A Vision, A Calling and a Camp Built on Faith

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By Cheryl Owens
Mississippi Spirit

For nearly four decades, David and Lori Lynne Cooke have walked side by side through marriage, ministry and a calling they believe was ordained by God long before Timber Creek Camp ever existed.

Today, Timber Creek Camp, located in Scott County between Morton and Homewood, has become a place where thousands of children, families, church groups and retreat attendees gather each year. But behind the cabins, activities and worship services is the story of a husband and wife whose shared faith, perseverance and commitment to serving others transformed a vision into a ministry that has impacted lives across Mississippi and beyond.

David Cooke grew up in Jackson, while Lori Lynne spent much of her childhood moving with her family before settling in Jackson during her ninth-grade year. The two met at the end of their sophomore year while attending Ole Miss and participating in a campus Bible study.

“From the moment we met, we have been side by side for 40 years,” David said.

The couple will celebrate 37 years of marriage in December. Together they have three sons — William, John-Bailey and Nathan — along with daughters-in-law who have enriched their family. They are also proud grandparents to Emery and Cash. The Cookes are involved at Forest Baptist Church near the camp, although they also spend many Sundays at Timber Creek, where worship services, retreats and ministry events take place throughout the year.

Faith has always been at the center of their lives.

Both David and Lori Lynne committed their lives to Christ as teenagers and made a conscious decision early in their relationship that God would remain the foundation of their marriage, family and future.

“It is the cornerstone and foundation of our marriage and life,” David said. “We have always tried to keep Christ first, then marriage and family, with everything else following.”

Before Timber Creek, David spent several years traveling throughout the Southeast in full-time music ministry. His ministry later expanded into youth and college ministry, leading him to seminary and eventually to a church position in Jackson.

While he enjoyed serving in local church ministry, a different vision slowly began taking shape.

That vision had roots stretching all the way back to David’s childhood.

As a fourth-grader, he attended a month-long camp in Alabama that left a lasting impression.

“It was life-changing,” he said. “I loved everything about camp. Camp has been in my DNA since fourth grade.”

Years later, while serving as a youth pastor, he witnessed firsthand the spiritual impact camps and retreats could have on young people who stepped away from everyday distractions to focus on their faith.

Eventually, God placed a new dream on his heart — building a Christian camp.

The first person he shared the vision with was Lori Lynne.

At the time, the couple had a 4-year-old son, a 2-year-old son and another baby on the way.

“On paper, this would be a terrible time for a major life change,” David said. “However we would learn that when God is involved He can do what seems impossible.”

Still, they prayed and trusted God to guide their next steps.

For months, David searched for property throughout Mississippi. Then he learned about 272 acres that might be available for a Christian camp.

The moment he visited the land, he felt certain it was where God was leading.

That certainty deepened later the same day during his devotional time when he read Deuteronomy 1:21: “See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it.”

“The Lord speaks through His Word,” David said. “It is powerful.”

What followed were years of challenges unlike anything David had faced in ministry.

The project required fundraising, working with banks, developing plans for buildings and infrastructure, and securing property despite having no money to purchase it.

“It was a God-sized task,” he said.

Through donations, volunteers and supporters who believed in the vision, Timber Creek began to take shape.

David’s father, Bill Cooke, an engineer and founding partner of Cooke, Douglass, Farr and Lemons, helped design the camp’s master plan.

Together, father and son blended their talents to create what would become Timber Creek Camp.

The name itself came naturally.

The property was covered with mature timber and crossed by two creeks.

Throughout the process, David said Lori Lynne remained a constant source of encouragement. She lived out being a Proverbs 31 woman.

She balanced the roles of wife, mother and ministry partner while helping with every aspect of camp life.

“There was not a job or area that we were not responsible for doing,” David said.

The family cleaned cabins, prepared facilities, led activities, hosted retreats and tackled whatever work needed to be done. As their children grew older, they joined in as well.

Beginning a camp from scratch brought a long list of challenges. David had never worked in fundraising before and suddenly found himself trying to build a ministry with only a vision and faith that God would provide. There was no camp track record to point to, no proven formula to follow. Support slowly came through financial donations and people willing to give their time and skills. The first phase of construction included 20 cabins, a dining hall, a small meeting facility and a house for the family to live in. Building so much from the ground up while raising three young children demanded long hours, new skills and constant balancing of ministry, marriage and family life.

“Balancing the vision, marriage and family was difficult,” David said, “but God was so faithful.”

Over the years, Timber Creek has grown far beyond a traditional summer camp.

Its mission remains simple: to use the resources God has provided so people can hear and receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ, respond to His calling and develop a passion for reaching others.

What began as a vision on 272 acres has expanded into a ministry serving people of all ages through children’s camps, youth retreats, family camps, men’s and women’s events, college groups, schools, statewide ministries and regional conferences.

Today, the camp encompasses nearly 300 acres of Mississippi woodlands, complete with lakes, meeting facilities, athletic fields and unique activities ranging from paintball and pickleball to a climbing wall and team challenges inspired by the television show “Survivor.”

The camp also features canoeing, archery, fishing, hiking trails, a life-sized human foosball arena, large GaGa ball courts and an 11,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor gym designed to serve groups year-round.

For the Cookes, however, the camp experience has always been about much more than activities and facilities. David said one of Timber Creek’s primary goals is to provide a place where people can step away from the noise and distractions of everyday life and hear God’s voice clearly.

“In a culture filled with noise and distraction, we want people to encounter the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said. “We hope and pray for life change.”

Whether guests arrive for a children’s camp, youth retreat, church conference or family event, the mission remains the same.

Through the years, Timber Creek has welcomed everyone from church leadership teams and statewide ministries to college groups, schools, family retreats and churches traveling from neighboring states. David said the camp was intentionally designed to accommodate gatherings of all sizes, with multiple meeting spaces, activity areas and ministry opportunities tailored to each group’s needs.

“Our central focus will always be the gospel of Jesus,” David said.

The setting itself plays an important role in that mission. Nestled among old-growth forests and centered around a lake, Timber Creek’s nearly 300 acres provide what David describes as a sacred space where people can encounter God.

“We want people to feel valued and loved from the moment they arrive until they leave,” he said. “Our goal is that in every location and space they can sense God’s presence.”

One of the most meaningful traditions at Timber Creek is a bell located outside Lee Chapel. Whenever someone accepts Christ for the first time while attending camp, they are invited to ring the bell.

“The whole camp erupts in cheering and celebration,” David said. “Every moment with the bell is significant and just as new as the first time it rang. This is why we run camp.”

Over the years, those moments have multiplied into thousands of stories.

The Cookes have watched campers accept Christ and later return as parents, bringing their own children to experience camp. They have seen students answer a call into ministry, families strengthen their faith, and adults arrive carrying burdens only to leave with renewed hope.

“Each person creates a spiritual ripple in their family, church and community,” David said.

He believes camp remains especially important in today’s world because it offers something increasingly rare — time and space to listen.

“Every day I wake up and see the noise, distraction and confusion that the world fosters,” he said. “It can be difficult in our normal environments to hear the one true voice of truth that comes only from God.”

Many pastors and church leaders have shared similar observations with the Cookes over the years, telling them that camp provides an environment where people are often more open to hearing from God. Former campers frequently tell them that some of the most important spiritual decisions of their lives were made while attending a retreat or camp at Timber Creek.

One story that remains especially meaningful involves a mother and daughter arriving at camp.

As they entered the property, the daughter suddenly grabbed her mother’s arm and asked, “Do you feel that?”

When her mother asked what she meant, the little girl replied, “Jesus. I feel Jesus here.”

For David, the moment was a reminder of why Timber Creek exists.

“It is a testimony that Timber Creek is God’s place and He has made it a sacred space,” he said. “Her daughter felt the presence of Jesus before a single Bible study was taught or worship song was sung. Our heart is that everyone who comes here encounters God in a powerful way.”

The couple also treasures the opportunity to mentor college-aged summer staff members each year. Many former staff members still stay in touch long after their summers at camp have ended.

“Watching other camp staff grow and take leadership is a true joy,” David said.

That investment in young people extends beyond a single summer. Through Timber Creek’s discipleship program, David and Lori Lynne have mentored hundreds of college students who have served on staff through the years.

“It is so rewarding to receive phone calls and messages from past staff who stay connected as they are following God’s plan for their lives,” David said.

The ministry has also strengthened the partnership David and Lori Lynne have shared throughout nearly four decades of marriage.

“There is no way Timber Creek Camp would work without our combined commitment,” David said.

While David often focuses on vision, leadership development and creative planning, he credits Lori Lynne’s organizational skills, systems management and relational ministry strengths as essential to the camp’s success.

“We live, work, eat and sleep camp together,” he said. “It is a partnership. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

As Timber Creek approaches three decades of ministry, David says the greatest lessons have been dependence on God, paying attention to small details and intentionally creating opportunities for people to encounter Christ.

Looking toward the future, the Cookes hope Timber Creek remains faithful to its mission while continuing to find creative ways to reach new generations.

“My hope is that decisions made here are lived out in communities across the region,” David said. “To know Christ and make Him known. That would be the best legacy I could imagine.”

Throughout the journey, several Scripture passages have served as guiding principles for the ministry. Among them are I Peter 4:10, which encourages believers to use their gifts to serve others; Romans 12:11, a reminder to serve the Lord with zeal and joy; and II Corinthians 5:20, which calls Christians to serve as ambassadors for Christ.

Together, those verses reflect Timber Creek’s core values: to serve Christ with joy and create opportunities for people to experience the gospel.

When asked to summarize the mission of Timber Creek in a single sentence, David’s answer was straightforward:

“To use the resources of camp and retreat ministry so people can receive Christ, respond to His call and renew a passion for reaching others.”

After nearly three decades, that mission continues to guide every retreat, worship service, activity and conversation that takes place on the campgrounds.

David said one lesson stands above all others.

“Only God can open the doors and provide the resources needed to reach thousands each year,” he said. “We have a front-row seat, but God is the one driving.”

When asked what Timber Creek is really about beyond the buildings, activities and events, his answer was simple.

“Jesus. Serving our guests out of love. Developing relationships. Spreading the Gospel in a fun and exciting way.”

And when David looks across the campgrounds and sees children laughing, learning and growing in faith, four words come to mind.

“Joy. Gratitude. Blessing. Awe.”

For David and Lori Lynne Cooke, those four words capture not only what they see when they look across Timber Creek Camp, but what they have experienced throughout nearly three decades of ministry.

Timber Creek Camp is located at 8113 Morton-Marathon Road in Pulaski and serves churches, schools, families and ministry groups from across Mississippi and neighboring states.