Creating space for God's word to take root requires your help!

Every summer my children count down the days until they get to be actual campers, and not just the director’s kids living at camp. They love the camp experience, even if it is only a hundred yards away from their home. Each week when they return, they are full of fun stories about campfires, games, and new friends - but the most exciting thing is hearing what they learned about God.

This year, my son came home and excitedly told me about how he learned that he could trust in God’s word in the bible, and some good reasons for that trust. As Isaac explained what the counselor had said, and even asked to order a book (“Why Trust the Bible” by Greg Gilbert), I had to laugh. This wasn’t new information for him. This is something that is reinforced in our family and at church on a regular basis! And yet, it was at Camp - in the beauty of God’s creation, surrounded by loving staff - that the truth finally clicked.

As a parent, it is both humbling and encouraging. Camp Susque doesn’t preach a new or different gospel; it’s the same timeless truth taught in our churches and homes. But the setting of the camp - the mountains, night sky, the care of dedicated counselors - creates an environment where hearts and minds are uniquely open to hearing and embracing God’s word.

Proverbs 22:6 reminds us to: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” At Susque, we are privileged to serve alongside families and churches to support this training. This year, we saw this play out in incredible ways:

• We began construction on a $1.2 million dollar pool project, ensuring future campers will enjoy a safe and welcoming aquatic environment
• We launched a free day camp for Trout Run youth, offering a Christ-centered experience for our local community
• We raised nearly $50,000 in flood relief in support of the Trout Run Volunteer Fire Company following flooding in July, and we’ve raised nearly $100,000 to provide RVs for families displaced by hurricanes in Tennessee and North Carolina
• We awarded over $73,000 in camper scholarships to ensure that financial challenges would not stand in the way of a child experiencing their creator at Camp Susque.

Even as we celebrate these milestones, the ongoing need for support is at the forefront of our minds. Nearly all of our programs at Susque are subsidized by fundraising. Our summer camp fees cover less than half the cost of running the programs, and when we factor scholarships in, it is closer to a third.

This is why I’m writing to you. As we close this remarkable year, would you please make a year-end gift to help sustain our operational needs? We are glad to be able to meet the challenges of these incredible events locally, but we do not want to lose focus or momentum as we continue to grow Susque’s core ministry. Your generosity ensures that we can continue to offer transformational programming, while keeping camp accessible to all.

With your support, we can continue to secure moments where campers will hear God’s truth, for the first or thousandth time - but perhaps for the first time in a way that sparks life.

Thank you for partnering with us in this mission. We are training up the next generation in the way they should go, and trusting God for the growth and fruit that only He can bring.

In Awe of Him,

Peter Swift
Camp Director


PS: As a 501c3 nonprofit, please know that we can also accept appreciated assets without the impact of capital gains taxes minimizing the contribution. Please contact me if you would like to do this.

Additionally, if you have included Susque in your legacy planning, please let us know so that we can express our gratitude for your gift while we have that opportunity.