kids need adventure. challenges. direction. growth.
summer Newsletter 2012
In this Issue + + + + +
Letter from the President............. 1 Retreats.......................................... 2 Overnight Camps.......................... 3 Day Camps..................................... 5 Planned Giving .............................. 6
summer newsletter:
president’s letter Embracing all kids By Michael Perry President of SpringHill Camps SpringHill’s very first campers were from an orphanage. These kids had no family and no resources to attend summer camp. It was through the partnership of individuals and local churches that these kids had the opportunity to be the very first SpringHill campers. They were the first of many to hear and see Jesus Christ through a SpringHill experience. Since then, SpringHill’s Board and staff have been committed to make camp a place that welcomes all kids from all different places and backgrounds. This is why we have one of the only Inclusion Programs for special needs campers in the country. It is also why we serve kids from the city, suburbs and rural America. It is why when students are asked, “Why do you come back to SpringHill every year?”, they often respond, “Because it’s the only place I can go and be myself. I can leave the box I’m in at home and be accepted and loved for who I really am.” But to SpringHill, being a welcoming place includes assuring that no camper is turned away from having a SpringHill experience for financial reasons. We want to welcome all campers, including campers who cannot afford to attend camp. Just like Enoch Olson, founder of SpringHill, and his team did for those campers in 1969. It is because we have stayed true to this commitment over the past four economically challenging years, that we have seen our camper scholarships grow from $380,000 to nearly $900,000. Just like that first summer, we have been thankful for the many partners who have helped to meet this growing need. If you would like to help send a camper to SpringHill this summer, please consider a gift today. Know that you will have a part in giving a young person the opportunity to be a SpringHill camper and, like those kids from the orphanage, to hear, see and experience Jesus Christ in a life-changing way.
We need you! Volunteer and make a difference SpringHill’s volunteers are an integral part of camp, and they truly help camp operate. Our volunteers span from young to old and, depending on interests and expertise, perform a variety of work including activities, medical staff, maintenance and administration. To volunteer at either Overnight Camp, contact Barb Feavel at 231.679.4454 or bfeavel@springhillcamps.com. For more information on what volunteer projects you can be a part of, visit springhillcamps.com/mi/volunteer (Michigan) or springhillcamps.com/in/volunteer (Indiana). 1
Read through the Bible in one year Looking to be nourished by God’s Word? Come along as we journey through the Old and New Testaments from front to back. Reflect as SpringHill President Michael Perry guides you through the Bible in one year. Make time for a 20-minute daily routine that will redirect and bring focus to your life. It’s never too late to start! To begin your journey, visit www.michaelperry1. wordpress.com and click “Reflections.”
download our free e-book! Michael Perry’s Devotional Journal Volume 1 is also available as a free download for e-reader devices. Visit michaelperry1.wordpress.com/ category/reflections/volume-1 and choose your e-reader’s icon!
summer newsletter:
retreats fall juniors retreats
upcoming retreats check out all the different events happening at springhill!
This fall’s theme will engage your students in a Gold Rush, exploring what it means to really know God. Do you remember when your elementary school teacher pulled out a chunk of what looked like real gold? It turned out to be just iron pyrite, or fool’s gold. This year we will take your students on a journey out West and look at some key truths from John 17:3. Students, in grades 4th-6th, will get to know the real God, discover how to identify the truth in His Word and use the gifts they find to make a difference in their world.
indiana + September 14-16
michigan + October 26-28 + November 2-4 + November 9-11 Questions? Please call 231.734.2616 or email register@springhillcamps.com.
Winter Teen Retreats What an exciting season!
indiana Summer Family Camp: June 29-July 1 labor day weekend family camp: August 31-September 3 teen fall retreat: September 7-9 juniors retreat: September 14-16 the well women’s retreat: september 20-23 father/daughter retreat: october 5-7 For more information, visit springhillcamps.com/IN/retreats.
michigan Summer Family Camp: July 13-15
Our Winter Teen Retreat theme for 2012-2013, Sketch, will help your students understand what it means to be uniquely created by God for a purpose. We’ll unpack key ideas from Ephesians 2:10 with messages like Doodle, Erase, Color and Animate. Learn more about what happened this past season! Visit www.youtube.com/springhillvideos to view our 2011–2012 Winter Teen Retreat highlight video.
labor day weekend family camp: August 31-September 3 women’s fall retreat: october 5-7 For more information, visit springhillcamps.com/MI/retreats.
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overnight camp:
michigan Storybrook relaunch
family fun day
don’t forget to pack the swimsuit!
spread the word!
The countdown has begun! We have spent the past year renovating, enhancing and creating a more impactful experience for your child in our Storybrook Camp Center. Be prepared for unforgettable stories, fun activities and great community as your child experiences Storybrook in a whole new way. With age-appropriate programming, housing and activities, we look to give first through third graders a land of imagination where they will discover who they are and their role as part of a team.
Looking for a way to introduce SpringHill to your friends and family? Bring them along to one of our many Family Fun Days! This Saturday event is designed to offer a sneak peek into our camping ministry. Take a tour of the entire camp and learn more about our history and programming. Take a walk through the camp center you are interested in with the director, ask questions and enjoy some of our many camp activities! Kids have an interactive mission during which they will receive stamps on their passport after completing activities.
Upcoming Family Fun Days: Saturday, June 2 (1-5pm) Saturday, August 4 (1-5pm)
For more information, or to RSVP for Family Fun Day, visit springhillcamps.com/mi/offers.
Camper Connect
Brand New to Camp!
This year we are offering a new program at our Michigan Camp that allows parents to receive a daily email featuring a photo and quote from their child. This will allow parents to experience the fun and excitement of SpringHill Camps through their child’s eyes each day! Parents can choose from a variety of packages: + $20 for 3–4 days of camp + $40 for a week of camp + $80 for 2 weeks of camp To register, visit www.springhillcamps.com/registration or call 231.734.2616 to speak to someone from our registration team. 3
The Family Fun Day this past Saturday was so much fun! Needless to say my daughter is super excited to attend camp this July. Staff was amazing and took the time to answer all my questions. Kids loved the zipline in Storybrook and mom is still regretting that I “chickened out” going on it! – Camper Parent
overnight camp:
indiana Volunteer Spotlight
campference: it’s more than just lectures. come and rejuvenate your soul!
Bob briggs clarkston, MI
In 2001, Bob began volunteering at our Michigan Overnight property with youth from his after school independent Bible club. Throughout the years, Bob has brought over a thousand kids to camp to volunteer. How did you become involved with SpringHill? I was one of the first campers that came to SpringHill back in 1969. Since that first year, I have loved SpringHill. In 1998, after I graduated, I began working with youth. In 2001, a friend of mine mentioned that I should come up to serve on camp. The first time I came, I brought 25 kids to plant trees and work throughout the weekend. The kids absolutely love it! We have been going to SpringHill ever since. What do you feel the kids learn from volunteering? Volunteering builds an experience for the kids and time with one another. It sets time aside from their world and allows them to focus on God. The kids work hard, have great community, and learn more about their relationship with God.
SpringHill is hosting the 2012 Campference at our very own Indiana Overnight property. Engage in a weekend packed with Middle School Ministry veterans as they pour their lives into you and your team. Signup now and save! For more information, please visit: www.middleschoolministrycampference.com.
who’s behind the scenes? Get to know the staff helping you
chrissy hubers
Tell us about a time when you were volunteering. It’s different every single time. I remember one time I brought 25 kids to help on camp. During the week, they were given a tour and we noticed that there was not one project on camp that those kids didn’t touch. From the teepees, wagons and forts to the trails, pool and Storybrook, we have touched every part of camp. Why volunteer at SpringHill? Volunteering will get kids away from their normal environment and give them a chance to really see God; it helps to breakdown walls. It’s a great way to touch people’s lives. It gives you the chance to be real with them, each other and God. Many of the kids we have brought to camp have found God and recommitted their lives on camp while volunteering.
If you come, come with the right attitude. Attitude and focus is everything. Go and make it a Godly weekend. – Bob
customer services Manager seymour, indiana
camp center: Indiana Overnight Camp Years at springhill: Three Why do you work at SpringHill? I attended SpringHill Camps for the first time in 5th grade and absolutely loved it! When my parents picked me up at the end of the week I told them when I grew up I wanted to work at camp. The Lord has provided me with this opportunity and I could not be happier. I stay at SpringHill because I know the impact it has had on my life and I enjoy sharing that with others. Favorite memory: One of my most memorable experiences was when a camper parent stopped me on the sidewalk in tears to thank me for the experience we had provided her son. She shared how her son’s heart had softened and she knew he was leaving camp forever changed by the love of Christ. She was so grateful for his experience and wanted to make sure we knew about it. I am touched when families take a moment to share these stories with me. It reminds me of why I do what I do. Favorite camp song: The Moose favorite childhood book: American Girl books
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summer newsletter:
day camps alumni Spotlight
Brian bennett
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Brian Bennett is the Lead Pastor of Overflow Church and the President/ED of the Overflow Christian Community Development Association (OCCDA) in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Brian oversees three enterprises and a literacy program where he works alongside staff to fulfill the church’s vision of overflowing boundaries of racism and classism. Brian resides in Benton Harbor with his wife, Cindy, and his two children, Hannah and Dawson. it all started 20 years... Nearly 20 years ago, Brian came to SpringHill Camps as a camper. After years of resisting the calling he felt God had for him, he applied and returned to SpringHill as a summer staffer. Brian was a basketball counselor coach in 1998 and an area director in 1999. It was in those years that Brian focused and redirected his life to fulfill God’s calling. Explain how you felt when you first walked onto camp as a counselor. It was in that first week that I saw the presence of God through my peers and leaders. Standing in worship surrounded by believers that looked just like me was a very overwhelming experience. What moment stands out to you during that first week? The last night of training, Mark Olson gave a message about taking up your cross and following Christ. It was one of those moments where I felt like I was the only person in the room he was talking to. That night I completely surrendered my life to Him. I felt this radical change and I realized that I did not have just a religion; I had a relationship with Jesus. Looking back, what would you say to a new summer staffer? Really seek God while you’re here for yourself, outside of what you are going to deliver to others. Stay open to how He wants to use you or the others around you and have a servant’s heart. For more information about Overflow Church, visit www.overflowchurch.org.
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For more information about OCCDA, visit www.occda.com.
urban week expansion! Where we have gone since 2010
This is truly a year of growth for SpringHill, especially for our Day Camps Program. What was once an idea on paper has now become a key part of SpringHill’s ministry. What are Urban Weeks: Urban Week is a Day Camp experience that allows us the opportunity to serve in inner-cities alongside another ministry partner. Through this alignment, urban youth are able to experience Day Camps at a free or reduced cost. The History of Urban Weeks: Urban Weeks began in 2010 with 83 campers in Detroit and 150 campers in Indianapolis. In 2011, we had the opportunity to offer three Urban Weeks to over 400 children in Detroit, Grand Rapids and Indianapolis. Where We are Now: In 2012, we will have the opportunity to reach out to over 1,000 kids through 12 urban partnerships in six different cities. We are excited to say that nearly 2,000 campers will have a Day Camp experience because of scholarship support through Urban Weeks and other church partnerships. As we approach summer, please keep our staff that lead these weeks in your prayers. Also, please pray for more funding support. One person can make a difference, you could be that person: As part of our Kids Need Camp campaign, we are asking all of our SpringHill families and friends to partner with us in sending over 2,800 deserving young kids to camp on a scholarship this year. Please consider a gift today. Know that your gift enables stories of God’s goodness to be made known in the lives of many.
2012 Urban Ministry Partnerships + INDIANA LOCATIONS
Indianapolis – Shepard Community Center
+ michigan locations
Detroit – Mack Avenue Comm. Church & Hope Comm. Church Detroit – Central Detroit Christian Detroit – LifeBuilders Detroit – The City Mission & Grace Centers of Hope Grand Rapids – The Potter’s House Grand Rapids – Tabernacle & Burton Elementary Madison Heights– Hiller Elementary (Iraqi Refugees) Pontiac – The City Mission & Grace Centers of Hope
+ OHIO LOCATIONS
Cincinnati – City Gospel Mission
summer newsletter:
planned giving what every parent should know
In a typical week’s time the average u.s. child spends...
2,121
during one week at springhill camps... minutes are spent watching tv, talking on a phone, playing video Games, at a computer
At SpringHill, campers won’t spend time watching tv, texting, talking on a cell phone, playing video games on a computer, or listening to music with headphones. They will spend 3,600 minutes outside and 300 minutes in meaningful conversation with Christian role models.
Everyone has an Estate. Planning the distribution of an estate is one of the most important and difficult decisions you will ever make. You need to be informed about taxes, wills, trusts and charitable gifts. Even if you have already done some planning by making a will or trust, a reevaluation of that plan can prove extremely beneficial. As a free service to you, we would like to help you design your own estate plan – or improve the one you have – with the assistance of top Christian professionals. To accomplish this, we have retained the services of PhilanthroCorp, a Christcentered estate design firm. With professional expertise and a servant’s heart, they can help you design your will and/or trust in a way that most effectively transfers your assets to loved ones and the ministries you care about. Call PhilanthroCorp at 800.876.7958 to get started today.
SpringHill Camps promotes community, teaches critical thinking, embraces nature, creates future leaders and fosters positive relationships. Kids need camp. Help send a child to camp. To donate, visit springhillcamps.com/donate.
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Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Grand Rapids, MI Permit No. 564
SpringHill Camps | P.O. Box 100 | Evart, MI 49631 | 231.734.2616
Summer is getting close! (No, really it is.)
going green? Would you like to receive the newsletter via email? If so, please email: mbeggs@springhillcamps.com.
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