Summer 2024 Theme

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 ESV)

This summer at WSS, we will be focusing on this verse as our theme. It’s a familiar one and there is a lot of truth and application in this verse for our lives as disciples of Christ. I want to highlight one thing in particular about this verse that has been impactful to me this past year…

“…for apart from me you can do nothing.” Remaining connected to Jesus, as a branch is connected to the vine, is not just about the joy and peace of abiding with our Savior.  It is about bearing fruit; it is about production.  And this verse reminds us that we can’t produce anything of eternal significance—no fruit of the Spirit in our lives, no impact for the Kingdom of Heaven, without Christ.  And how is it that our connection to Christ enables us to “bear much fruit”?  It is through the Holy Spirit. Just as sap flows through the vine to the branches to provide the nutrients and energy the branch needs to bear fruit, so too does the Holy Spirit flow from Christ into us to give us the power of Christ’s spirit to do His holy work. The Holy Spirit enables us to glorify the Father through obedience and doing His will in sharing the Good News of the Gospel.

So join us this summer as we seek a deeper connection to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and explore how we can be empowered by the Holy Spirit to “bear much fruit”! It will be a summer of fun, amazing fellowship, rest, relaxation…and of course worshipping together as the body of Christ.  We look forward to you joining us to experience all the Lord has for us this summer at White Sulphur Springs!

In Hope,
Paul Robyn
WSS Center Director

Meet Paul and Dawn

Summer R&R 2024 Speaker Lineup & Programs Overview

Summer R&R #1

June 7 @ 4:00 pm - June 14 @ 10:00 am

LtCol Paul Homan, PhD (USAF, Ret): “Science and the Bible”: Science is often upheld in our society today as the ultimate truth. As Christians, we know the ultimate source for truth is God’s Word (John 17:17). Click on event or photo.

Summer R&R #2

June 14 @ 4:00 pm - June 21 @ 10:00 am

Dan Hart, LTC, USA: “Loving Like God in a Broken World”: "Break through cliché views of love and realize that as sons and daughters adopted into God’s family, the love of God expressed through Jesus imbues us with innate worth, calls us to grow, and empowers us for action.” Click on event or photo.

Summer R&R #3

June 21 @ 4:00 pm - June 28 @ 10:00 am

Pastor Keith Peck: “Living Wisely in an Age of Folly”: Multiple sources for knowledge abound at our fingertips today - Google, social media, AI - yet we live in an “Age of Folly”. Like the prophet Jeremiah’s day, right is called wrong, wrong is called right and God’s wisdom is called foolishness. Click on event or photo.

Summer R&R #4

June 28 @ 4:00 pm - July 5 @ 10:00 am

Dr. Michael Sprague: “How to talk about Jesus in a 'salty way'”: What is your level of "hope" for these challenging days? Are you managing life's challenges with courage and confidence in God? Does life sometimes seem perplexing and hard to figure out? Click on event or photo.

Summer R&R #5

July 5 @ 4:00 pm - July 12 @ 10:00 am

Chaplain Michael Will, USA (Ret): “A Faithful Approach to Hardship and Suffering”: Whether personal plights tied to physical or emotional pain, corporate concerns surrounding cultural conflicts within the body of Christ, or transcending temporal matters altogether with a view to eternal realities, a faithful approach to hardship and suffering is essential. Click on event or photo.

Summer R&R #6

July 12 @ 6:00 pm - July 19 @ 10:00 am

Pastor Chris Plekenpol: “Exodus: Journey to Promise”: Pastor Plek walks through the journey of Moses leading the Israelites out of bondage. Click on event or photo.

Summer R&R #7

July 19 @ 4:00 pm - July 26 @ 10:00 am

COL John and Judy Rossi, USA (Ret): “Enhancing Your Marriage: The Power of the 90-Degree Dynamic”: Do you know that your marriage relationship depends on more than just two people? The reality for every Christian couple is that five persons are involved. Click on event or photo.

Summer R&R #8

July 26 @ 4:00 pm - August 2 @ 10:00 am

COL Bobby Little, USA (Ret): "Living a Biblical Worldview": How to live out a Christian Worldview in your profession, family, church, and neighborhood in the midst of an increasingly hostile post-modern culture. Click on event or photo.

Summer R&R Pricing

Nightly meals & lodging rates vary depending on the duration of your visit as indicated in the table to the right. There is also an additional conference fee to cover speaker and program fees, and only one conference fee is charged per family group. The conference fee for Summer R&R #1, #2, #6, #7,  & #8 are $32 for 1 or 2 nights, $80 for 3 to 7 nights, and the conference fee for Summer R&R #3, #4, #5 is $47 for 1 or 2 nights, $135 for 3 to 7 nights.

1-2 nights 3-6 nights 7 nights
Adults (ages 18+) $96/night $91/night $85/night
Teens (ages 13-17) $48/night $46/night $46/night
Youth (ages 3-12) $36/night $34/night $32/night
Toddler (ages 0-2) free free free

Let’s unpack this. You want to do special things and create family memories, but your budget isn’t unlimited. You also want to invest in your faith and model to your children what it means to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. We get it. Check out the table below to see how a week-long getaway at WSS compares to other vacation ideas. Be sure to select any applicable discounts during your registration process as well!

Walt Disney World® Cruise

$8,334estimate
  • 5 nights: ~$7,534 all inclusive
  • Flights: ~$800
  • July 2024

AirBnB Cape May, NJ

$3,958estimate
  • Cottage- 6 nights, $2008
  • Meals: ~$1,000-1,500
  • Activities- $750

Summer R&R at White Sulphur Springs

$1,9276 nights/7 days
  • Heritage House Lodging: $901
  • Meals: $901
  • Family Conference Fee: $135

Note: These estimates are based off a family of 4, 2 adults, 1 teen and 1 youth (1 queen bed & 2 twin beds)

Summer 2024 Highlights!

  • We really want to introduce those that have never here to WSS this summer. To help with that, we’re offering a 1 FREE NIGHT coupon to any first-time guest to WSS. This coupon is good for meals and lodging for 1 night (3 meals) for the first-time guest, spouse and children. Please help spread the word!
  • For those that have been here before, we need your help spreading the word about our first-time guest offer. But, we also want to offer you a chance for 1 FREE NIGHT as well: be a “bringer”. If you bring a first-time guest with you when you come to WSS this summer, we’ll offer you (and your spouse and children) 1 FREE NIGHT as well! So, start thinking about who in your circle of family and friends would be blessed by coming to WSS with you this summer and bring them with you!
  • We are offering a new leadership opportunity within our AO! program this summer. Each week, we are looking for 2 (1 guy, 1 gal) young adults (at least age 16) who have been on AO! already that are spiritually mature enough to serve as “Assistant AO! Trip Leader” for a week on AO!. This opportunity will include an extra night at WSS to help prepare for the camp week with the AO! Trip Leaders, and then leadership opportunities throughout the week to assist the Trip Leaders as they lead activities, discussions, etc. Check out the AO! home page for more information about this exciting new opportunity with AO!.
  • We have scholarships available for wounded warriors and local area Bedford Veterans
  • As always, we’ll have a special celebration on the 4th of July. Join us for R&R #4 for our “WSS Family Olympics” (including our cardboard canoe race!), a cookout and fireworks to cap off the 4th of July…there’s really no better place to celebrate Independence Day than here at WSS!
  • More Camp Caleb opportunities! This summer we are running 6 weeks of Camp Caleb “Triple Weeks”, which means all 3 varieties of Camp Caleb will be offered (Junior, Adventure and Challenge). Our Triple Weeks will be during R&R 2, 3, 4 and 6, 7 and 8.
  • More Horse Camp opportunities! This summer, we will be offering Horse Camp every Sunday afternoon and Monday afternoon during each week of R&R. If you have a horse-lover in your family, you’ll be able to include Horse Camp as part of your R&R stay, no matter which week you come this summer.
  • More Camp Caleb Day Camp opportunities! This summer, we’re offering Camp Caleb Day Camp each week of R&R. Our Camp Caleb Day Camp is a single day program designed for rising 2nd and 3rd graders, to give them a little taste of what Camp Caleb is like. Learn more about this great opportunity on our Camp Caleb home page!
  • New Active Duty discount- putting money back in your wallet!

What to Expect at Summer R&R

Each day of Summer R&R is unique and filled with many activities that are not only fun but also designed to bring you closer to God. The Summer R&R program is flexible and allows you to do as much or as little as you want. While designed to be a week-long experience, shorter stays are possible to accommodate your family’s schedule. Just indicate which days you’ll stay with us during your registration process. Here’s what to expect during a Summer R&R week:

  • Delicious home-cooked meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with occasional picnics throughout the week
  • Stocked breakfast and salad bars and an ability to accommodate most food allergies
  • Age-appropriate programs for children and teens with biblically sound curriculum while adults take in vibrant teaching and small group discussions during the mornings and evenings
  • A staff devoted to serving you
  • A balance of scheduled activities and free time with total flexibility that lets you choose how you and your family spend your vacation time
  • Free time activities ranging from horseback riding to swimming at Promise Pond to adventuring at the Challenge Course and more
  • Amazing fellowship with other believers from similar walks of life

No two days are the same during a week of Summer R&R. Check out a few of each day’s unique activities below:

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Check in anytime after 4 p.m., and enjoy a welcome dinner at 6 p.m.
Start soaking in Bible-based sessions from the week’s speaker in the morning while the kids participate in age-appropriate, engaging programming. Head outside in the afternoon for games, swimming at the pond, and other free time activities.
Spend time in corporate worship during a Sunday morning service, and go for a hayride to the campfire at the Picnic Pond.
Get to know WSS during our Family Scavenger Hunt, spend the afternoon at the low ropes course and Promise Pond, then celebrate what God’s doing around the world at International Night.
Send the kids off to Field Day activities and a picnic lunch while adults enjoy lunch at the hotel.
WSS Family Day! Explore the local area, take a day trip to Ohiopyle for white water rafting, or relax on property. After coming together again at a western-themed dinner, we’ll enjoy line and square dancing with Pete Bray (no previous practice required!).
Bring the week to a close with final speaker sessions, a picnic cook-out lunch, a farewell social, and a photo slideshow.
Take advantage of one last breakfast at 8 a.m. and check-out at 10 a.m. Make sure you say, “See you later!” instead of “Good-bye” on your way out, because we hope to see you next year!