Building a New Youth Tabernacle

My favorite building on campus has always been the Youth Tabernacle. It’s where I’ve had powerful encounters with God, heard life-changing messages, and felt the call to ministry. When I accepted this role, it was on my heart to focus on restoring and strengthening the infrastructure faithfully built by generations before me. At the top of that list was ensuring the Youth Tabernacle's structural integrity and fortifying it to bless future generations.

To that end, the Mahaffey Camp Board brought three skilled construction companies that specialize in foundation repair and commercial building. All are part of the Mahaffey Camp family and share a deep love and history with the Youth Tab. We asked them to assess and provide a solution for a visibly weak section of the building’s foundation.

After separate, thorough inspections, all three companies independently expressed serious concerns. They discovered far more extensive and dangerous structural issues than we had anticipated. Despite their deep affection for the building, all concluded that there was no feasible solution that would allow them to confidently or safely support its continued use.

With that information, the Mahaffey Camp Board made the difficult decision to deem the former Youth Tabernacle unsafe and begin the process of building a new place for our youth to worship throughout the summer.

The purpose of Mahaffey Camp is to reach others with the Gospel and teach them about the Lord. The camp serves to evangelize, disciple, and provide fellowship so that individuals of all ages may experience a vital relationship with Jesus Christ. The new Youth Tabernacle will be open-air. The roof will be steel, and the siding will be locally sourced hemlock. The slab will be flat for multi-ministry use. The dimensions will be 90'x70'. We can’t wait to see what God has planned for this space and the many lives who will worship here for generations to come.

God has been gently reminding me, through the winds that brought down the oldest tree on campus, and now through the wise counsel of godly men with construction companies, that He alone is sacred. He alone deserves our reverence and permanence in our hearts. Everything else, including buildings, is a resource provided by His grace for a time and season of His choosing. And I’m comforted by the truth that our work here is not about structures, but about the life-changing work of the Holy Spirit.

We invite you to give via this link or to mail in a check with "Youth Tab Fund" on the memo line. PO Box 277 Mahaffey PA, 15757

God Bless you,

Micah Yarger

And the Mahaffey Camp Board of Directors