STAFF RAISING SUPPORT

WHAT IS OUR BACKGROUND? 

Dennis and Caitlin, along with their children (Garrett, Connor, and Eden), are thrilled to be serving together at Forest Springs, where God has brought them on an incredible journey. Dennis was born and raised in Zambia as a missionary kid (with British and Dutch parents). He can’t remember a time when he didn’t expect to be serving in full-time ministry, and as such went to Moody Bible Institute (Spokane). During his time there he met Caitlin, and God began to direct them to camp ministry. At first they began to fundraise and train to serve as camp directors in South Africa, but through various small but definitive steps God redirected them to Forest Springs. With schooling in camp ministry, years of work in custodial leadership, and a love for hospitality, he’s thrilled to see those pieces come together in his role as the camp’s Housekeeping Director. Caitlin was raised in Iowa in a large and multicultural family. Having worked as summer staff at a camp in Iowa for most of her teen years and attended the same camp for most of her life, camp ministry is near and dear to her heart. Between family life, camp life, and ministry in the community, she is loving how God is using her to bless the Forest Springs family as well as her own. 

WHAT ARE OUR AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY? 

Dennis and Caitlin love putting their skills to use in ministry at Forest Springs. As the Housekeeping Director, Dennis is responsible for the cleanliness and presentation of all living areas of camp, along with his team. These areas include lodge rooms, cabins, dining hall, bathrooms, meeting spaces, and even several outdoor areas. This role allows Dennis opportunities to train, disciple, mentor, and encourage the young staff at camp year-round, pointing them toward Jesus and developing healthy servant-hearted worldviews. Dennis is also a lifeguard, on the first aid team, and heading up camp’s bicycle rental program. 

Whenever Caitlin’s not caring for their children or finding joy in supporting and helping Dennis, she has enjoyed filling shifts in the coffee shop, café, climbing tower, kitchen, and even driving the shuttle van. She and Dennis regularly host young staff in their home. Offsite, she is actively involved in the church, youth group, local choir, and she’s also pursuing opportunities in the local school. 

WHAT IS MY BACKGROUND? 

After living in Mexico for 11 years as a missionary kid, I came to Forest Springs for a gap-year program called Trailhead. I found out about the program from a staff member who came to Mexico on a mission trip. Much of that time was spent thinking about what was ahead and how God could use my talents for his Kingdom. For the next few summers I continued to work at Forest Springs as the A/V technician. I really grew in my relationship with God and in my skills at running sound. What I loved about this job was that I could take part in sharing the Gospel by allowing the camp speaker to be heard clearly. In between the times at camp, I worked at Taylor University in Indiana where I oversaw students and facilitated chapel times. My time there grew me professionally as an A/V tech and I learned so much. I enjoyed my time there, but I always felt God calling me back to Forest Springs. God provided an opportunity to work at Forest Springs in the new role of Program A/V Specialist. I made the decision to move back to Wisconsin where this new adventure began. 

WHAT IS MY AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY? 

As the Program A/V Specialist, it has been a privilege to set up, maintain, and oversee the use of our Audio/ Visual equipment and work with guest groups to make sure that their meeting spaces are set up according to their A/V needs. Other responsibilities include: running the soundboard, making projection slides, and helping out in practical ways at the climbing tower, ski hill, and many other areas as needed. It is a unique position in that I work both in a supporting role and on the frontlines. Part of the Kingdom work that I get to do is engage with guests as a ski instructor and create a distraction free environment during sessions, so that our guests can experience God.

WHAT IS MY BACKGROUND? 

Growing up on a cattle farm in north central Pennsylvania, my love for the outdoors began to develop. That love flourished in high school as I worked at a local summer camp that offered backpacking and rock-climbing trips. After graduating high school, God began to press on my heart the desire to work in full-time ministry. So, I pursued my BA in Pastoral Studies at Clark Summit University. While attending there, I got connected with Forest Springs and decided to do an internship as a Summer Trip Leader in the Adventure Program. It was a great fit and I instantly fell in love with the program. I was hooked, and after finishing my degree, I came back to Forest Springs to be a Summer Trip Leader again. There I met my now wife Beth, who was a guide that summer as well. Working with the Adventure Program and Educational Ministries, Beth and I felt the Lord pressing on our hearts to stay at Forest Springs Longterm. For the summer of 2025, I accepted a full-time role in Adventure Ministries, followed by Beth and I getting married in the Fall of 2025. As we navigate our new life together, God has blessed us deeply through serving at camp and we're excited for what He has in store as we join missionary staff. 

WHAT IS MY AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY? 

As the Adventure Ministries specialist, my main responsibilities revolve around managing all of the gear used within Adventure Ministries. From repairing canoes, patching holes in a tent, or inspecting rock climbing gear for wear, there's always something to fix or replace. All the maintenance becomes worth it as I train the summer staff guides how to use the gear to have incredible experiences in God's creation. God does incredible things though these trips, which provide life impact for many. I get to see some of this impact firsthand, as I join trips to lead activities that require special training, such as rock climbing or white-water kayaking. Outside of the summer, I continue to work on gear inventory but also help in other areas of camp like outdoor education, winter sports programing, and occasionally helping the maintenance team with projects. I feel incredibly blessed to point others to Christ while teaching through activities that interact with His Creation.

WHAT IS MY BACKGROUND? 

I am from Stratford Wisconsin, which is only an hour away from camp, so I have always known about Forest Springs. I grew up going to CBC in Stratford, it was there that my faith was sharpened and my love for God grew deeper. After high school, I attended a year of bible school in Louisville, KY, studying worldview and apologetics. I loved to learn there, but through a series of events, it became clear that I needed to move back home. It was then that the Lord started planting seeds in my life regarding Forest Springs. I began at camp the Summer of 2025 as high adventure staff. From there I was able to join year-round contract staff as the Nature Education assistant. I am eager to see how God moves in this next stage of my life as I seek to join missionary staff. 

WHAT IS MY AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY? 

I am now a Nature Education Specialist where I get to work side-by-side so many wonderful people at camp. I also get to partner with school groups as they bring their students for a short week of outdoor learning and creation adventures. My role includes: teaching classes, researching new topics for new classes, training new teachers and facilitators, and running our climbing tower.

WHAT IS MY BACKGROUND? 

I began attending youth camps at Forest Springs when I was eight years old, and continued attending them through my elementary, middle, and high school years. Camps were very impactful to me, both personally and spiritually, and I grew a lot each year I attended. When I was 17, I started working at Forest Springs as summer staff, which was my first real exposure to the idea of full-time ministry, and using camp programs to do ministry. It was super exciting to me, and I came back the next summer as a program instructor to continue my newfound passion of sharing the Gospel and the love of Christ to youth and family campers. The fall after I graduated High School I attended Trailhead, a gap year program at Forest Springs, where I gained a lot of year-round ministry experience and began my leadership experience. This is also when I began deeply considering what it would look like for me to follow a calling in full-time ministry after the program. That following year, I began what has now become three years of ministry at Forest Springs as a Program Specialist. It has been incredible to see the growth in my leadership skills as well as growing into running programs, both things that I did not see myself ever doing just five years ago.

WHAT IS MY AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY? 

As a Program Specialist, my role includes a wide variety of tasks. I am responsible for the day-to-day maintenance and training required to keep program areas running and ready for each new season. I am also part of a team of staff who dream, plan, and run the programs and activities at Forest Springs, such as youth and family camps, outdoor education, and special events. I engage with campers in many areas of camp, with the goal of sharing the Gospel and breaking down the barriers that guests might have towards it. I am responsible for training and supervising many seasonal staff, especially as we run program areas like archery, paintball, and the tube hill. Part of the ministry that I get to do is providing spaces for campers to be receptive to God’s work in their lives while doing new or unique things.

WHAT IS OUR BACKGROUND? 

In 2003, I (Syd) graduated from college with a teaching degree, a love for camp ministry and a desire to follow the Lord. After a season teaching at a children’s ministry in East Africa, I was introduced to Camp Forest Springs where I completed their LTD internship (Leadership, Training and Development) in camp ministry leadership. It was here that I met Andrea, who had just graduated from Bible college with a passion for camp ministry and Africa. In 2008, nine months after getting married, we moved to Uganda to help start Musana Camps, a Christian camping ministry on the shores of Lake Victoria. In 2023, after 15 amazing years at Musana, we handed over the camp to Ugandan leadership and our family of seven returned to the US. We felt a clear conviction that the Lord was moving us in a new direction, the question was what, where, and when? We knew the Lord had given us a desire to work with young people and families, pointing them to Christ and using hands-on projects as a tool towards that. Over the past year and a half, we learned of Forest Springs’ desire to expand their gap year program (Trailhead) by adding the Journey vocational internship. This opportunity is a great fit for our family, and we have sensed the Lord‘s leading in this new direction. We are looking forward to what the future holds both for our family and for Forest Springs.  

WHAT IS OUR AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY? 

Journey is a new program in the early stages of development. As the Director of Journey, I will be responsible for providing leadership, direction, and oversight as we get the Journey vocational internship off the ground and running. The goal is to equip young adults to thrive in both life and work by engaging in spiritual development and hands-on learning. Students will be challenged to embrace a distinctly biblical work ethic, cultivate Christ-centered character, and develop a lifelong posture of growth and learning—preparing them for a confident and purposeful transition into the workforce in whatever field they may choose. Journey will come under the umbrella of Forest Springs Ministries’ educational programs and will serve all four of the Forest Springs Ministries’ locations by tackling projects where help is needed.