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As program directors at Camp Susque in Trout Run, Pennsylvania, Joel Rishel and Bill Klees began to realize that many counselors and staff were not in the habit of having personal devotions. Many who wanted to have daily devotions were struggling to maintain it during summer camp. We were also convinced that personal devotion to the Lord on a daily basis is vital for effective and spiritual ministry to youth. However, as most program directors know, once summer camp starts there is so much to do that it is hard to spend time thinking about how to nurture the spiritual growth and development of each individual staff member. Furthermore, we began to realize that what they needed was not another staff training session on the importance and methods of personal devotions, but rather a resource tool to meet them where they were each day - to train, encourage, and direct them into the Word and prayer at those private times when we could not be present.
After looking around and finding nothing of this sort for camp staff, we decided to do something on our own. So we put together a daily devotional guide for Camp Susque in 1996. It was so well received that some people suggested that other camps might be interested in it. So in 1997 we offered our first devotional, SonRise, to other CCI
camps, and it was used by over 40 camps. We realized that there was a need for
biblical resources for the edification of Christian camp staff.
By 2000, we had published our fourth devotional book, which was now
being used by over 120 camps in the U.S. and Canada. Now there are
about 300 camps using our devotional books each summer. We began adding other resources to aid staff in their personal devotions and ministry, such as our Daily Bible Reading Guide and two bookmarks with handy reference materials, one on Salvation and one on Faith.
Co-founders Joel Rishel wrote
Establishing Your Faith, and Bill Klees
wrote Sharing Your Faith.
As God blesses, we hope to continue providing tools to come alongside
as many camps as possible in the spiritual training of their staff who
in turn are in a position to influence the next generation.
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