estate planning is something you are thinking about for the first time, or if you need to update an older estate plan, we have resource material and advisors available to help you.
Every Kid to Camp
At Tilikum, our Challenge Course facilitators are not only passionate about adventure and growth but are also carefully trained to ensure the highest quality experience for your group. Each facilitator is certified under the rigorous standards of the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT), reflecting their expertise in leadership, safety, and course operations.
Challenge Course facilitators are more than just trained professionals—they are skilled mentors who understand the importance of creating an environment where every participant feels supported and empowered. Whether guiding a team through trust-building low elements or encouraging individuals to step out of their comfort zones on high elements, our facilitators prioritize both safety and personal growth. Their training includes technical expertise in belay systems, equipment inspection, and emergency procedures, as well as interpersonal skills to foster meaningful group discussions and connections.
The Writer's Cabin
Richard Foster and his family lived at Tilikum in the 1970’s when he was on the pastoral team at Newberg Friends Church. During these years he wrote the book, Celebration of Discipline in this peaceful setting. From this connection to Tilikum, the idea came to develop a special place for Christian writers. Below is a letter from Richard Foster endorsing this project.
Dear Friend,
Tilikum’s staff, Nathan Foster and I have been working together on a proposed “Christian Writers Cabin.” It is a contemporary expression of the ancient practice of a patron of the arts. In contemporary society, film is the medium with the greatest impact; the Internet is the medium that is the most pervasive; but the written word is the medium with the greatest precision and permanence, and, when done correctly, can have enormous influence upon both film and the Internet. Today, writers of Christian conviction really do need our support and encouragement. They need space and time that is free from distractions. They need uncluttered opportunities to think, to pray and to write – you could even use the opportunity of having zero distractions to plan how to market your book to its intended audience. They need the vision to wrestle honestly with the complexities of the human condition. And, they need the skills to articulate those realities in ways that are crisp and clear and imaginative. I know personally how difficult it is to create an overall environment that is conducive to writing. The “Writers Cabin” can become a wonderful resource for serious writers by creating just such an environment. I hope you will help bring Tilikum’s vision into reality.
Peace and joy,
The amenities for the Writer’s Cabin were designed by Richard Foster to create the ideal place to facilitate writing, eliminate distractions and inspire guests to hear God’s voice. These include:
- all the charm of a small lakeside cabin
- private bedroom and bath
- living room and kitchen
- large windows with a lake view
- private lakeside balcony
- large selection of devotional classics and Richard Foster books
- special table for writing project materials
Ground breaking for this project began in the spring of 2018. The projected budget totals $70,000, including utilities, foundation, construction, and listed amenities, and the cabin is expected to be completed in the winter of 2024.
We are so thankful for God’s provision and the thousands of families who have believed in Tilikum’s ministry since 1971. Consider how you might be able to support this important project.
You can contribute to the project in any of the following ways:
- make your check payable to Camp Tilikum, 15321 NE North Valley Road, Newberg, OR 97132
- electronic funds transfer (EFT), download the Tilikum Electronic Funds Transfer form
- a credit card donation by calling Dennis Littlefield at (503) 538-2763, ext 103
- a credit card donation online with PayPal
For more information about the Writers Cabin project email Dennis Littlefield/Executive Director, or call Dennis at (503) 538-2763, ext. 103.
Lakeside Village Capital Campaign
Building for Tomorrow
By offering overnight summer camps, weekend retreat groups, family camps and outdoor schools, Lakeside Village will create the opportunity for 2,000 more campers to experience Tilikum each year, expanding the mission and ministry of Tilikum, and dramatically increasing Tilikum’s outreach opportunities. Constructing eight new cabins will meet the current need and ensure Tilikum is prepared to best serve the next generation of campers.
Tilikum has about $370,000 left (about 31%) of the total $1,200,000 project to raise. Tilikum has been blessed with many significant individual gifts and two large grants. One from the Energy Trust of Oregon for solar and another from the Murdock Trust. Please pray we can raise the remaining funds by October 1, 2025 to be able to complete the project.
For more information about Lakeside Village or to schedule a tour of the site, email Dennis Littlefield/Executive Director or call Dennis at (503) 538-2763, ext. 103.
Tilikum Estate Planning
Russell Baker was raised on a dairy farm in the Chehalem Valley. Eventually, Russell bought this farm, and the acquisition of it caused him to seek out his personal values and God’s purpose for his farming life.
On October 12, 1962, the Columbus Day storm blew through western Oregon with hurricane force winds. The Baker farm was hit especially hard. Russell thought he was financially finished. He wrote, “In meditating on what to do. I felt led to make a vow or covenant with the Lord…if He would bring me out of this mess, I would not only give a large part, but all.”
In the next few years, Russell did recover from the storm damage, and according to his promise, he began to look for ways to use his farm for God’s work. In 1968, Russell sold some of his property and purchased a tractor to use in developing the lake. In 1970, the Bakers donated the newly formed 15-acre lake, their new home, a barn, and the remaining 77 acres of the original Baker farm to the Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends.
In 1975, Tilikum came under the ministry of George Fox University. In 2012, ownership of Tilikum transferred back to the Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends. Just like the Baker family, as friends of Tilikum you can truly help the long-term success of our ministry with gifts through your estate plans. Often our cash resources are limited. What if you could make a lasting permanent gift that was bigger than you’ve ever dreamed possible?
If estate planning is something you are thinking about for the first time, or if you need to update an older estate plan, we have resource material and advisors available to help you. To get you started, Tilikum has a “Will and Trust Planning Guide” and “Estate Inventory form” free for the asking. In addition, we have a representative who is well-versed in the technical aspects of business transition, retirement and estate planning. While Tilikum cannot serve as your legal counsel, our representative is trained to help in areas such as:
- how to honor your favorite charities while reducing or eliminating estate taxes
- how to sell your business while minimizing capital gains tax
- how to protect the way in which loved ones receive their inheritance
- how to minimize taxation on retirement plans
To learn more about these services, email Dennis Littlefield/Executive Director, or call Dennis at (503) 538-2763, ext. 103.
Thank you for considering membership in The Baker Association.