Family Camp set for July 23-26

Gearing up for a week of learning, prayer and wholesome fun, Person to Person Ministries will host the 41st annual Family Camp, July 23-26 at Restoration Acres in Hillsboro.

Family Camp is one of the most well-known ministry programs of Person to Person Ministries, a non-denominational organization based in Hillsboro and aimed at "assisting the church in building disciples," according to their website.

The Hillsboro Family Camp was introduced in 1972 at the farm of Marvin Wilson by Larry "Bus" Wiseman, who founded Person to Person Ministries in 1967, and as the first and largest of its kind, the nationally renowned camp has boasted over 4,000 people in attendance during some years.

Family Camp is held at Restoration Acres, located at 5845 state Route 124.

Restoration Acres features room for over 600 campsites, shower and restroom facilities, electrical and water hookups, open air pavilions for the camp's sessions and recreation areas for families to fellowship.

Campers will begin their three-day, four-night Family Camp experience on the evening of Monday, July 23 with an opening programs by Ray Bennett, who has been opening the camp program since its inception, according to Person to Person Ministries director Kerry Allen.

Starting Tuesday, families will worship together for 40 minutes during each morning's devotions and will then be dismissed according to age group. There will also be daily congregational singing and special music concerts. Programming is available for children ages 2 through 12th grade.

In addition to family worship and special programming for children, there will also be a special "ladies session" on Wednesday for the women in attendance, led by Carolyn Lieb, the wife of the minister of the local Mount Olive Church of Christ.

The main program for adults consists of a number of speakers from across the country, including speakers from Ohio, Delaware, Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky and Florida, as well as a minister who serves as a missionary in India.

Allen noted that one special speaker this year is nationally recognized public speaker, radio host and writer Peter Heck. Heck, who lives in Kokomo, Ind., is a high school history and political science teacher who hosts a radio show broadcast on nearly 200 stations across the country. Heck is also a syndicated columnist for both online and print publications.

"He teaches and is in churches doing seminars, but he is not a professional preacher," Allen said. "We are very, very fortunate to have Peter Heck speak this year."

Another special guest speaker will be Dr. Johnny Pressley, the dean of the seminary at Cincinnati Christian University, who will speak Wednesday night at 7:20 p.m.

"Johnny's just a truly great speaker, and even though he's highly educated, he speaks in a way everyone can understand, so we're glad to have him," Allen said.

Following Dr. Pressley's presentation will be Stephen Sams, who recently founded a new church near Mason, Ohio.

On Thursday, there will be a special early morning prayer service at 6 a.m., and Allen noted that the Preacher Boys, a group of teenagers, will each preach for five minutes during a session on Thursday afternoon.

The camp's closing speaker will be Tom Claibourne, the longtime preacher of the Bethlehem Church of Christ in Winchester. Like Heck, Claibourne is also a columnist, writing a monthly column for the Restoration Herald.

"He's preached at Bethlehem for 32 or 33 years, and the church has really grown," Allen said. "He is in demand as a seminar leader and teacher, and just last week spoke in Orlando at the North American Christian Convention.

"We have quite a variety of speakers and a variety of ages as well as the types of ministry they come from so I feel that's one of the appeals of family camp."

Anyone wanting to stay on site during Family Camp can register through the first day of the camp. Campers must provide their own food and a tent or RV to sleep in if they are staying on site. Registration is only required for those wishing to camp at Restoration Acres; anyone with other accommodations can simply attend the camp sessions as they wish. There is ample time in the
evenings for fellowship or to enjoy shopping and dining in town. A variety of ministry groups and businesses also set up exhibits in the display/restroom pavilion to share their work and resources.

"We anticipating having a really great week," Allen said.

For more information on the family camp or for a complete schedule of speakers and events, please contact the Person to Person Ministries office at (937) 840-9071 or visit www.p2pm.org.