2026 ANNUAL SECTIONAL INFORMATION

February 24-26, 2026

Deer Run Camps and Retreats

3845 Perkins Rd, Thompson's Station, TN

The 2026 Conference Cost has not been established at this time.

Below are the costs and schedule for the 2025 Sectional as a point of reference.

REGISTRATION COST

Includes lodging, 5 meals (Tues dinner to Thurs breakfast), activity fee, and conference shirt.

If registering less than two weeks out, we cannot guarantee a shirt.

1) Lodge - Single occupancy: $295/person

2) Lodge - Double occupancy: $245/person

3) Lodge - Triple occupancy: $225/person

4) Lodge - Quad occupancy: $215/person

5) Shared dorm (no linens): $175/person

6) No overnight: $55/person

* Family Pricing

• Please register using options that applies for the number of adults (age 18 and up) coming with your family.

Example: one parent coming, choose single occupancy. Two parents coming, choose double occupancy. If there are MORE than 5 people in your family, you will need to choose the shared dorm option and bring your own linens (all twin beds).

• Register kids using the child registration options. There is no charge for lodging and meals for your child(ren), rather each child 5 or older will pay a $25 activity fee. Children 4 or younger are free.

* SPECIAL RATES FOR groups that are 1st time attenders

Use Promo Code “NEWBIE” for a $20 discount for each person on your team if this is your organization’s first time to participate in the TN-KY SECTIONAL. We are glad y’all are coming!

* FINANCIAL NEED

If you are interested in attending the conference but need some scholarship assistance, please contact April Kuykendall [aprilk@deerrun.camp] before you register for the conference.

Conference Schedule Details

Tuesday, Feb. 25

3-5 pm - Check-in – Main Office and Free Time 

5:30 pm – Dinner - Dining Hall 

6:15 pm - Door Prizes, Worship, and General Session with Tyson Hodge who is a husband, father of four, and an avid skateboarder who rarely turns down a good slice of pizza. A graduate of Appalachian Bible College with a B.A. in Bible/Theology and a minor in Camping Ministry, Tyson spent 11 summers immersed in the dynamic world of summer camp ministry. He now serves as a pastor at First Christian Church of Greeneville, TN, where he is passionate about guiding others in the pursuit of biblical truth. – Chapel 

7:45 pm - Meet those in your cohort: 

• Executive Directors Chapel Classroom C

• Guest Relations and Registration Chapel East Wing

• Food Services Main Chapel 

• Building & Grounds Chapel Classroom A

• Programming Chapel West Wing 

8:45 pm - All-Call for Bingo with Prizes! Dining Hall 

Wednesday, Feb. 26

7:15 am - Coffee and Bible Study Dale Hollow Lounge 

8:00 am – Breakfast Dining Hall 

9:00 am- 10:30am - Breakout Session

• THE VIOLENCE EPIDEMIC: Awareness & Response to Active Shooter Threats with Tracey Mendenhall (Defend Systems) This dynamic presentation takes a comprehensive look at the frequent and worsening problem of active violence as well as effective mitigation strategies. This workshop will explore ways to make existing facilities safer and will cover the following topics: historical mass casualty attacks and lessons learned, pre-attack indicators, specific action steps to take during an active violence encounter, actions that increase survivability, organizational preparedness methodology, and tools to aid first responders. -Main Chapel for all to attend 

10:30 am- 11:30 am - Breakout Sessions:

• Fill Your Camp with a Multi-Touch Marketing Strategy with Candice Myers (Sky Ranch) – A multi-touch marketing strategy reaches your target with a consistent message in a variety of formats to reinforce your brand and message. Multi-touch campaigns maximize effectiveness by reaching out to prospects in a variety of ways at one time. Developing this kind of strategy for your camp or organization delivers your message through multiple integrated formats, such as social media, email, direct mail, and paid ads, to ensure that your ministry sticks in the minds of potential customers and camper families. Chapel Classroom A

• When a Natural Disaster Occurs, How Can I Plan to Respond? with Finley Knowles (Camp Garner Creek) Most will never need to respond to a government-declared disaster. To say I didn’t think it would happen to me is an overstatement. I never gave it any thought at all. I never wondered “What if it happens to me?” Then it happened to me…twice. In this session, we will discuss lessons learned about managing a disaster. If you’ve been involved in a natural disaster clean-up and financial crisis, jot down your thoughts before you come. Each attendee will receive a handout with necessary steps to take to be better prepared. – Chapel West Wing

• Foodservice: Beyond the Kitchen with Rusty Hertzler (Camp Garner Creek) In this workshop we will be looking at ways you can take your foodservice department outside the 4 walls of your kitchen. – Dining Hall 

• Building Better Board Relationships with Gregg Hunter (President/CEO CCCA) Camp/Conference boards of directors can be as different as their programs and properties in terms of structure, purpose, responsibilities and qualifications. This seminar, alternately titled, “10 Things that Made my Relationship with My Board Better and Changed My Life,” looks at how to develop clear expectations between ministry boards and ministry leadership and provides tips for working together to ensure all are on the same page and to reduce tensions between the board and the leader. - Main Chapel 

• Elevate your guest experiences. Become a camp known for unreasonable hospitality!  With Jeremy Jackson (Forcamps) As someone in camp ministry, you’re clear about the importance of WHAT your camp offers. In this seminar we’ll lean into HOW you offer it. Learn how to create and install system that ensures each person your team interacts with feels seen, known, and cared for. – Chapel East Wing

NOON – Lunch Dining Hall 

1:00 pm - Breakout Sessions:

• A Mission-Minded Camp with Marie Marrs (Bancroft Bible Camp) Missions? Camp? Do we often place these two words together or do we think of them as separate entities, ideas or even types of ministries? Come join us as we look at some exciting ways you can easily incorporate missions into everyday camp life with your campers; and, hopefully, encourage you to stay "on mission" with the role God has called you to in camp ministry.  – Chapel Classroom A

• WHY CHOOSE CAMP? How to retain current campers and attract new campers with Roger Dunn (Cold Stream Christian Camp) Campers or potential campers have many choices for how to spend their 'sacred' summer vacation. Why should time at summer camp be on their list? During this session we are going to explore strategies that have worked and have not worked to retain your current campers and attract new ones. This is going to be a mix of information and interaction so come prepared to share about your experiences. We are Better Together! – Chapel West Wing

• Embracing Ambiguity with Gregg Hunter (President/CEO CCCA) What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Do you stress, flounder, freeze? Do you seek counsel, pray, conduct research? This seminar digs into the process of making decisions and moving forward when the way is unclear, with advice from several experts. The hope is that you will leave empowered to face uncertainty, embrace ambiguity and increase your courage in making decisions. – Main Chapel 

• Five meetings that will make your team unstoppable. Eliminate distractions and do more of what you’re called to. With Jeremy Jackson (Forcamps) Wouldn’t it be nice if your team worked with clarity, and every single decision didn’t need to come across your desk? Stop relying on to-do lists, impromptu meetings, and calls and texts at all hours. This seminar will help you have LESS meetings, get MORE done, and experience more of the outcomes your ministry was created for! -Chapel East Wing 

2:15 pm - Campus Tour by Cohort (meet as in previous locations for Cohort to begin tour) 

---FREE TIME--- Cash/Card Canteen (concession) open 3:00 pm -3:30 pm 

5:15 pm – Dinner Dining Hall 

6:15 pm - Door Prizes, Worship, and General Session with Tyson Hodge Pastor of First Christian Church, Greenville, TN Main Chapel 

7:30 pm - Free Time – Bonfire (at swings), Table Games (Dining Hall), and Conversation (anywhere 😊) 

Thursday, Feb. 27

7:15 am - Coffee and Bible Study- Dale Hollow Lounge 

8:00 am – Breakfast - Dining Hall 

9:00 am - Breakout Sessions:

• Ways to Save Time while Saving the Flavor with Rusty Hertzler (Camp Garner Creek) Cooking demonstration–Dining Hall

• Vision: Praying, Planning, Providing and Producing! with David Gibson (Deer Run) How to hear from God and know when and how to execute on His vision. – Chapel Classroom A

• Spiritual Archery: Raising Arrows in Camp Ministry– Derrick Mars (Bancroft Bible Camp) Living the “camp life,” we get to handle bows and arrows and teach the skill of archery to campers quite often. For many of us, we are either raising and training or have already raised and trained our own arrows—our children! Raising arrows in full-time camp ministry is a unique blessing, can be a little tricky, and sometimes leaves scars. In this breakout, we will share experiences of raising our children in the camp life setting, gain wisdom as we hear from those in the process, and encourage one another in the journey! – Chapel West Wing

• The Heart of Leadership led by the LIVE BOLD Interns (Longview Ranch) Many books have been written on leadership and many leadership conferences/seminars abound. During this time together, we will be exploring the very heart of leadership. We will explore what must be true at our very core to lead well. This session is taught by interns that spend a year at Longview in LIVE BOLD - our program that focuses on Biblical Discipleship, Outdoor Adventure, Leadership Development, and Deep Community. As our interns learn about leadership, they actively lead and train others in leadership. Join us for this fun, interactive experience of learning what is at the heart of leadership. – Chapel East Wing

10:00 am - Swap Shop - Main Chapel 

10:30 am - Grand Prizes, Worship, and General Session with Tyson Hodge Pastor of First Christian Church, Greenville, TN – Main Chapel 

If you would like to become a sponsor for the 2026 Sectional Message Us