Faith, Love, and Hope
A Spiritual History of The Firs (Centennial Edition)
- History & Biography
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Published: 2026
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Publisher's Description
The Firs, established in 1921 as a modest annual gathering of friends and supporters of the China Inland Mission, grew by the 1950s into a multifaceted camp and conference ministry with three exceptional recreational properties near Bellingham, Washington. This book recounts the origins and early growth of The Firs, through a complex weave of relationships with pastoral, lay, and missionary leaders, as it pursued a countercultural identity as a “work of faith and labor of love” whose primary focus was “helping people believe.” It then chronicles the last half-century of The Firs’ “endurance in hope”—through myriad challenges of suburban encroachment, bureaucratic regulation, cultural upheaval, international tension, enticements to mission drift, technological “noise,” and even pandemic lockdowns, ultimately resulting in an unequivocal re-centering on its historic identity and mission. Its special focus is now child and youth evangelism, through premier camp experiences on Lake Whatcom and atop nearby Mount Baker, and year-round mentoring and discipleship for young Christian leaders. This is a bracing narrative of the fidelity of one pioneering family and those who carried forward their vision for a distinctive Christian ministry in the Pacific Northwest. Above all, it is a story of God’s faithfulness from generation to generation.
Endorsements (4)
“In this meticulously-researched, lovingly-written ‘spiritual history’ of The Firs, Katherine Jeffrey skillfully employs diaries, letters, archival materials, published reminiscences, and oral interviews to give us a vivid insider perspective into the founding, growth, and adaptations of one of the Pacific Northwest’s most notable evangelical parachurch organizations over its remarkable century of ministry in one of North America’s least-churched regions.”
“How does a ministry inspired by the faith mission approach of Hudson Taylor and the love of children modeled by George Muller adapt to a changing landscape and yet remain true to the founding vision? Katherine Jeffrey provides a master template for an evangelical institution to follow based on the creative work of The Firs, a conference grounded in the Pacific Northwest. This updated volume celebrating the centenary of the work founded by Otis Whipple provides hope for other like-minded organizations.”
“I thank God for the over one-hundred-year history of faithful ministry through The Firs. However, as this book chronicles, constant vigilance is needed in discerning how to remain true to both sharing and living out the gospel. My prayer is that this account will help give present and future Firs staff, leadership, and constituents a historical ‘true north’—remaining grounded in the message of Christ crucified and single-focused on Jesus’ Great Commission.”
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