The Firs Bible & Missionary Conference

The information on this page was last updated 4/8/2023. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]


Summary

Since 1921, the Firs has been a place for people to encounter JESUS and experience the love of GOD.


Contact information

Mailing address:
The Firs Bible & Missionary Conference
4605 Cable Street
Bellingham, WA 98229

Website: thefirs.org

Phone: 360-733-6840

Email: [email protected]


Organization details

EIN: 910609820

CEO/President: Lem Usita

Chairman: Paul Anderson

Board size: 12

Founder:

Ruling year: 1946

Tax deductible: Yes

Fiscal year end: 12/31

Member of ECFA: Yes

Member of ECFA since: 1990


Purpose

The Firs serves the local church and community by drawing groups and individuals to a camp and retreat setting. The Firs exists for people to encounter Jesus and experience the love of God - this is our core mission.

From its beginning, The Firs has focused on developing and maintaining a ministry to God's glory. The Firs' emphasis has been to help people believe. This is done through instruction, creative activities and significant relationships.

The Firs' three facilities serve to support these efforts and provide a place for organizations and other ministries of similar purpose to offer programs of their own.

The Vision of The Firs is to see our world changed through Christ-centered children and family ministries, conferences and camping initiatives.


Mission statement


Statement of faith

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, divinely inspired, infallible, entirely trustworthy and the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. (2 Tim. 3:16-7; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; 1 Cor. 2:13)

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14)

We believe in the deity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection and His ascension to the right hand of the Father. We believe in His personal, visible return to earth in righteousness and glory to consummate His salvation and His judgment. (Jn. 1:1-2; Rom. 3:21-26; 1 Thess. 4:13-18)

We believe that, because of the fall of humanity with the resulting sinful state and subsequent separation from God, there is the necessity of new birth, in salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone. (Rom. 3:23; 6:23; Eph. 2:8-10; John 1:12)

We believe that God has called Christians to a life of sanctification through the Holy Spirit and to a life fully committed to the will of God in Christ. (1 Pet. 1:14-16; Titus 2:11-14)

We believe in the Christian church as the one universal body of Christ. Christ is the head of His church and calls God's redeemed people to be set apart for His purposes in the world. (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-30; I Peter 1:9-10)

We believe in the institution of marriage defined in Scripture as the covenantal union between one man and one woman. We believe that the Christian standard is faithfulness within that marriage covenant and abstinence outside of it. (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:5-6; Eph. 5:31-33)

We believe that every person is created in the image of God, that human sexuality reflects that image in terms of intimate love, communication and fellowship. We believe that God created humankind as two distinct sexes, male and female. (Gen. 1:27; Matt. 19:4-6; Mk. 10:6-8)

Transparency grade

A

To understand our transparency grade, click here.


Financial efficiency ratings

Sector: Camps/Conference Centers

CategoryRatingOverall rankSector rank
Overall efficiency rating269 of 10777 of 36
Fund acquisition rating360 of 107813 of 37
Resource allocation rating706 of 107821 of 37
Asset utilization rating92 of 10775 of 36

Financial ratios

Funding ratiosSector median20192018201720162015
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts =
Fundraising expense /
Total contributions
6%3%5%5%4%5%
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total revenue
2%1%1%1%1%1%
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance =
Total contributions /
Total revenue
47%20%12%10%12%12%
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total expenses
3%1%1%1%1%1%
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance =
Total other revenue /
Total revenue
53%80%88%90%88%88%
 
Operating ratiosSector median20192018201720162015
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio =
Program services /
Total expenses
81%79%79%79%78%78%
Spending ratio Spending ratio =
Total expenses /
Total revenue
97%99%101%102%100%97%
Program output ratio Program output ratio =
Program services /
Total revenue
78%78%80%80%78%75%
Savings ratio Savings ratio =
Surplus (deficit) /
Total revenue
3%1%-1%-2%0%3%
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate =
Surplus (deficit) /
Net assets
2%1%-1%-2%0%3%
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio =
Management and general expense /
Total expenses
17%21%21%21%21%22%
 
Investing ratiosSector median20192018201720162015
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total assets
0.350.730.770.730.670.67
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment =
Total assets /
Total current assets
5.516.656.316.065.976.90
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total current assets
1.934.844.834.394.034.60
 
Liquidity ratiosSector median20192018201720162015
Current ratio Current ratio =
Total current assets /
Total current liabilities
3.794.155.373.274.754.46
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio =
Total current liabilities /
Total current assets
0.270.240.190.310.210.22
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level =
(Total current assets -
Total current liabilities) /
(Total expenses / 12)
3.781.882.021.902.352.02
 
Solvency ratiosSector median20192018201720162015
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio =
Total liabilities /
Total assets
14%27%23%24%23%23%
Debt ratio Debt ratio =
Debt /
Total assets
3%6%0%0%0%0%
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio =
Net assets /
Total expenses
244%101%101%105%114%116%

Financials

Balance sheet
 
Assets20192018201720162015
Cash$594,305$538,441$614,728$607,766$535,085
Receivables, inventories, prepaids$117,272$166,131$142,202$164,425$128,672
Short-term investments$2,997$2,581$2,924$2,591$2,303
Other current assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total current assets$714,574$707,153$759,854$774,782$666,060
Long-term investments$0$0$0$0$0
Fixed assets$4,033,488$3,751,542$3,839,678$3,848,401$3,930,878
Other long-term assets$1,550$1,550$1,550$1,550$0
Total long-term assets$4,035,038$3,753,092$3,841,228$3,849,951$3,930,878
Total assets$4,749,612$4,460,245$4,601,082$4,624,733$4,596,938
 
Liabilities20192018201720162015
Payables and accrued expenses$135,017$105,678$172,724$109,515$93,737
Other current liabilities$37,026$26,016$59,389$53,429$55,506
Total current liabilities$172,043$131,694$232,113$162,944$149,243
Debt$299,716$5,865$7,261$8,658$10,054
Due to (from) affiliates$0$0$0$0$0
Other long-term liabilities$801,000$874,000$874,000$888,000$886,000
Total long-term liabilities$1,100,716$879,865$881,261$896,658$896,054
Total liabilities$1,272,759$1,011,559$1,113,374$1,059,602$1,045,297
 
Net assets20192018201720162015
Without donor restrictions$3,230,553$3,216,105$3,310,709$3,389,698$3,329,873
With donor restrictions$246,300$232,581$176,999$175,433$221,768
Net assets$3,476,853$3,448,686$3,487,708$3,565,131$3,551,641
 
Revenues and expenses
 
Revenue20192018201720162015
Total contributions$700,172$393,768$335,390$385,139$366,811
Program service revenue$2,538,697$2,747,894$2,623,807$2,492,188$2,454,403
Membership dues$0$0$0$0$0
Investment income$975$1,724$12,705($594)$102,890
Other revenue$243,692$232,935$286,852$256,988$244,224
Total other revenue$2,783,364$2,982,553$2,923,364$2,748,582$2,801,517
Total revenue$3,483,536$3,376,321$3,258,754$3,133,721$3,168,328
 
Expenses20192018201720162015
Program services$2,717,562$2,691,255$2,623,051$2,445,953$2,388,207
Management and general$719,468$706,000$695,830$657,958$660,983
Fundraising$18,341$18,086$17,298$16,318$16,694
Total expenses$3,455,371$3,415,341$3,336,179$3,120,229$3,065,884
 
Change in net assets20192018201720162015
Surplus (deficit)$28,165($39,020)($77,425)$13,492$102,444
Other changes in net assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total change in net assets$28,165($39,020)($77,425)$13,492$102,444

Compensation

NameTitleCompensation
Tom BeaumontExecutive Director$101,632

Compensation data as of: 12/31/2019


Response from ministry

No response has been provided by this ministry.


The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 4/8/2023. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]


History

The Beginning - With a desire to use what God had given them for His purposes, Otis and Julia Whipple gathered a group of 35 people at their property overlooking Lake Whatcom in Bellingham, Washington, for a five-day retreat. Their purpose during that July week in 1921 was to "meet the Lord and strengthen the ties of an extended spiritual family". They probably couldn't have imagined what was to follow: an unbroken string of camp and conference activity that has spanned many decades and grown into a multi-site, multi-program organization now called The Firs.

Incorporation - Held together by the faithful efforts of 18 core individuals, The Firs became an official, incorporated non-profit entity in June 1927. It was called, initially, the Lake Whatcom Bible & Missionary Conference and for almost 35 years, flourished at its original Retreat Center site. In the summer of 1954, a group of 30 junior high campers paddled along the shores of Lake Whatcom to a beautiful camp site they called "White Sands". With permission from the owner, the first week of resident youth camp took place on this 80-acre site that soon became known as Camp Firwood. In 1955, with its 4,500 feet of pristine shoreline, Camp Firwood was purchased for $35,000. What a tremendous act of God, as this expansion of The Firs ministry would soon become a fully developed summer youth program.

Expansion - Just weeks after the purchase of Camp Firwood, The Firs was contacted by the Mt. Baker committee of the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce and asked if it would like to build a private ski lodge on Forest Service land at Mt. Baker. As a testament to God's blessing and the faith of godly leadership, The Firs went ahead. Within three years, the four-story A-frame Chalet was completed and The Firs now existed on three distinct and unique camp sites.

Thus began a period of growth and expansion at all three locations of The Firs. In 1960, the Fircreek Day Camp program kicked off at the Retreat Center site. Churches and other organizations began renting The Firs' facilities for camps and retreats, and ministry partnerships were soon established.

In response to a growing suburban community and a need for child care, in 2001 The Firs began the After School Adventure program at the Retreat Center. The Firs ministries to school age children now operate 12 months out of the year.


Program accomplishments


Needs