Meet the Staff [Part 6]

Hello, I’m EJ Tiggs. I attend the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, IN. I’m working on earning a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Advertising. This summer will be my third summer working on staff at SpringHill. I’ve been a Red Brush Counselor, a Red Brush Area Director, and this summer I will be a Teen Service Team Area Director. Before working at SpringHill, I had been a camper in both InPursuit and TST.

I’m so glad that I get to work at SpringHill this summer because it gives me this great opportunity that I don’t get often, and that is being able to share the message of Christ with younger children and teens and mentor them. Being that I was a camper before, I value the counselors and leaders that helped me through middle school and high school. SpringHill isn’t just a summer camp; it’s a tool that helps young people grow in Christ. What I’m looking forward to the most are the life changing moments that are sure to come!

From the glittering lights of the Las Vegas strip to the scenic location of SpringHill tucked away in the woods of Indiana, this summer is going to be quite a drastic and refreshing change. My name is Nicole Zimmerman, and I have the privilege of serving as Director for the InPursuit program. I have been actively involved in youth ministry and performing arts ministries since 2005 and attended college in Las Vegas and California with my focus in Business Administration and Biblical Studies. I cannot wait to spend my summer at SpringHill because I believe so greatly in its purpose and vision. Seeing youth come to know and grow in the Lord while learning to connect everyday life and activities with their faith is the greatest blessing. I look most forward to connecting with the youth and seeing all the preparation and prayer come to life once camp weeks begin.

Meet the Staff [Sibling Edition]

Please join me in welcoming a dynamite sibling combo, Grant and Ashley Henry!  (I chose this picture for them, its from Crud Wars, it gets a bit messy!)

 Hello!  My name is Grant Henry.  I am from Warsaw, Indiana.  I attend Purdue University where I am an elementary education major. This summer I have the privilege of being the Summer Camp Director!

This year will be my 3rd summer at SpringHill and with each summer I have so greatly enjoyed seeing what God does in the lives of kids at Camp and in the lives of staff.  He moves in mighty ways.  It is a place that is an incredible experience for everyone involved, leaving a life-changing impact that is contagious and something I just cannot get enough of.

The thing I am looking forward to the most this summer is being able to invest in staff, encouraging them, ministering to them, and praying both for them and their campers that they would have a direct impact for the Lord that would last a lifetime.  I am looking forward to seeing how staff will have the opportunity to reach thousands of campers through sharing the gospel with these kids. I pray that they will then have a growing faith in Jesus that carries with them for the rest of their lives.  Kids do in fact need camp as camp offers irreplaceable experiences.

 

 Hello! My name is Ashley Henry. (Grant’s Little Sis) I am from Warsaw, IN and I will be graduating this spring with an Exercise Science major from Taylor University. I will be the High Adventure Lead.  As the “HIAD” Lead I will be leading the staff which facilitates the Climbing Wall, Euro Bungee, Solo Challenge, High Ropes Course and everyone’s favorite, the Zipline!

I knew I wanted to work at SpringHill from the first time I ever came to camp.  It was during a Family Weekend visit when my brother worked there in the summer of 2010.  The next Spring I applied and I got to work as a High Adventure Instructor during this past summer.  SpringHill is a special place and I have come to love everything about it!  From the beautiful landscape, the awesome activities, and especially the people I can’t wait to get back.  The people that work here at SpringHill are very high quality and I feel blessed to know them and work with them everyday!

What I am probably most excited about is meeting my new team of High Adventure Instructors and getting to know each of them personally!  I am also looking forward to my new leadership position as well as training, teaching and encouraging my team throughout the summer.  I had a very challenging but great experience as an Instructor last year and now I am very thankful that I get the chance to lead others.  God has truly given me a love for the outdoors and for kids and teaching others about Christ.

Overall, I am VERY EXCITED for my second summer at SpringHill!

 

Edison [or Tesla] Would be Proud

As I have stated before, change is in the air here at SpringHill.  Due to the unseasonably warm weather we have had the opportunity to really make some great strides on our “to do” list.  One of the exciting updates for this summer is electricity! Now I understand that it was over 120 years ago that Tesla and Edison duked it out over “power rights” and thus electricity may seem like old news.  However, when it comes to lights, fans and power to our Walled Tents, Hill toppers and Teepees, this is literally groundbreaking news.  Our site team along with some outside help and volunteers has spent hours tearing through our earth to lay down the cable needed to provide power to these (no longer) rustic areas.  Parents, staff and campers alike can rejoice knowing that this summer, no matter where you stay, you will have the ability to see and cool off.

I understand that some may ask: “At what point do you loose the rustic feel of camping?”  I have had to wrestle with this question myself so let me share with you why these updates are important for SpringHill and are aligned with our mission.  Our goal is to provide a safe, welcoming camp environment for all of our guests.  Our mission involves sharing the life-impacting message of Christ with every camper.  It becomes difficult to accomplish our mission if campers are too focused on such things as the heat or a fear of the dark.  We also understand that some parents are not comfortable sending their children to sleep away in an unlit cabin with no movement of air.  By adding power we now have the ability to add lighting and fans to each cabin, thus addressing the aforementioned concerns.

We are so excited about these updates and I cannot wait to see how God is going to use them to further His kingdom.  If you are interested in helping complete this project please contact me at cedgren@springhillcamps.com. If you have any questions about this project, please leave a comment.

Meet the Staff [2]

Hello, I’m Sarah,

I am from Bluffton Ohio, but currently live in Upland Indiana where I attend Taylor University. I am studying Elementary Education as an undergrad and then plan to get my masters in counseling in hopes of becoming a school counselor someday.

I will be an Area Director for InPursuit girls. I attended SpringHill as a camper and was a counselor last year. I wanted to come back because of the atmosphere camp has. It¹s a time to let loose, be yourself, and grow spiritually. You are challenged everyday with different situations and events but it is worth every minute because of the relationships you build with the campers as well as being able to share the Lord so freely with so many people.

I am looking forward to being a return staff member but serving in a different position. I am excited to work with people from previous years and also to see campers from last year. I am also excited for the challenge of a new position and building relationships and encouraging the counselors.

I cannot wait until camp starts!!!

Hello! My name is Abby, and I am happy to introduce myself to you as the Redbrush Director for this summer. I am originally from West Chester,OH (just north of Cincinnati) where I grew up with two brothers, my mom and dad, and our dog Sandy. In 2007 I moved to Indiana to attend Ball State University and study elementary education. Since graduating last.

May, I have been working as an instructional assistant in an elementary school in Noblesville, IN. I have loved the past year of building relationships with children and working with them in reading and math.

Sometimes I think they teach me more than I teach them!

In the summer of 2010 I was a Redbrush Counselor, and I absolutely fell in love with the camp and ministry of SpringHill. To me, there is something so special about a camp atmosphere, and I am excited to spend this summer building relationships with others and growing closer to the founder and perfecter of faith, Jesus Christ. I look forward to experiencing the joy that I did during my past summer at SpringHill and seeing others experience that same joy for the first, second, or even tenth time. SpringHill has proven to be a magical place for many to encounter Christ, and I think the community we have with elementary, middle, and high school students (as well as college and adult staff) coming together is a chance for us to see a small glimpse of God’s Kingdom here on earth. While it is true that God is with us wherever we go, I am beyond excited that SpringHill is the place He chooses to go with me this summer. Bring on the warm weather, games, and campfires!

Here Comes the Party [Barge]

As I promised last week, today I will be giving you a glimpse of the work being done on the Party Barge.  Thanks to donors and volunteers we have been able to overhaul one of our greatest assets. Some of the new highlights include: lighting (for night-time fun), a sound system, all new zip-line tower, new composite decking, easy to use staircase, new paint and other eye pleasing additions.

This has been no small undertaking for the site team.  They have been working on grinding, welding, sanding, painting and building since the fall.  I am so grateful for all the hard work that has been going into this project and am so excited to see the finished product in use this summer.

The pictures only show our current progress, you’ll have to come this summer to see it in its full glory.  Campers are going to have a blast on this year, parents, sign up for a family camp so you can experience it first hand as well!

As we say goodbye to the Party Barge as it once was, I would love for anyone to share fond memories they have at the Party Barge. For me its all the time I’ve spent out there training our lifeguards.

As we look forward to using the new Party Barge, I must ask; what are you most looking forward to this year at SpringHill?

Change is in the Air

While I know it is too early to declare the arrival of spring, it sure is hard not to get excited about warmer weather and sunshine.  At SpringHill spring means many things but most importantly it means getting ready.  Every year we try to step it up another notch over the previous year as well as take another step in the direction of our mission.  This year there are three main projects we are working on to improve the physical property and experience of our guests.

1. Dining Hall Upgrade
2. Electricity to all housing areas
3. Party Barge Update

Today I am going to share a little bit about the Dining Hall plan and why this project is important to SpringHill.  By the time we have our summer campers on camp in June we will have totally revamped our dining hall space and improved its ability to be used as a session space.  As you can imagine, a large area with a concrete floor and many hard surfaces did not make for an ideal space for large group sessions and loud bands.  So, we brought in an acoustical engineer and designed a plan to improve this space and control sound.  We are also looking at revamping the stage area to include two screens, a permanent stage and real professional stage curtains.  Another really cool addition is the GOBO.  Usually drummers are stuck in Plexiglas fish tanks in order to control sound levels.  With the GOBO we will be able to eliminate the tank and free up more stage space.

All of this work will add up to a well-purposed space not just a re-purposed space.  We have always used this space for duel roles, eating and entertaining, however the entertaining was always a secondary function.  With these upgrades guests will be able to have a truly professional audio-visual experience.  Better yet concerts will not turn into mere, cover your ears, noise.

I truly appreciate the vision, planning, time and hard work that our site team has put into this project.  When this project is complete we will have to ability to serve more campers and guests on our property, which means our capacity to reach others with the message of Christ increases!  If you would like to help with this project please contact myself or call the office at 812.497.0008.