Three Springs Farm Provides Valuable Space For Teens
(Continued from Page B 6)
week-long residential camps, and
weekend retreats are all part of
the package that focuses the
kids' attention on Christian val
ues and beliefs.
In a typical day at the residen
tial camp, the staff is onboard at
7:15 a.m. for a meeting. Break
fast is at 8:30 followed by person
al devotion time for the kids.
“The kids are told to separate
around the grounds. They have
study guides and their Bibles,”
explained Rush.
At about 9:30 a.m., the group
comes together for group wor
ship and singing followed by a
teaching time. Then the kids
again break up into groups to
discuss the morning’s topic. The
morning learning sessions are
followed by an organized game
such as volleyball, soccer and
other sports. Right before lunch
they come together again to give
kids the opportunity to interact
with the staff.
“We call this time “hot topics’
and we give the kids the oppor
tunity to ask all kinds of ques
tions questions about dating
relationships, parents, the world
in general, and sometimes Bibli
cal questions,” Rush said.
Following lunch, the kids have
an hour of elected activities in
cluding archery, horseback rid
ing, craft projects and exercise
activities among other things.
The kids also get plenty of free
time in the afternoon for swim
ming, hiking, fishing or other ac
tivities.
After supper, the group comes
together once again for some
singing and teaching time and
then they enjoy a planned eve
ning activity followed by more
free time. At about 10:30, the
group is called together once
again to talk about the day’s ac
tivities and everyone retreats to
their cabins for a good night’s
sleep.
The schedule for the wilder
ness activity weeks are very dif
ferent. Kids choose either the
mountain biking camp or horse
back riding camps. With the
mountain bike riding camp, staff
members take the kids to a pre
determined spot and the kids
plan their route to get to the next
predetermined campsite, work
ing their way back to the home
camp on a 150-mile trek. On the
horseback riding camps, kids go
on a weeklong trailride, covering
15-17 miles a day for a 100-mile
round trip.
To tote the gear needed for a
whole week, campers get a cubi
cle of space in a trailer that gets
moved from campsite to
campsite by staff members. Also
in the trailer is a food storage
area and a fresh supply of drink
ing water.
“What the kids do is pack up
camp in the morning, lock up the
trailer and just leave. Then one
of our staff goes out during the
day, and we hook on the trailer
and move it to the next campsite.
We unhook it and leave.
“When campers arrive, the
trailer is there, and they can set
up camp. What’s nice is especial
ly with the horseback weeks, we
have an opportunity to resupply
with hay and feed. We don’t
have to worry about grazing ani
mals,” explained Rush.
Three Springs also offers back
pack weeks where older students
hike through the wilderness car
rying everything they need in
their packs.
Camp members learn leader
ship and planning skills through
these activities.
“This year offers 10 different
wilderness weeks and as far as
residential camps. There are
three that we actually sponsor
and staff ourselves and there are
several that we do the support
work and provide the facility.
Some churches in Southern
Pennsylvania have a large high
school ministry and might bring
50-60 kids from one church. For
those, we just fill in the gaps -
provide some of the activities
and the food, and sometimes
some teaching and leading
music.” Rush explained.
To run the camp, there are
seven full-time staff members
with additional staff in the sum
mer, and a full-time nine mem
ber board of directors, which
oversees all activities. Board
members are from various back
grounds including business and
ministry. Jeff and Deanne’s three
sons, Aaron, 14; Seth, 12; and
Adam, 8, also take part in the
work and fun of living at a year
round retreat center.
“I like it, I have lots of friends
that come up and it gives me lots
to do!” said Aaron.
Part of living on Three Spring
Farm is also raising food for both
the campers and the livestock.
“We put up about 3,000 bales of
hay each year and farm some
ground that belongs to the neigh
bors,” said Rush.
They also raise some beef ani
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 22, 2000-B7
mats, butchering two to three
each year as food for the camp
ers, have a small orchard, pro
cessing about 100 gallons of ap
plesauce every year, and have
grown their own sweet corn. This
year they will purchase sweet
corn from a neighboring farmer,
but still plan to process about
2,000 ears. They also raise their
own potatoes and other fresh
vegetables.
“There’s lots of reasons to do
this. Cost is one factor, and we
think we can have better food
quality than going out and buy
ing it,” said Rush.
All these activities add up to a
full schedule for both campers
and workers alike, but the Rush
family wouldn’t have it any other
way.
According to board member
Todd Morehart, the camp works
because of Jeff Rush’s ability to
stick to his founding principles.
“Jeffs premise that he found
ed the camp on was to minister
to teens from 13 to 19 years old,
and to get them into a saving
knowledge of their creator. Ev
erything that happens here is to
wards that end, for sure,” said
Morehart.
Craft
Fair
LANCASTER
(Lancaster Co.)
More than 250 juried
members of the Penn
sylvania Guild of
Craftsmen will exhibit
original work at the
54th annual State
Craft Fair of the
Pennsylvania Guild of
Craftsmen. From July
28-30, the show will be
conducted in the
Alumni Sports and
Fitness Center at
Franklin and Marshall
College, College Ave.,
Lancaster.
Show hours are 10
a.m.-6 p.m. Friday
and Saturday, and 10
a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.
Several craftsmen will
offer demonstrations
on their creative work.
Admission is $6 and
children under 12 free.
Free street parking.
For more information,
call (800) 684-7440.
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