It has been my prayer that the transition from the leadership of Ralph and Lyn Price to the leadership of Brian and Maria Klein will serve as a catalyst for a renewed excitement about Camp Challenge and that the camp will be able to increase and accelerate its impact on the kingdom.
It has been about 60 days since Brian became the Executive Director of Camp Challenge and he and Maria have hit the ground running. In this short time, they have:
Met with leaders from 7 different churches and organizations. They look forward to meeting with many more in the near future to gather feedback about what people love about the camp and what people would like to see in the future.
Hosted a work group from Connersville. That group worked to insulate a cabin on the east hill. The result is a cabin that looks and feels much cleaner and more comfortable. The A/C unit in that cabin will work wonders now that the walls are insulated. We have MANY more cabins to do, so other work groups are encouraged to take on the challenge of doing the same thing to other cabins. (Just let Brian know if you are interested).
Winterized the bathhouse and the dining hall. Protecting our buildings over the cold winter months so they will be ready to go in 2014.
Started to make the house their home by replacing all of the flooring (it was all 20+ years old), changing one room back into a garage, and painting ALL of the walls. Their goal is to be in the house by Christmas. In the meantime their family is living in the nurse’s quarters in the administrative building.
Started to work on a couple of surprises for 2014!
I am excited about the energy and ideas Brian and Maria have and want to show them our support by providing the resources necessary to implement their vision. With this letter I am asking that you consider making a financial gift to the camp to help “kick-start” the beginning of the Klein era at Camp Challenge.
I specifically would like for you to consider joining the Camp Challenge Fire Circle. This is a way for individuals to come alongside the ministry of the camp through regular monthly financial support. This support can provide a base so that the camp does not have to worry about the basic bills from month to month. While any dollar amount is welcome, we have established named giving levels of Spark at $25 per month, Flame at $50 per month, and Blaze at $100 per month.
The Camp Challenge family has already started to get on board. During the month of November, we doubled both the number of Fire Circle members and the monthly gifts given by those members. It is my prayer that we can double that number again during the month of December.
In order to encourage you to assist with the Kick Start, one of our ministry partners has agreed to match 50 percent of the first year of your monthly contributions or 25 percent of any one time gifts given during the month of December. You can give at www.gocampchallenge.com/give.
Your partner in ministry,
Excitement surrounds our family as we begin our service at Camp Challenge! As kids attending Camp through our home churches of First Church of God (Vincennes) and Park Place Church of God (Connersville), we discovered that Camp was a special place. We continued volunteering as counselors during our years at Anderson University (Brian) and Purdue University (Maria).
After marrying in July of 2000, we stayed connected to Camp over the years while living in the Indianapolis area and attending Church at the Crossing, Crosspoint Church, and Chesterfield Community Church of God. Now, our kids Max (8) and Meryl (6) are old enough to experience Camp for themselves and (after hearing us talk about it so much!) are eager to live at Camp Challenge. They are even building Lego models of the grounds!
Maria and I are passionate about Camp Challenge because we believe that lives are changed and lifelong friendships are forged here. Many come to know Christ for the first time and many grow closer to Christ through the experience of its summer camps and retreat facilities. Perhaps the closeness to Christ is a result of removing ourselves from the fast-paced world around us. Perhaps it is the beautiful nature. Or, perhaps, it is because we are joining together with others to learn and grow. Whatever the reason, Camp Challenge is an amazing environment where one can grow in Christ and serve others in the name of Christ.
Maria and I would like to thank the Camp Challenge board of directors for their dedication and effort during this time of transition. The board serves, sacrificing personal and family time, because they believe in the mission of the camp. We also are greatly appreciative of the 20-year leadership of Ralph and Lyn Price. Our family wishes all the best to Ralph and Lyn as they look toward their next big adventure and we undertake ours!
Do you have a favorite Camp Challenge memory? We want to hear it! Post it here.
Last spring Ralph Price announced his intention to retire this fall after twenty camping seasons as the Executive Director of Camp Challenge. Ralph and Lyn committed a large portion of their lives to serve the youth of Indiana and made many sacrifices along the way.
Change can sometimes be hard, but with change comes opportunity. After a nationwide search that considered 32 applicants from 16 different states, the Camp Challenge Board of Directors has selected one of our own—Brian Klein—as our next Executive Director! His first official day on the job will be October 7th.
We were encouraged during the interview process to see the number of people who are passionate about the Christian camping experience. In Brian, however, we are getting a multi-talented individual who is not only passionate about Christian camping in general, but extremely passionate about Camp Challenge specifically. Brian and his wife Maria (Mahuron) have both been connected with Camp Challenge their entire lives as campers, donors, and volunteers.
We are so thankful for the faithful service of the Price family and are excited about the new possibilities the Klein family bring to camp.
It has been my prayer that the transition from the leadership of Ralph and Lyn Price to the leadership of Brian and Maria Klein will serve as a catalyst for a renewed excitement about Camp Challenge and that the camp will be able to increase and accelerate its impact on the kingdom. 
interized the bathhouse and the dining hall. Protecting our buildings over the cold winter months so they will be ready to go in 2014.
