What is Happening at CSF Year-Round?
We are so thankful to our campers and camp families for another amazing summer! It is with mixed emotions that we said goodbye to our campers last Friday, knowing that we were some kids’ home away from home for 1 to 9 weeks of the year.
One of our goals at Carson Simpson Farm is to create a safe space for kids to connect with each other, to other Christians, and with God. We feel God has given us this beautiful place in order to glorify him through nature and through connection with others. It is our pleasure to do this through our camp programs every summer, through PEACE ministries, and through our partnerships with churches. But the work doesn’t stop there.
Recently, we have been expanding to include new community events and opportunities to bring glory to God. Some of these events have already passed, such as our Wellness Retreat and our Outdoor Movie Night (which was sadly canceled due to rain.) But we are looking forward to bringing the community back throughout the year. You are officially invited to a few of the special events already on our calendar:
Worship Fest, September 23: This is a free event for the whole family, featuring live music, food, and fun activities. Worship Fest unites people under one goal: to worship God through creative expression and connection. We are excited to welcome worship teams, hip-hop artists, singer-song writers, spoken word poets, and visual artists to our stage at camp. We will also have a Kids Zone with age-appropriate activities to keep kids engaged. Youth groups, families, kids, individuals - everyone! - is welcome to come glorify God through worship. The event will start at 12:00 pm and end at 6:00 pm. The event is free, but food trucks will be on site if you would like to purchase food. We are also encouraging you to bring any gently loved clothes to donate: we will have a Good Stuff Thrift truck available to collect your clothing donation. (A donation is not required to come to this event.) Learn more and register for this free event by going to https://www.csfarm.org/worship-fest-2023
Blood Drive, September 27: This is a great opportunity to give back to the community and help save lives. We are hosting a blood drive at the lodge from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm. To donate blood, you must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health. You can make an appointment to donate blood online or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.
Expectant Mother's Retreat, October 21: This event is for expectant mothers of all ages and backgrounds. It will be a day of learning, support, and connection with other moms. The event is being organized by Jessica Curtis, who worked as a Labor and Delivery nurse prior to joinging the team at CSF. There will be a variety of speakers, including delivery nurses and a lactation consultant. There will also be time for mothers to connect with each other and share their experiences.
Winter Wonderland Festival, December 9: We are excited to welcome the start of the winter and holiday season together as a community! This family-friendly event will feature a live nativity, caroling, crafts, and more. Dress for the weather as this event will be mostly outdoors.
Outdoor Education Program throughout the year: CSF is excited to partner with local schools, churches, and home school groups to offer programming adaptable to multiple age groups and abilities. Organized by certified teachers, this program offers a variety of educational activities, team-building games, or simply a place to get outdoors and play organized games. Programs are adapted to the community group’s needs, and it is an awesome way to keep kids engaged with God’s creation.
We plan to continue to add events to our calendar, including a Staff Christmas Party in December and potentially a 5k race in the spring. We encourage you to keep watching our Events Calendar and following our social media pages to learn of what’s happening at camp throughout the year. We are so thankful that we are able to use our special home at camp to reach the community the whole year. Please join us and be a part of it all!
We also encourage you to sign up for our monthly newsletter, which will include information about all of our upcoming events. The newsletter will also remind you about Registration which opens November 1st. Registration is first-come, first-serve and we fill up quickly, so keep an eye out for that registration link!