BECOME A FUN-RAISER!

This giving season, we’re not just fundraising. We’re FUN-raising!

Raise the Fun!

All ABout Jesus,
All about fun

For over 65 years, Camp Deer Run has been a place where countless kids and families have discovered the love of Christ in a unique and unforgettable way. While our mission is centered on sharing Jesus with our campers, there’s something else that makes this mission come alive every summer: FUN.

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your donation will Impact:

The Swing

Our giant swing has had a rough time with some determined woodpeckers. Despite our best efforts, they’ve continued to damage the poles. It’s time for a more permanent fix— or even an exciting new update. We want to level up the experience for our younger campers by adding a new ropes activity for all ages.

The Pool

Our pool deck is supposed to be replaced every ten years - it's been fifteen. For the safety of our campers and the longevity of our pool, it's time for a replacement. It's also time for some shade! We want to build a shade structure to cover part of the pool to keep it cooler during swim time and hot Middle Sunday baptisms.

The Pavilion

From dodgeball tournaments to worship services, the Pavilion sees it all. But in the middle of summer, it can get crazy hot in there! We’re planning to install a couple of massive fan to keep the air flowing and the fun going, even when the temperature rises. We will also replace the old halogen light fixtures with new LED fixtures that will be more energy efficient.

Volleyball Court

The volleyball courts need some love. We’re talking new nets, fresh sand, and retaining walls that can hold up to all the action. With these upgrades, campers will keep enjoying epic games of four-square volleyball and nukem for many summers to come! The volleyball courts will also be much easier to maintain after these enhancements.

Lost Pond

There’s nothing more fun for a kid than catching a fish, but nothing more frustrating than fishing for an hour with no bites. With your help, we want to stock the pond, known as Lost Pond to our campers, to maintain a healthy population of largemouth bass and bream so campers can do a little less fishing and a lot more catching!

Help us Raise the Fun!

Watch the video to learn more about our FUNraiser!
Your gift this holiday season will help us to upgrade and improve some of the most FUN parts of Camp Deer Run. This is so important to our mission because at Camp Deer Run, the carefree and fun environment helps kids to lay their burdens down and become receptive to the good news of Jesus. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. There are a lot of camps out there that are fun just for the sake of fun. At Camp Deer Run, we are having fun for the sake of the gospel!

Why does it matter?

"We would love to see the swing back in action!"

4th Session Parent

"My daughter loves all of the 'simple fun' and she truly enjoys being without her phone."

2nd Session Parent

"Camp was EPIC!"

5th Session Camper

"I am extremely grateful to CDR for the impact it has made on my kids. Both of them say it is the happiest place on earth and their favorite place to be."

2nd Session Parent

"Camp Deer Run is the single most exciting event that my children look forward to every year."

4th Session Parent

"We would like to see the swing fixed up - the one in the woods."

2nd Session Parent

raise the fun

Each of these places is a critical piece of the carefree setting that allows campers to experience the joy of being kids again. In this environment, they witness Christ’s love through our amazing summer staff and become open and receptive to the gospel message.

To keep these special areas in top shape, we need to complete some vital repairs and upgrades. That’s why we’re asking for your help. Our goal is to raise $120,000 by the end of this year so we can continue providing the kind of experiences that make Camp Deer Run a place where fun and faith go hand in hand.

Your donation will play a critical role in ensuring that campers can experience God in the special Deer Run way—where fun paves the way for faith.

Day 1 - God Comes First

SCRIPTURE:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-6


DEVOTIONAL:

This is a verse that we hear often. It’s a common memory verse. It’s the basis for countless worship songs and hymns. It strikes at the core of all Christian faith and life. These words come from Moses, as He speaks to the Israelites before their entry into the Promised Land. Behind them, there has been a long journey – from slavery to freedom a promise of a land of their own that is very good. But along that journey there has been temptation, and the Israelites have time and time again lost sight of their covenant with God and forgotten the salvation that He delivered to them. Because of that, they spent 40 years wandering in the desert instead of going straight to the new homeland that God had promised.


It’s a lesson to all of us that when we lose sight of God, when we forget about Him and His Word, when our focus drifts away from Him, we end up wandering in a desert instead of enjoying the good things He intended for us.


At Camp Deer Run, we leave behind many of the things in our day to day lives that distract us from God. We leave behind the phones, the TVs, the social media, the stress of school or work, the trials and struggles that we carry with us. When you step through the gates as your session begins, you can leave all of it behind you and just focus on God, pure and simple.
When we set those burdens down, and remove all the distractions that are keeping us from seeing God clearly and putting Him first in our lives, we come closer to Him, we grow deeper in our relationship with Him, we feel His love. And when we know His love for us and understand that we are His beloved children, our love for Him grows too.


But Camp doesn’t have some kind of magic forcefield around it that makes you leave your worries at the door. It’s definitely easier at Camp to leave those things behind. There’s so much fun to be had, so much nature to enjoy, and so many friends to surround you. But at the end of the day, it’s still up to you to let go of the things that distract you from God and to put Him first. Sometimes that’s hard to do, and sometimes it takes a little while to figure it out. That’s ok!


As you prepare for Camp, we just want you to know that God wants to have a relationship with you. God knows you. God loves you. And He wants you to keep your focus on Him, because He doesn’t want you to be lost in the desert. He wants to lead you to the Promised Land!

 

DISCUSSION:


What are some of the things that make it hardest for you to focus on God at home?


Can you leave that behind when you go to Camp? How?


Camp Deer Run is all about seeing God in everything, not just worship or Bible lessons, but in the games and activities and friends and fun. How do you keep your focus on God in all of these different situations?