Nearly 6,000 people visit Indian Creek Camp annually to enjoy its activities and relax in a beautiful natural environment. But the 50-member team from Maranatha Volunteers International who gathered there at the end of March did everything but relax. Volunteers traveled from across the United States and beyond to complete numerous maintenance and construction projects for the Tennessee camp. Tasks included painting cabin interiors, staining cabin doors and stairs, rebuilding benches, and constructing skirts around several buildings to prevent their pipes from freezing in the winter. Their efforts improved the camp’s functionality and aesthetic appeal, and were a huge help to Indian Creek Camp staff. “You know how much value that is, when someone can step in and do that work?” exclaimed Camp Manager Ben Copley. “It blows my mind!”
The largest task the team undertook was painting a large, covered horse arena. This structure is vital to Indian Creek Camp’s equestrian activities. “We have unexpected rain throughout the summer, so this arena keeps our horse program going,” explained Copley. The shelter covers roughly 27,000 square feet and took a subgroup of volunteers two weeks to paint. “If I tried to do it myself … that would take us a month at least,” said Copley.
This is the third group of Maranatha volunteers that have served at Indian Creek Camp since 2023. They’ve saved thousands of dollars in labor costs and hours of staff time. But volunteers aren’t just helping Indian Creek Camp stay within budget, they’re maintaining the place where hearts encounter Christ. “[Summer camp] is such a mission. We have these young people, and we have their attention at least for a little while,” said Copley. “There are kids here that actually connect with camp … camp is where they really feel Jesus.”
Indian Creek Camp is a Seventh-day Adventist summer camp and retreat center that makes exciting activities available to a variety of demographics year-round. It serves as a space to reconnect, and experience God’s presence in nature.
Each year, Maranatha works with organizations in the United States and Canada to provide volunteer labor for various construction or renovation projects at summer camps and retreat centers, schools, and churches. Work ranges from renovations of existing buildings to new construction, and saves thousands of dollars in labor costs.