Heartland
Center
“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” - Isaiah 55:12
“ I LOV E C a m p ” C a m pa i g n — 2 013
Camp at Heartland Center is about…
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ach year more than 15,000 youth and adults come to Heartland Center to have fun, make friends, enjoy nature, and know God’s love more intimately. At camp this summer 2,200 youth delighted in swimming on a hot day, sharing stories around a late-night campfire, learning to ride horses, and experiencing God’s unconditional love.
Motivated by the demands for its programs and a goal to serve more children and adults, Heartland Center has launched the “I Love Camp” campaign. The campaign will orchestrate dramatic enhancements in the Aquatics Program, a significant increase in meeting space, critical investments in the Equestrian Program, and basic infrastructure improvements to the fire suppression and electrical systems. At its core, the “I Love Camp” campaign increases Heartland Center’s ability to serve more campers and retreat groups, improves its ability to generate sustaining income, and expands its guiding vision of providing an oasis for growth and renewal of body, heart, mind, and spirit for all people as God’s children. 2
having fun making friends experiencing nature caring for creation & loving God It’s no wonder that adults and youth alike leave Heartland Center declaring, “I Love Camp!” The love of Heartland Center has resulted in steady programmatic growth: Day Camp has tripled from 135 participants in 2008 to 420 in 2013. Nearly 430 youth participated in the Traveling Day Camp program in 2012. This year the program served 1,200. In 2008, a collective 600 youth partook in our Camp Programs. This year 2,200 youth participated. Each week Heartland Center hosts 300 retreat guests and turns away at least two groups due to a lack of space.
Heartland Center The “I Love Camp” campaign increases Heartland Center’s capacity to meet the growing demands for its programs, serve more visitors, and offer greater value to families, church partners, and the larger community. The campaign’s renovations will also generate nearly $50,000 in new annual revenue to sustain ongoing operations and provide scholarships so more youth can experience programs like summer camp. Most important, the “I Love Camp” campaign will provide Heartland Center more space to help children and adults alike grow in their faith and experience God’s love.
“I Love Camp”
campaign goals Aquatic Center...................................................$600,000 Genesis Hall renovations ................................$200,000 Fire safety waterline..........................................$100,000 Electrical upgrades...............................................$15,000 Pickup trucks & horse trailer............................$70,000 Contingencies.......................................................$15,000
$1 Million
“Camp is a safe environment — where just in the way we play, act and talk, we’re worshiping God.” — Matt, Counselor & Former Camper
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having fun
Aquatics Program
Swimming and summer camp go hand and hand. Campers have great fun splashing around with friends on a hot summer day. The “I Love Camp” campaign will replace Heartland Center’s pool — built nearly 50 years ago — with a new fun-filled Aquatic Center. The Aquatic Center will feature two pools with water slides, a volleyball net and basketball goal, a diving platform, and a handicap-accessible entry. As added fun, the old pool house will be renovated into an Activity Center for crafts and recreation. Investment..........$600,000
The new Aquatic Center will accommodate tw as many guests as Heartland Center’s current and will attract more campers, church retreat family reunions and conferences.
“Camp is a place to make memories and grow spiritually.” — Ida, Counselor & Former Camper
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wice . t pool . ts,
experiencing nature
Equestrian Program
Heartland Center’s founding tradition of using the beauty of nature to inspire the faith of young people continues today. Campers pray while walking trails, praise God in song around campfires, and marvel at the beauty of God’s creation while riding horses. In 2012, Heartland Center started a Traveling Day Camp to bring the experience of camp to children across the region. The program relies on the same fundamentals as traditional camps: fun, friends, nature, and experiencing God’s unconditional love. The Traveling Day Camp tripled in size in 2013, serving 1,200 youth. This growth requires the purchase of new transportation equipment. Two new trucks and a horse trailer will allow Heartland Center to provide participants of the Traveling Day Camp a hands-on experience of horses and the beauty of nature. The trucks will also serve as vehicles for general year-round maintenance.
The Traveling Day Camp brings youth into neighborhood churches, provides them the chance . to discover God’s love, and exposes them to additional programs at Heartland Center (roughly 30 percent of participants . in Traveling Day Camp later enroll . in overnight camps).
Investment............$70,000
“For the past 12 years, camp at Heartland Center has been an important part of our daughters’ lives. Each year brings renewed excitement and anticipation for making new friends, enjoying camp activities, and growing in their faith and relationship with God.”
“Camp was an extraordinary event for kids from our urban church. They rode horses, slept under the stars, made friends, and grew a deeper faith in Jesus Christ.” — Kirk Perucca, Pastor. Covenant Presbyterian Church. Kansas City, MO
— Sandy Nelson, Parent
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making friends
Genesis Hall
The love of camp stems, in part, from the friendships made while at camp. Heartland Center’s Genesis Hall has long provided the space to make friends — campers meet there for Bible studies, retreat groups use the hall for meetings, and wedding parties host receptions there. In its current form, however, Genesis Hall simply cannot accommodate Heartland Center’s growth. The “I Love Camp” campaign will launch a phased renovation of Genesis Hall with initial funding for central air-conditioning, energy efficient windows, a large meeting area, breakout rooms, a restored balcony, and a patio. Future renovations will focus on geothermal heating and cooling, catering space, a finished basement, a remodeled play area, and fireplace. Investment..........$200,000
“I have discovered myself here, matured here, and found God here.” — Emma,Counselor & Former Camper
“Camp is where we get to be in God’s natural creation.”
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— Sydney, Counselor & Former Camper
Capacity Upgrades caring for creation
The renovated Genesis Hall will allow Heartland Center to welcome additional campers for summer programs and accommodate larger retreats, family reunions, and conferences.
As a Christ-centered ministry based in nature, Heartland Center teaches our campers how to care for and protect God’s creations. The organization models good stewardship by taking care of and maintaining the gifts that have been given to us. As part of the “I Love Camp” campaign, Heartland Center plans on making basic infrastructure improvements. A new waterline will equip Grace Hall with a fire-suppression system and provide upgraded fire-fighting ability to the entire center. In addition, the rustic Highlander Cabins will receive electricity to power lights, ceiling fans, and bath amenities. Investment..........$115,000
Maintaining the basic beauty of our facilities, improving the safety of our camp, and enhancing our sleeping quarters will attract more campers and guests to Heartland Center.
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Camp is… Loving God Our campers love camp because while here they understand they are loved as children of God. This unadulterated experience of God’s love draws people back to Heartland Center over and over.
“I fell in love with camp my very first summer. So I keep coming back. This is my seventh year. Heartland Center is like another home to me.” —Tec, Senior High Camper
“I’ve been coming to camp at Heartland Center for five years. I come back because I always make new friends and get closer to God.” —Kia, Senior High Camper
“Our four children have attended Heartland over a span of 18 years. They have come away with more confidence, long lasting friendships, new skills, a stronger faith, and wonderful memories.” — Deborah Norwood, Parent
“Heartland Center was where my faith became my own. I spent a week there each summer surrounded by beautiful grounds, wonderful people, and amazing worship. My faith grew each time I visited. Heartland Center has become holy ground for me.” — Clare Lozano, Pastor Heritage Presbyterian Church, Volunteer, Former Camper, & Former Counselor
Heartland Presbyterian Center 16965 N.W. Missouri 45 • Parkville, Missouri 64152 (816) 891-1078 • www.HeartlandCenter.org