2. Background
SonRise, as it is now called today, was started in the late
1990s under the name Handycamp. It was set up as a
camp for individuals with exceptionalities, such as
intellectual or developmental disabilities. Each summer
the camp would move from location to location, as they did
not have a place to call their home. By 2010, the camp
raised enough money to buy its own land in Anderson,
Indiana, and began building the camp it is today. In 2011 it
was acquired by Bethesda, a Lutheran community with a
goal to help the developmentally challenged, and was
renamed SonRise. Since then they have been expanding
and building their camp to its fullest potential.
3. Bethesda’s Mission
“To enhance the lives of people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities through services that share
the good news of Jesus Christ.”
SonRise’s Mission
“To equip Christian leaders to create an authentic
Christian community that reaches out and draws
everyone closer to Christ.”
4. Bethesda’s Vision
“Bethesda strives to become the central point of
connection that unites people who have intellectual and
developmental disabilities with communities and
essential resources to help them live their lives to the
fullest extent possible.”
5. About SonRise
• SonRise Summer and Weekend retreats are a transformative
experience, offering adults with intellectual and developmental
disabilities and volunteers of all ages the opportunity to build
Christian community
• All aspects of each retreat session, including woodcrafts, Bible
study, recreation, praying, and singing, reinforce Bible-based
lessons and lead to spiritual growth.
• Youth and adult volunteers, beginning with high school-aged
youth, receive training that covers important issues such as
communication, etiquette, personal care and sensitivity to
people who have developmental disabilities
• Companions are paired, one-on-one, with people with
developmental disabilities, sharing cabins, participating in
activities and assisting with daily living needs.
• Adult volunteers may also serve as cabin and woodcraft
leaders, nurses and kitchen crew
6. About SonRise
SonRise Weekend Retreats:
• SonRise Retreats are held over weekends, from Friday
through Sunday
• Volunteer companions and adults with intellectual and
developmental disabilities are paired and empowered to build
one-on-one relationships
• Activities include Bible study, arts and crafts, karaoke,
dancing, hiking and campfires
• Retreat participants with developmental disabilities may attend
up to three weekend sessions during each summer
7. About SonRise
SonRise Summer Retreats:
• SonRise summer retreat is a five-day, four-night Bible
program for youth and adult volunteers and adults with
intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Volunteer orientation begins on Monday morning
• Retreat participants with intellectual and developmental
disabilities arrive Tuesday morning. Retreats conclude at 11
a.m. on Saturday
• Annually, eight summer sessions provide an experience for up
to 240 participants with developmental disabilities and more
than 500 volunteers who serve as one-on-one companions
and in other support roles
8. Who this helps
SonRise retreats and camps help many different people.
• Friends: This is what we call the adults who attend the
retreats. These retreats help them to interact with others like
themselves, and to put them in a loving, caring, and God-filled
environment. Throughout the weekend/week they are treated
like they are the most important person in the world, by being
given one-on-one time by their companion (the volunteer).
These retreats can help those who may be more homebound
or less sociable to get out and about. They get to sing, watch
easy to understand Bible stories, eat meals with all their
friends, and have a fun weekend learning about Jesus.
• Caretakers and families: For most people, caring for their
loved one who suffers from a disability or mental illness can
almost be another full time job. These weekend retreats, and
in the summer week long retreats, help to lighten their load for
a bit and to give them so much needed time off
9. My weekend: Wesley
Myself and another volunteer were paired with my newly founded
friend Wesley, or Wes for short. To understand my
weekend a bit more you should know a
bit about him. Wesley was completely
nonverbal. This meant that he did not
communicate through speech, but
through hand gestures. His favorite
n hand gestures were those for horseback riding,
trains, hungry, and Opa (his
grandpa). For meals we had to cut his
food up for him, and for
bathroom/shower time he was unable to do it
himself. He also was prone to small
temper tantrums, so we had to watch out for those, because he
had a mean swing.
Picture: Kooper, Wesley, Me
10. This was our schedule for the
weekend. Our friends showed up
Friday night and then the fun
began. Once everyone was settled
in, we had karaoke night. This was
great bonding experience for our
cabin, as well as for the other
friends and volunteers to get to
know each other. The next morning
consisted of breakfast, morning
pleasures (cleaning!), Bible Study
and Woodcrafts! Then there was
lunch, rest time, and free time.
After that we had a dance, extreme
bingo, and a bonfire. And to wrap
everything up we had a worship
service centered around prayer.
That bible story was about prayer
(the theme for the weekend). The
on Sunday breakfast again, and a
Sunday worship service before
everyone headed home.
26. How to Volunteer
SonRise is constantly in need of volunteers. Each summer they
have over 250 friends who want to come to camp, yet they still have
to turn people away. With your help and a week of your time, you
can make a difference in someone’s life. If you have a busy
summer, you can always donate towards a friend who may not have
the funds to get to camp. Every little bit helps.
Here is their website:
http://bethesdalutherancommunities.org/page.aspx?pid=734
Here is where you can sign up for a summer retreat:
http://bethesdalutherancommunities.org/document.doc?id=591
Here is where you can sign up for a weekend retreat:
http://bethesdalutherancommunities.org/document.doc?id=591
2013 Weekend Retreats: 2013 Summer sessions:
Sept. 27 to 29 June 10 to 15
Oct. 18 to 20 June 17 to 22
Nov. 8 to 10 July 8 to 13
July 15 to 20
July 22 to 27
July 29 to Aug. 3
Aug. 5 to 10
I’m already signed up for June 10-15 and July 8-13, how will you be helping out?
Contact me if you would love to learn more about volunteering and having the
experience of a lifetime! Jeff Biberdorf 317-417-6679
