Kenbrook Bible Camp broke ground on pavilion renovations, which will allow the building to be used year-round and in any weather conditions.
Renovations will include putting garage doors around the building, adding insulation, and building an accessible ramp leading to an expanded deck area around the side.
Joe McFarland, executive director at Kenbrook (190 Pine Meadow Road), said the idea for the project came during a 2006 planning workshop. Almost 20 years later, after securing financial help from individual donors, local banks, and a grant, construction is finally starting.
He said the public response has been mostly positive, though some were worried about the pavilion being closed off from the Lebanon County outdoors.
“Initially, some were a little like, ‘Why would you close it in because it’s a pavilion?’ but once they hear how it’s unobtrusive, it’s going to be open all the time unless you want to close or need it closed, then they’re like, ‘So it’s not really changing.’ No, it’s not — it’s just becoming new,” McFarland said.
The pavilion was mainly a fair-weather option for visiting groups. In poor or cold weather, groups didn’t have a good meeting place away from Kenbrook’s cabins.
The garage doors will mostly stay open, McFarland said, but they can be closed at any time, allowing groups to continue using the space year-round and in any weather conditions.
He said it’s estimated to be completed in early fall — around September or October — so it will be available for use as the cold sweeps in at the Swatara Township retreat.
Renovations will cost around $150,000, he said. Kenbrook is responsible for around $70,000, with neighborhood assistance, bank contributions, and private donors covering the rest.
The Neighborhood Assistance Program, or NAP, is a tax credit program that incentivizes businesses to contribute to charitable non-profit organizations.
“It would have never been able to happen without the support of our senator, our representative, and getting the NAP grant,” McFarland said. “We were holding off until we found out about the grant, then we pulled the trigger.”
Development coordinator John Courchesne spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony, explaining why Kenbrook’s space is important to the community. He said the main impact is that it provides a connection to nature that many young people aren’t getting in the increasingly digital world.
“It is estimated now that kids spend four to seven minutes outside a day with unstructured play,” he said. “What’s the impact of that? Well, depression rates are the highest that they’ve ever been, people are struggling with anxiety, and it’s because they’re spending so much time indoors and spending so much time on devices. We want to give as many people access to these grounds as possible, places where they can come and they can get away.”
He said they tell young visitors taking part in their programs to leave the devices at home and adults to consider turning off their phones.
“Just take time with the quiet, get away from the noise,” he said. “If you’re a person of faith, spend time in solitude with God.”
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