Family Camp brings 39th annual celebration to Restoration Acres July 26-29
By
Caitlin Forsha-crforsha@gmail.com
With the motto "building strong families of faith" at heart, the 39th annual Family Camp, hosted by Person to Person Ministries, will be
held July 26-29, 2010 at Restoration Acres in Hillsboro.
Family Camp, one of the most well-known ministry programs of Person to Person Ministries, is well-known throughout the country for its
inspirational program that draws speakers and guests from numerous different states. Introduced in 1972 at the farm of Marvin Wilson by
Larry "Bus" Wiseman, who founded Person to Person Ministries in 1967, Family Camp has been referred to as a "catalyst" for the family camp
movement and has been nicknamed the "granddaddy" of family camps by the Christian Standard.
"Our camp started it all," Kerry Allen, the current director of Person to Person Ministries and Family Camp, said about the family camp
movement. "It's really exciting to see how it has spawned others."
According to Allen, family camps have now become popular in other states, including Delaware, Illinois, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and
Illinois, but as the first of its kind, the Hillsboro Family Camp remains the largest and most popular, with over 4,000 people in attendance during some years.
Today, the Family Camp is held at Restoration Acres, an area so named for the ministry's attachment to the "Restoration movement." 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.
While the Family Camp features speakers from the Church of Christ, all are welcome, according to Allen.
"Some people do come to family camp who aren't affiliated with the Church of Christ, and we really appreciate having them," Allen said.
Not only are the activities of Family Camp designed to appeal to each member of the family, but Allen said that many people from out of town
will come in early or stay late to use the week of Family Camp as their family vacation, taking advantage of local attractions such as
Kings Island and further showcasing the emphasis on "family" the camp boasts.
Campers will begin their three-day, four-night Family Camp experience on the evening of Monday, July 26 with opening programs by Ray Bennett
and Tony Sullivan. Starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, families will worship together for 40 minutes during each morning's devotions and will then
be dismissed according to age group. Programming is available for children ages 2 and up, and junior and senior high school students
also have special programs, with morning education worship services and afternoon recreational activities for all school-age youth. 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, as well as daily congregational singing and special music concerts.
The main program for adults consists of a number of speakers from across the country, including speakers from Delaware, Florida,
Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, as well as local speakers.
"We have a wide variety of speakers, with different ages, styles, and professions who come from different sized churches," Allen said.
According to Allen, thousands sit in the open air pavilions at Restoration Acres to listen to the seven daily sermons and to sing
worship music together. Renowned 91-year-old local evangelist Ed Bousman, who has participated in all 39 Family Camps, will be the closing speaker.
A variety of ministry groups and businesses also set up exhibits in the display/restroom pavilion to share their work and resources.
Anyone interested in setting up a display is asked to contact Person to Person Ministries.
To participate in the family camp, one can register to camp at Restoration Acres during the week or can stay at a local hotel or
motel. Preregistration for camping at Restoration Acres is preferred, but anyone wanting to stay during Family Camp can register up through
the first day of the camp. There are no cafeterias or dorms on Restoration Acres, so campers will need to 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.
"You can just come for a day or even just a session," Allen said, noting that anyone in the community interested in attending a part of
the camp to get acquainted with Family Camp is more than welcome to participate.
As campers disperse after the evening sermons and presentations to go to local restaurants, stores, and motels, Allen hopes that other
people in the area will benefit from the Family Camp.
"I hope it helps local businesses that week," Allen said. "We want to make a positive contribution to the local community."
Allen's position as director of Person to Person Ministries requires him to travel approximately 35-40 weeks as a traveling evangelist, and
there are only four full-time and part-time staff members employed with the ministry organization, so volunteers who help to organize Family Camp are crucial.
"We need and appreciate volunteers so much," Allen said. "Family Camp is a huge undertaking, and it's only one of our many ministry programs."
Volunteers are needed for mowing, maintenance work, and numerous other projects. Allen said that usually anywhere from three to 15 volunteers
help the Person to Person Ministries group on their Family Camp work days. While most volunteers come from local churches and the
community, Allen noted that couples from as far as Kentucky, Michigan, and Missouri have volunteered in previous years.
"We just could not do it without volunteers," Allen said. "If you can volunteer even just a day, it would be a great help."
Volunteers interested in helping to prepare Restoration Acres for Family Camp are encouraged to call the office of Person to Person
Ministries to arrange to participate in any or all of the scheduled work days, July 5-7, 12-14, and 19-23.
To register for the family camp, please contact the Person to Person Ministries office at (937) 840-9071. More information about the family camp and complete schedules can be found at www.p2pm.org.
With the motto "building strong families of faith" at heart, the 39th annual Family Camp, hosted by Person to Person Ministries, will be held July 26-29, 2010 at Restoration Acres in Hillsboro.
Family Camp, one of the most well-known ministry programs of Person to Person Ministries, is well-known throughout the country for its inspirational program that draws speakers and guests from numerous different states. Introduced in 1972 at the farm of Marvin Wilson by Larry "Bus" Wiseman, who founded Person to Person Ministries in 1967, Family Camp has been referred to as a "catalyst" for the family camp movement and has been nicknamed the "granddaddy" of family camps by the Christian Standard.
"Our camp started it all," Kerry Allen, the current director of Person to Person Ministries and Family Camp, said about the family camp movement. "It's really exciting to see how it has spawned others."
According to Allen, family camps have now become popular in other states, including Delaware, Illinois, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, but as the first of its kind, the Hillsboro Family Camp remains the largest and most popular, with over 4,000 people in attendance during some years.
Today, the Family Camp is held at Restoration Acres, an area so named for the ministry's attachment to the "Restoration movement." 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.
While the Family Camp features speakers from the Church of Christ, all are welcome, according to Allen.
"Some people do come to family camp who aren't affiliated with the Church of Christ, and we really appreciate having them," Allen said.
Not only are the activities of Family Camp designed to appeal to each member of the family, but Allen said that many people from out of town will come in early or stay late to use the week of Family Camp as their family vacation, taking advantage of local attractions such as Kings Island and further showcasing the emphasis on "family" the camp boasts.
Campers will begin their three-day, four-night Family Camp experience on the evening of Monday, July 26 with opening programs by Ray Bennett and Tony Sullivan. Starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, families will worship together for 40 minutes during each morning's devotions and will then be dismissed according to age group. Programming is available for children ages 2 and up, and junior and senior high school students also have special programs, with morning education worship services and afternoon recreational activities for all school-age youth. 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, as well as daily congregational singing and special music concerts.
The main program for adults consists of a number of speakers from across the country, including speakers from Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, as well as local speakers.
"We have a wide variety of speakers, with different ages, styles, and professions who come from different sized churches," Allen said.
According to Allen, thousands sit in the open air pavilions at Restoration Acres to listen to the seven daily sermons and to sing worship music together. Renowned 91-year-old local evangelist Ed Bousman, who has participated in all 39 Family Camps, will be the closing speaker.
A variety of ministry groups and businesses also set up exhibits in the display/restroom pavilion to share their work and resources.
Anyone interested in setting up a display is asked to contact Person to Person Ministries.
To participate in the family camp, one can register to camp at Restoration Acres during the week or can stay at a local hotel or motel. Preregistration for camping at Restoration Acres is preferred, but anyone wanting to stay during Family Camp can register up through the first day of the camp. There are no cafeterias or dorms on Restoration Acres, so campers will need to 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.
"You can just come for a day or even just a session," Allen said, noting that anyone in the community interested in attending a part of the camp to get acquainted with Family Camp is more than welcome to participate.
As campers disperse after the evening sermons and presentations to go to local restaurants, stores, and motels, Allen hopes that other people in the area will benefit from the Family Camp.
"I hope it helps local businesses that week," Allen said. "We want to make a positive contribution to the local community."
Allen's position as director of Person to Person Ministries requires him to travel approximately 35-40 weeks as a traveling evangelist, and there are only four full-time and part-time staff members employed with the ministry organization, so volunteers who help to organize Family Camp are crucial.
"We need and appreciate volunteers so much," Allen said. "Family Camp is a huge undertaking, and it's only one of our many ministry programs."
Volunteers are needed for mowing, maintenance work, and numerous other projects. Allen said that usually anywhere from three to 15 volunteers
help the Person to Person Ministries group on their Family Camp work days. While most volunteers come from local churches and the community, Allen noted that couples from as far as Kentucky, Michigan, and Missouri have volunteered in previous years.
"We just could not do it without volunteers," Allen said. "If you can volunteer even just a day, it would be a great help."
Volunteers interested in helping to prepare Restoration Acres for Family Camp are encouraged to call the office of Person to Person Ministries to arrange to participate in any or all of the scheduled work days, July 5-7, 12-14, and 19-23.
To register for the family camp, please contact the Person to Person Ministries office at (937) 840-9071. More information about the family camp and complete schedules can be found at www.p2pm.org.
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