The very first Ocean City Beach Project took place in 1983. Jeff Winter, a former CCO staff member who was at that time working as the Assistant Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Ocean City, New Jersey, originally cast the vision for the Project. Dave and Cindy Guthrie, George Foose and Barb Schreur staffed OCBP during its first summer.
First Presbyterian Church in Ocean City has been associated with the Beach Project since its inception. The congregation encourages OCBP students to participate in their church programs. This partnership imparts a vision for students’ life-long involvement in the local church.
Traditionally, several community businesses wait specifically for the “OCBP Crew” to arrive in order to hire solid folks for the summer. As the years progress, the community has come to learn about the quality of people the Project brings to Ocean City ever year. Local businesses expect and welcome OCBP.
Students graduating from OCBP reflect on their summer experiences and recognize the way the project influenced them. Not uncommon are comments like “I never realized my faith had something to say about every area of life!” or “I loved the community and fun memories from my summer at the Project.” These testimonies reflect the transformative nature of the project.
As the project moves forward, we look forward to inviting students to know and trust Jesus more intimately. We long for students to grow in their faith and leadership roles as they seek to be a redemptive light in the darkness of this broken world.