Family Vacation Worth Twp. Baptist camp appeals to all ages
WORTH TWP — It's not Walt Disney World or Cedar Point, but Slippery Rock Baptist Camp is becoming an increasingly popular place for families to spend their summer vacations.
One week of each summer, the camp, which caters mostly to children and teens, is open for entire families to stay together. While children fill their days doing the usual camp activities, parents are free to attend seminars, take walks and spend one-on-one time together.
"It gives the parents some time to themselves," said Ken Kistler, the camp's program director.
This year's family camp was held July 3 to 8, and more than 20 families participated — up 33 percent from last year's 15.
Mark and Pauline Robison of South Park have attended family camp with their 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter for nine years.
"It's a nice informal atmosphere. It's affordable. You come here to be with people with similar values,"Pauline said. "I think it really helps strengthen the marriage relationship."
Pauline was looking forward to this year's speaker, Marty Von, vice president of Northland Baptist Bible College in Dunbar, Wis., brought in to present daily seminars on parenting and marriage.
The camp hosts a speaker every year, but lecture attendance is voluntary. There are plenty of other things for couples to do together, like planned daylong excursions to Prime Outlets and state parks, canoeing and a mock Newlywed Game.
New for couples this year was a session during which husbands applied their wives' makeup for them.
"We'll take volunteers for that. We don't want to force divorces,"Kistler said.
Attending family camp allows the Robisons to renew friendships with other Christians they met in previous years. It also gives them the opportunity to share parenting ideas and concerns with like-minded people.
"The problems of raising a family are pretty universal. It's nice to get a different viewpoint on the same issue,"Mark Robison said.
Helping families find ways of working through those issues is one reason family camp is offered, Kistler said.
"Alot of families are struggling to stay together and with how you raise your kids,"he said.
The Rev. Dave Maitland, the camp's director, knows that families have those problems and welcomes them to the camp to learn the skills for conquering them."One of the things I felt lacking in our churches is the opportunity to help kids build their Christian faith through discipline,"said Maitland, who is also senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Butler.He runs the camp around that goal, and family week is merely an extension of that directive."There are a lot of hurting people out there, and they need help with their kids," Maitland said.While parents are spending time together and learning tips for raising families, their children can participate in soccer, basketball or music day camps or any number of independent activities, such as swimming and field games.There is no shortage of activities to keep kids busy. The camp has its own indoor basketball court and gym that doubles as a chapel area, two soccer fields, a swimming pool, a private stretch of Slippery Rock Creek, a paint gun field and a craft center."Our kids have so much fun here,"said Carol Stamm of Butler, who has attended the camp with her husband, Clarence, and their children for six years. "We only see them if they need something."Clarence said that it's nice knowing that his kids are in good hands while he and Carol spend time together."We know them. We trust them," he said of the children's counselors.Mark Robison echoed the sentiment."Itrust the environment with my children," he said. "I don't have to worry about where they are or who they're with."Though much of the day is spent apart, families spend the evenings together. Some activities, such as a skit night and talent show, are planned, while other ways of being together are left to individual families.For example, families can stay together in the camp's cabins, which normally hold eight to 10 kids, or they can bring campers or tents. Meals are served in the dining hall, but some families choose to make their own.The camp is owned by the Association of Independent Baptist Churches of Western Pennsylvania.It also offers a variety of sports camps, retreats and other activities.For more information, log on to www.srbaptistcamp.com.
