Wesley Forest Camp and Retreat

Did SUSUMC Camp and Retreat Ministry impact your life, the life of your child, or the life of someone you care about? If so, join us at the Camp Fancy Gala!

Saturday, September 7th at Central Penn College (Summerdale, PA) from 4-8 PM.

More details and registration info can be found at https://suscrm.org/gala/

Rev. Barry and Joni Robison believe in the power of camp and retreat ministry. They write: We think you would agree, for anyone who has attended camp or has had a loved one attend, the experiences at camp change lives! Not only in their own lives, but by a ripple effect, others are touched. Whether as a child, youth or adult, God meets us there in a special place – His Holy Grounds. Because of this, we remain committed to and supportive of the camping program, having seen the tremendous spiritual impact camp has made in the lives of hundreds of people over the years. To God be the glory!

Join with camp and retreat folks and supporters of camp and retreat ministry for an evening of inspiration, fun, and generosity at our Third Camp Fancy Gala on Saturday, September 7th at Central Penn College Conference Center in Summerdale, PA. The event begins with registration, bidding on Silent Auction Items, and the opportunity to purchase camp merchandise at 4 PM.

Learn more about the event, purchase your tickets, become an event sponsor, learn more about our honorees, and stay up to date by visiting the event website.

https://suscrm.org/gala/

THIS WEEK AT CAMP!!! 🌲✨

We’re pumped to welcome Awesome Elementary & Venture Jr/Sr High campers in just a few hours!!! 🤩

We can’t wait to see what week 5 has in store for all of us!!! Follow along here on our stories for updates throughout the week! 🌞

ALSO — There are only a few spots left for the last week of the summer so don’t miss out, register today! ‼️🏕️

Week 1: Special Friends and Post Grads🫶

We’re looking back on our first week of Summer 2024 with so much gratitude for these campers and volunteers. So much joy, friendship, and laughter filled the Forest this week and we’re already counting down until next summer!

Special Friends and Post Grads, we love ya!

Meet your 2024 Wesley Forest Summer Staff!!! ✨

We’re so excited for you to come to camp & spend time with you! In the meantime, swipe to get to know a little about each of us! ➡️😎

To come hang out with us this summer, register at the link in our bio— & don’t forget to check out our sibling discount AND scholarship opportunities! We can’t wait to meet you! 🔗🌞🏕️

SUMMER CAMP IS FINALLY HERE!!! 🌞🏕️💥

Our staff have worked so incredibly hard the past couple of weeks, training & getting camp cleaned up & ready for ya… & the day has finally come!!! Summer camp has begun, & we can’t WAIT to see you!!! 🤩

Swipe to see what they’ve been up to the past couple weeks (certifications, training sessions, a staff outing to Woodward cave, church at .pauls.sc, & everything in between!)

— & stay tuned… Summer Staff intros coming next!!! 😎🌲🌈💫

✨With only a few short weeks until campers arrive, we’re continuing with our summer camp highlights!

✨Up next we have Week 2 at the Forest:

Spark Mini Camp 🎆
Glow Elementary 🌟
Shine Jr/Sr High 🪩
Fishing Adventure 🎣

✨There’s still time to register for all events and sign up to volunteer, so check out the link in our bio to get started! We can’t wait to see you soon!

Summer is just around the corner & we have been hard at work getting ready for y’all!!! (— but not without taking pauses & snapping some pics to remind us just how beautiful Creation is!) 🌞🍃🙏

Staff training starts in less than a week, campers arrive in less than a month, & you can swipe to see that we already have some wild neighbors coming out to share in the excitement!!! 🐍🐢💚

Reach out to us at [email protected] to register or volunteer / find more info online @ wesleyforest.org!!! See y’all real soon!!! 🤩👋

With only 48 days until our first campers arrive for Summer 2024, we’re highlighting all of our events so you can see what they’re all about.🤩

🌞We’re kicking it off with Special Friends and Post Grads!

✨We can’t wait to welcome you all to the Forest this summer. Stay tuned for more spotlights coming soon!

🫶Check the link in our bio to register for Special Friends and Post Grads, along with all our other events. There’s only 2 days left for our Early Bird and Refer a Friend discounts, so register today!

At camp, every day is 🌎🌍🌏

Enjoy some snapshots of our Earth Day walk around camp & a couple from the winter & fall … 🌷❄️🍂🌞

We can’t wait to spend every day with you this summer loving & learning about our friend the Earth!!! 🌲🤍

Register by May 1st for the early bird discount, & don’t forget about our refer-a-friend program ➡️ swipe for more details/check our highlighted story for more info & register at the link in our bio!!! ✨🫶

We might be gearing up for summer, but the fun doesn’t stop there!!! 🌞🌞🌞

Save the date for our 3rd Camp Fancy Gala!

Saturday, September 7th from 4-8 PM

The Conference Center at Central Penn College; Summerdale, PA

Enjoy a catered meal as we honor Rev. Barry and Joni Robison, hear stories of making a difference, and raise needed funds for Camp & Retreat Ministry. Join us!!

Here at the Forest, we’re getting ready for Summer 2024 and we. can’t. wait. 🤩 We’re here to remind you that we are just 80 days away from welcoming our first campers!! Let the countdown begin…⏳

🏕️ Have you registered for camp yet? If not, check the link in our bio to sign up and get a full list of our camps.

⏱️Sign up by May 1st to get the the earlybird discount!

☀️Stay tuned for more Summer 2024 updates!

Well y’all, it looks like the weather ain’t on our side for this one … 🌧️ We’re gonna have to cancel the Work Day with Volunteers In Mission that was scheduled for this weekend, March 23, until it’s a bit warmer and less wet to get the cabins painted!!! 🪜🌤️🎨

Thanks to everyone who signed up and stay tuned, we’ll be revisiting this project soon!!! 🤟✨🌞

🔔 SPRING WORKDAY DELAYED TO RAIN DATE - 3/23/2024 🔔

Due to impending weather, our Susquehanna Conference UMC - Volunteers in Mission Work Day that was originally meant to be this Saturday has been delayed to rain date March 23, 2024!!!

As a reminder, we’ll be painting our lakeside cabins with your wonderful help & we can’t do that if that cabins aren’t dry enough! ☔️

Say a prayer for dry, warm weather & register through this Google form to join us in a couple weeks for a day of service, fun, & fellowship here at The Forest:
https://forms.gle/UoMWERusrg3EmFxy9

See y’all real soon!!! 🌧️🌞🪜👷‍♀️✨

What a GREAT weekend we had at CHILLED with Beth of Deep Green Journey!!! Thanks to everyone who came out to rest, retreat, & enjoy the snowy forest. 🤍🤍🤍

❄️Another snowfall, another busy weekend coming up!!! ❄️

🥶CHILL(ED)🥶 retreat for grades 7-12 is this weekend & we still have a few spots left! We have Beth Jones of leading this weekend — you won’t wanna miss it!!!

Visit WesleyForest.org to register 🌨️🤍

— andddd if you’re over the cold & ready for a lil SPRING something-something, come out for our
🌸SPRING WORK DAY🌸 with SUSUMC Volunteers In Mission! We’ll be finishing painting our summer cabins! 🪜🏕️👷‍♀️

Slide for details on how to participate!!! 🌞🌞🌞

One word for this past weekend: WOW!!!💥💥💥

Wacky Winter Weekend 2024 was a HIT!!!🌟🌨️

We danced, we hiked, we played, we rested! We learned all about God — how it’s God’s love that keeps us warm, how we’re all unique just like snowflakes ❄️❄️❄️

HUGE thanks to all who came out — campers, volunteers, & deans alike!!! We’re already pumped for next year!!! 🤍☃️

AND DON’T FORGET!!! We’ve got CHILL(ED) (grades 7-12 retreat) coming up here in just a couple weeks! Head to wesleyforest.org to register!!! 🥶🤩🥶🤩

🌟 REGISTRATION IS OFFICIALLY OPEN 🌟 for all 2024 SUSUMC Summer Camps!

🤸‍♂️🌈✨ Embark on a journey of faith, friendship, and love this summer at Camp Penn, Greene Hills, Mount Asbury, & Wesley Forest Camp & Retreat!

⏳Secure your spot at camp now & let the countdown to summer begin…

… BUTTTTT if you just can’t wait that long, we’re here to remind you about not one but TWO upcoming winter retreats we’ve got coming up!!! ☃️🌨️ (Swipe to see Wesley Forest’s current winter wonderland status) 🤩🥶

❄️ WACKY WINTER WEEKEND ❄️
- Jan. 26-28, grades 3-6

❄️ CHILL(ED) ❄️
- Feb. 16-18, grades 7-12

✅Register for all events here: https://susquehannaconference.campbrainregistration.com/Landing

Happy 2024 to all you!!! The Christmas season may be closing out, but we’ve got a full winter to look forward to here at the Forest! Come spend time on retreat getting cozy in the cold season learning about our faith & grow deeper in connection with creation… the trees are eager to see some new & familiar faces, the trails are calling to be walked, the wood stove fire is ready for you… ❄️🔥🧤🧣✨

For more info & to register: Visit our website www.suscrm.org and click on Register Online

❄️ WACKY WINTER WEEKEND 2024 ❄️

That’s right folks, our first retreat program of 2024 is coming up soon and it’s BRAND NEW!!! The leaders of our summer camp Wacky Week, bring you this super wacky and brand new winter weekeNd. This is for all you elementary campers grades 3-6 who couldn’t get enough of Wacky Week summer camp, or you want a winter weekend experience to connect with friends old & new, to help us make it til summer comes back around! We will stay in Penns Creek Lodge, worship around the fire, play wacky and not so wacky games, make crafts, have WOW Time, spend time outdoors, and have a super fun Glow-Party! Don’t worry, we will save the Wacky Water Games for summer! Join us as we dive into how much God loves us (& all creation) through our season changes, even the cold & gray ones!!! 🩶☃️

Grab your gloves & scarves, say a prayer for some snow, & register for this weekend in the next month to get the early bird discount of $130!!! 🧤🧣🌨️

To register: Visit our website www.suscrm.org and click on Register Online. If you have difficulty, please call the camping office at 717-766-7395.

🚨‼️ MATCHING MONDAYS UPDATE ‼️🚨

With YOUR help, we have met the match goals for the last THREE WEEKS!!! 🥳 HUGE THANKS to our amazing donor match partners & all who have helped us get this far!!! 🩶 We’re so close to reaching our overall goal this year — just $2,000 more to go!!! Any amount you can contribute will help us get there together. Remember, you can donate any amount at any time!!!

Giving instructions:
1. Follow this link https://suscrm.org/give/
2. Click the donate button
3. Select “Monday Match Campaign” as your designated area of giving

Wow!!! We’ve arrived at our last Matching Monday!!! 🤩

We hope you had a great holiday with your loved ones & we’re so grateful to YOU for making these last few Matching Mondays a success… (updates on matches made, coming soon!!!🥳) — & now, just one more to go!!! Let’s close out this year’s Matching Monday by matching the generous donations from our partners for this week: First UMC Mechanicsburg, Scott and Holly Zieber, Joni and Barry Robison, Chris and Bea Renner, and Don Webb! 💥💥💥

Here’s how it works: our amazing donors have already pledged $5,000 to donate, but it’s up to us to match that amount! Any amount you can contribute is helpful & you can give at any time!

Giving instructions:
1. Follow this link https://suscrm.org/give/
2. Click the donate button
3. Select “Monday Match Campaign” as your designated area of giving

With Thanksgiving in just a few days, we’ve got a great opportunity for you to give & make a HUGE difference!!! For Matching Mondays, we’re raising important, needed funds for camp & retreat ministry. Let’s make a match happen this week and give a big thanks back to our donor partners: coordinating cabinet members of the Susquehanna Conference!!!

Here’s how it works: our amazing donor partners have already pledged $2,500 amount to donate, but it’s up to us to match that amount each Monday in November. Any amount you can contribute is helpful, & you can donate any time!

Giving instructions:
1. Follow this link https://suscrm.org/give/
2. Click the donate button
3. Select “Monday Match Campaign” as your designated area of giving

🌞 Gooood morning, y’all!!! 🌞 It’s another special week becauseeeee— Matching Monday is in full swing as we’re raising important, needed funds for camp & retreat ministry in the Susquehanna Conference! Let’s show our gratitude to this week’s Matching Monday partner, Martina McCabe, by making it another successful week!!! 💥💥💥

Below are instructions to donate & match this week’s amount!!! — & remember, you can contribute any amount at any time!!!

Giving instructions:

1. Follow this link https://suscrm.org/give/

2. Click the donate button

3. Select “Monday Match Campaign” as your designated area of giving”

Our first Monday Matching opportunity is here!!! We’re raising important & needed funds to match Sue Jamison & Kevin Witt’s generous donation of $1,500 to our camp & retreat ministry… LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

Below are instructions to donate, & remember - you can contribute any amount at any time!!!

Giving instructions:

1. Follow this link https://suscrm.org/give/

2. Click the donate button

3. Select “Monday Match Campaign” as your designated area of giving”

“For instance, the white pine that stands by the lake. Tall & dense, it’s a whistling crest on windy mornings. Otherwise, it’s silent. It looks over the lake & it looks up the road. I don’t mean it has eyes. It has long bunches of needles, five to each bundle. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.”

- from “White Pine” by Mary Oliver

It’s a beautiful fall we’re having here at The Forest… 🍂