Let the Online Registration Begin

It's that time again.  Camp brochures and registration forms are being mailed out and online registration is up and running.  You can click on "2018 Schedule" above to browse this summer's camp sessions and then click on "Online Registration" above to register.  When you click the link, it will take you to our secure site where you can create an account (or use last year's) to register and pay using your credit/debit card. We do have to charge a $5 convenience fee for each online registration to partially defray the costs of the system. If you have any issues, don't be afraid to contact us (please bear with us during this time when camp is not yet open, we have no one that works "full time" so it may take us a few days to get back with you--but we'll do our best to respond as quickly as we can!)  Looking forward to another great summer!

For the Cause of Christ,

Gary, Neil, and Dustin

The schedule for 2018 is now posted.

If you click on the above link (Where it says 2018 schedule) you will find the schedule posted for 2018!  Online Registration will begin by the end of this week, and brochures will also be sent out at that time.  Note that this year we will again be offering a one full week of Junior Camp and a "Junior Retreat" which will last from Sunday-Tuesday.  The Retreat may be ideal for 5th and 6th graders who have never been away from home before or who are looking for a shorter camp experience.  As always, campers are welcome to attend both sessions. We are also asking families to register for Family Camp in the fall this year.  This is a change from last year. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Thanks,
Gary, Neil, and Dustin

The Schedule for 2017 is Posted!

If you click on the above link you will find the schedule posted for 2017!  Online Registration will begin on or about March 15, and brochures will also be sent out in early March.  Note that this year we will be offering a one full week of Junior Camp and a "Junior Retreat" which will last from Sunday-Tuesday.  The Retreat may be ideal for 5th and 6th graders who have never been away from home before or who are looking for a shorter camp experience.  As always, campers are welcome to attend both sessions.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Thanks,
Dustin

Camper Profile: Amanda Mussleman

This article is hopefully the first in a series profiling campers from Prairie States, how the camp influenced their life, and what they enjoyed most about being here:

Amanda Mussleman of Watseka will be a seasoned veteran camper this year--her seventh year at Prairie States Christian Service Camp.
      She attends both sessions for high school age campers, deaned by Paul Dyke and Dustin Wells.
      She says she was "kind of timid" as a youngster so she didn't start attending until sixth grade. She heard about it from friends, and also when her brother, Ryan, attended.
      Because of her camp experience Amanda plans to attend Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Mo.  Many of the camp counselors are from Ozark. Amanda wants to study psychology and missions.
       What's the best part of being at camp?
       "It's a break from technology, from Watseka. It's not that far away but you don't see your usual people every day," she says. It's also a place where you can share your most difficult problems in a safe environment. And you can catch up with your friends from past years.
       She really enjoys the messages and being in the family groups.
       "You get different perspectives on the lessons being taught. An over-all theme for the week is announced the first night and every night the leaders break it down and help you understand it better."
       What's the best part of the day? Not just swimming in the pool and playing the many games, tennis, basketball and miniature golf. 
       "I really like campfire. You get to hear the adult staff. They tell you the things they've gone through to get closer to God. They've been through a lot of struggles some of them," Amanda says. 
       The lessons and experiences are all related to Bible truths. 
       "Bibles are in the chapel. We get to study the Bible a lot. I'm more open to reading it now. When I was younger it was always kind of boring....it is useful because the Bible verses come to mind when in a situation that applies," she says.  Amanda is one of hundreds of kids who have found fun, and more importantly, been taught the gospel at PSCSC.

Jo McCord contributed to this article.

Online Registration is Here!

We're pleased to announce that this year we will have online registration.  What does this mean?  It means that you can go to the link above, set up an account, register and pay for any week of camp.  And you can do that right now or anytime and you don't need to use a stamp.  The process is secure and it's pretty simple.  If there are issues you can always email us at prairiestatescamp@gmail.com.  You can also still send us a registration form by mail.  Hopefully more choices will make it easier to register.  So take a look at the 2016 schedule, and then register.  See you at camp!

UPCOMING:
Monday, April 11:  Prairie States Ministers Fellowship 10am at Monical's in Watseka
Monday, April 25:  Prairie States Evangelizing Association Men's Fellowship, 7pm at Adventure Christian Church in Bradley
Tuesday, May 3: Camp Board of Directors Meeting, 7:30pm at the Campground
Sunday, June 5:  First Day of Camp!

Camp is On It's Way

As I write this, the first of the camp brochures are in the mail going out today, the first blooms are or coming on to a few of the trees at the camp and the 2016 camp season is right around the corner.  On this website you'll be able to find a schedule for the sessions this summer.  The kitchen helper list and other things have not been updated yet, but check back soon.  In addition, online registration is in the works, but we are not quite ready to go online.  Soon you will be able to register and pay directly from this website (You'll still be able to send in a registration form if you want).  If you have any questions, email me.  Pray with me for a great camp season this summer!

UPCOMING:
Tuesday, April 5--Camp Board Meeting at Centennial Christian Church in Watseka at 7:30pm.
Monday, April 25--Prairie States Evangelizing Association Men's Fellowship at Adventure Christian Church in Bradley at 7pm.
Sunday, June 5--First day of camp.

Updated Kitchen Schedule

Friends,

We've updated the kitchen volunteer schedule for this year.  You will find the churches and dates listed on the calendar page.  A letter was also sent to the churches.  Thanks for all your help.

Dustin

Archery Camps for 2015

Great news...we've finalized our schedule for our Archery camps for Summer 2015.  Archery Camp is a great "wilderness" type experience for young people where Archery is taught (that's bows and arrows, we provide the equipment) and practiced in a supervised environment.  In addition there are opportunities for worship and Bible study each day, as well as the enjoyment of God's creation.  Campers sleep in Tepees and help prepare their own meals outside each day.  Those who have gone through it have testified to how fun and meaningful it was.

This year we will have three sessions:
There will be a boy's archery camp for ages 5th through the 8th grade.
There will be a younger girls archery camp for ages 5th through 7th grade.
There will be a older girls archery camp for ages 8th through 10th grade.

Registration (by mail) will open April 1 and close June 1.  There are only 12 spots open for each session, so get your registration in as soon as you can!  Click on the 2015 schedule link above for info about dates and prices.  Hope to see you this summer!

My friend Chauncey, minister of the gospel and longtime friend of the camp, posted this picture on Facebook yesterday.  He included this message:

"It is certainly not the 9th inning, our God is Great! It is, however, time to step up to the bat if you are able. At a recent meeting of the Board of Directors it was made known that $5,500 of an operating expense loan for last season still needs to be paid off. Additionally, there is a projected deficit to meet the budget for the coming camp season. Those present made it a goal to raise $25,000 before the beginning of the camp season, which is only 3 1/2 months away. I truly believe we can do it! Maybe you are not the one to hit a grand-slam homerun, but right now a bunch of 'hits' will add up to accomplish the goal. The address is available by clicking on the link provided above. Let's come together for this very important cause!
Please share this post and pass the word."

I'm excited about Chauncey's enthusiasm and the potential for God's people to respond to his appeal.  The camp is in need, so if you are able to help would you consider a one time, or regular monthly gift to be sent to:  Prairie States Christian Service Camp, P.O. Box 363, Watseka, IL 60970.

God is the giver of all good things, and we know he will continue to provide for us as we pray for his provision.  Pray with me that he will put it in the hearts of his people to give generously so that we might continue to teach young people about Jesus Christ until he returns!

Dustin

2015 Schedule Now Available

Hello,

Hope your winter is going well.  Please observe in the top left hand corner that our 2015 summer camp schedule is now available.  There are still a few "TBA"s on the list but check back soon and we should have those filled.  Please note our registration prices have changed this year, but they now INCLUDE CANTEEN.  If you have questions feel free to email me.

Thanks,

Dustin

Hello!

Just wanted to let you know that we have updated the camp kitchen volunteer schedule for the month of July.  Click on the "Calendars" link at the top of the page to access it.  Everything for that month should be correct and up to date.  Call the camp at 815-432-3578 if you have any questions or concerns.  We depend on volunteers from the churches to make our camp program work, and we appreciate every one who comes out:  Praise God for what you do!

Dustin

Gearing up for Camp

I am finally getting this website up to date!  You should now be able to access the 2013 camp schedule.  Please note that we do ask people to register two weeks ahead of time in order to guarantee a spot at that week of camp.  That being said, there are often open spaces and we do accept walk-ins.  the exception to this would be our archery camps.  We are asking for those registrations by June 1 and each camp has only 12 spots.  These will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Our archery camps are unique in that we teach archery along with Christian principles in a wilderness setting.  Campers stay in teepees and, along with the faculty, prepare their own food.  As always, we will utilize our dorms and dining hall for our regular weeks of camp.  In order to register for any of our camps you may simply click on "campers" and then print the "registration form" and mail it.  The camp rules are available on this website as well.  If you have questions or concerns the best way to contact me is to call (815) 432-3578 and leave a message.  I will return your call ASAP.  Thanks, and I look forward to seeing you this year.

For Cause of Christ,

Dustin Wells
Camp Manager

Camp Calendars Page

Yes, plural. There are a number of different things relating to the camp that various people need to keep track of, hence the use of several calendars all combined for your viewing ease/pleasure.

Camp Sessions let you see how the sessions lay across the calendar, which is different than the Schedule page that arranges the sessions primarily by age/grade.

Kitchen Helpers should help churches remember when they're scheduled to send volunteers to assist in the kitchen. Miss Karla has asked that the volunteers be at the camp by 9am and be able to stay through 2pm. It's a fun and VALUABLE service to our camp!

Camp-related activities show the monthly Men's meetings, the Directors meetings, and any other gatherings/events associated with the camp.

These calendars are constantly updated with changes (as soon as I'm made aware of them!) so as to provide an accurate AND timely reminder of PSCSC stuff. Make use of the page and let me know of any improvements you'd like to see implemented.

Specialty Camps

I wanted to take a few minutes to let you know about our new Specialty Camps we will be offering this year at Prairie States in addition to our classic weeks of camp.  Thanks to a generous grant from the Arthur and Genesa Griffin Trust we were able build a new camp site to conduct archery camps.  This summer we are doing a high school boys archery camp, and a junior high boys archery camp.  You can find the schedule for these on this website or in the camp brochure.  The concept of these camps combines training in archery with a wilderness camp experience and the passage from boyhood to becoming a man of God.  Campers will stay in Teepees and food will be prepared on site.  Each session will have only 12 campers, so I'm encouraging you to register now.  The deadline for registration is June 1.

Our other specialty camp this year is Deeper Life.  This is for the 16-20 year old Christian who desires to have a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God.  This will be a serious and intense week, and enrollment is limited.  Every camp will need to have a letter of recommendation from an elder or minister of their home church.  This will be a great opportunity to grow in Christ.  Registration deadline is June 1.

We have scheduled our specialty camps in such a way that those who desire to, may participate in both specialty camps and our classic weeks of camp.  We will continue, in these classic weeks, to provide teaching about Jesus in a Christian environment with wholesome recreation and an opportunity to form lasting friendships.  Our big hope is that through these Specialty Camps we are able to do even more of that this summer!

For the cause of Christ,

Dustin

Camp is...

...just around the corner; and things are starting to get frantic (at least in my head).  In less than three months hundreds of young people and adults will begin their annual convergence to our campground to make friends, have fun, and most importantly of all, worship and learn about the Lord Jesus Christ.  My name is Dustin, I'm the new camp manager this year.  I'd love to hear from you, through this platform or the camp's facebook page, but I hope most of all you'll consider joining us for another exciting year at Prairie States!

While we're waiting...

...for that 'wascally' camp manager to post some motivating, uplifting, fire-in-my-bones, kick-off post for the upcoming Camping season, I've come in to possession of a few shots taken by our over-active groundsman, Bro. LeSage. So here's some tidbits of news and sneak peeks of some of the upgraded facilities to whet your appetite.

The New Sheriff in Town

There's been some changes and shufflings, what with Bros. Neil and Dustin (the 'wascally' one) switching places on the duty roster at the dawning of the new year. You'll notice that switch in the Contact Information section on the left. The manager's apartment is under renovation to comfortably (in a cozy sense) house sweet Mrs. Dustin and the two cute little Dustins (no pics now - maybe later).

A New Camp Starting

Archer Camp Storage Bldg

With a very generous grant from the Griffin Trust, Prairie States is starting an Archery Camp this season! It will not be merely bows and arrows during recreation, but an entirely separate camp experience. Gary Milton is spearheading the special curriculum and has accepted the responsibility of deaning these first two Archery camps. It's boys only this first year so that any problems experienced can be ironed out before we expand.

Deeper Life Plans
Dustin's cooking up a revamped "Deeper Life" camp session (slated for early August) that will be a week-long event rather than the weekend time slot it's been tried in. Things are still in the sketch phase last I heard, but pray for him as he works to craft an experience that promotes a more committed life to our Lord in these days where few commit to anything but ball teams and sodas.

Boys Dorm Improvements
The boys have some fresh, new showers installed. The old plastic curtains have been replace with tiled walls. They look great and will serve us well for years to come.

Just Twelve More Days

In just twelve more days, our Little Camp will open the camp season.  It will be great to see the kids coming onto the grounds; many for the first time.  Here's what's been going on here lately:  Slowly but surely, the pool is being readied for use on the 8th.  During the winter it fills with sticks, leaves, and other miscellaneous items, and becomes a home for frogs, turtles, and sometimes snakes.  The good news is that we now have all that cleaned out.  In addition many of the buildings have been cleaned and are ready for use, and the Milford Christian Church has sent a team out that is completely redoing the miniature golf course.

Meanwhile, off the campgrounds, our manager, Neil, has been traveling to various churches promoting the work of the camp and sharing the accomplishments of last summer.  If he hasn't been to your church yet, drop us an email to "book" him for a date.

Also tonight three of our summer staffers graduated from Milford (IL) High School.  Congratulations to Brianna Alt (Life Guard), Alissa Runkle (First Aid Coordinator), Macey Ward (3rd Cook).  In other words everything is going according to plan.

Available on this website, you'll see our camp schedule as well as down-loadable registration information.  Please take a look at that.  Camp is a great place for kids to come and spend a week having fun, meeting new friends, and getting to know Jesus Christ.  I know I'm looking forward to it!

A Busy Weekend

Things are starting to get very busy around here.  Tomorrow is the first of our scheduled camp workdays (the others are May 28 and June 4).  Groups will be at the camp starting at around 9 in the morning.  Paxton Church of Christ and Prairie Green Church of Christ are both scheduled for tomorrow, as well as possibly others.  Come join us and let's get 6some work done before the BIG DAY (June 8, the first day of camp.)

There's another way you can help the camp this weekend, as well.  On Sunday Evening at 6:30pm central, the Good Twins, a nationally known gospel group, will be in concert at the Milford (IL) Christian Church.  THIS IS A BENEFIT CONCERT FOR THE CAMP.  There is no charge for admission, but a love offering will be taken and 100% OF THE OFFERING WILL GO TO THE CAMP.  This is part of the mission work that the Good Twins do on behalf of parachurch ministries affiliated with churches of Christ throughout the country, and we are certainly grateful to benefit from this work.  Please come to the concert to support our ministry here, as well as to show your appreciate for the Good Twins, who are "Timothies" of Ludlow Christian Church, one of the churches in our own camp area.  As always please contact us if you need more information.  Pray for our work here, presenting the gospel of Christ to children and families.

Camp is Just Around the Corner

That's right, in just a few weeks (June 8 to be exact) we'll be starting another busy camp season.  Volunteers are already hard at work cleaning the buildings, reroofing the dean's cabin, and doing some much needed remodeling to the bathrooms in the girls' dorm (sorry boys you'll have to wait another year!).  It won't be long before this place is filled with children and students swimming, playing, meeting new friends, and, most importantly, learning about the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you're reading this and your not familiar with the Prairie States Christian Service Camp, feel free to peruse our site and glean any information you can.  Also, contact us if you have any questions.  You'll find that, at a mere $80 a week (including meals), our camp is an unmatched value, compared to the cost of many other camps.  We are able to do this through the continued generosity of the churches and individuals who make this ministry possible through their prayers, financial contributions, and volunteers.  We invite you to come to our little camp and see for yourself--Prairie States Christian Service Camp:  Where Friendships Begin.

Time for Winterizing....

With the last of the slated camp sessions and special group usage having passed, it's time for getting the plumbing and buildings ready to hunker down through another winter season.  The chapel is sporting a new set of clothes to see this winter through with the new roof, siding, and windows!  Electronics are being moved out so as not to be damaged by the extreme temperatures, and other projects are in the works to "button up" the grounds during the off-season.

Neil's trusty side-kick, Dick, is spear-heading the winterizing operations while our new Assistant Manager, Dustin Wells, is coming up to speed on all the behind-the-scenes operations.  It's alot of work to 'bed down' the camp so as to have a ready facility in the spring to wake up, spruce up and ready for another busy season.