The LTD Program

The LTD program offer five levels of participation: undergraduate, graduate, ministry internship, international participant, and graduate assistant levels. 

Undergraduate 

A Christian Camping Major is available to qualified students who are majoring in Biblical Studies/Christian Camping at select colleges and universities (see list below). These schools offer bachelor’s degrees, with the 3rd or 4th year spent in the LTD program. We require a GPA of 3.0 or above to qualify for the LTD program. 

Graduate 

A Master of Science track is available to LTD graduates who attend Cairn University Graduate School. 

Graduate Assistant 

Our partnership programs include an M.A. in Outdoor and Adventure Leadership (OAL) and an M.A. in Global Leadership – Outdoor Ministry (GLOM) from Wheaton (Chicago, IL). GAs can remain residential students at Forest Springs from 18-24 months to complete an MA or MS while immersed in the ministries of Forest Springs. GA students must raise personal support during their LTD year as a real-life project.

Ministry Intern 

Vocational Ministry Training is available to qualified individuals who are at least four years out of high school, are actively pursuing a career in and have demonstrated a gift for Christian ministry. 

International Participant 

International participants maintain a significant degree of freedom in choosing the components of the program in which they wish to participate. International Participants must apply for a visa and should plan to stay for the full four seasons of the program in order to gain the most from their visit.

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Throughout the year, LTD students will spend time in a classroom setting learning many aspects of camp, retreat, and conference center planning and organization. Topics of study include:

Administration & Management 
Camp Counseling
Maintenance
Organizational Structure
Programming
Safety and Risk Management
Curriculum Development & Teaching
Event Planning & Hospitality
Food Service Management 
Marketing and Public Relations
Personal life – Marriage, Family and Singleness in Ministry
Theology of Camp/Church Relations

Please contact us for detailed information on each of these topics and course objectives.

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LTD lasts 11 months: late May through the following April. 

Summer 

The program begins each year just before Memorial Day weekend with 4 days of orientation. Following orientation, students enter our summer program either as counselors, wilderness trip leaders, or in other leadership positions. The summer is made up of counseling for youth camp (7 weeks - June through mid-July), family camps (5 weeks - mid-July through mid-August) and wilderness trips (11 weeks - late May through mid-August). 

Fall 

From September through December, LTD students focus on lectures, discussions, reading assignments, special projects, and an all-encompassing paper for the Camp Organization capstone project. They also help host a various guest groups, and assist in creating the program for two marriage retreats. LTD students lend a hand at closing summer program areas and preparing for the winter season. They also participate in several trips: canoeing, rock climbing, camp tours, and ski instruction training. 

Winter 

LTD students learn downhill and cross-country skiing, and snowboarding, as well as how to teach those skills to others. They also have opportunities to assume leadership roles during our winter retreat season. Responsibilities may include supervising sports areas, hosting youth groups, working in food service, housekeeping, stores management, and maintenance. LTD students may also participate in promotional college trips. 

Spring 

In the spring months, LTD students host retreat groups, teach outdoor education classes, and help close winter program areas. They attend Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA) Sectional conferences and tour other camps. The year concludes with a formal presentation of their Ministry Organization papers and LTD graduation

Trips

One of the highlights for many students are the trips taken throughout the year. A typical trip calendar has included these types of trips:

• wilderness trips (canoeing, climbing, winter camping, etc)
• multi-day trips to visit Forest Springs Ministries sites (e.g. Wood Lake, Cedar Bay, etc.)
• multi-day camp tours of other regional camps (e.g. Fort Wilderness, Honey Rock, etc.)
• Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA) Sectional conferences
• ski/snowboard instructor training trips
• camp tour/volunteer work trips

Time Off & Holidays 

LTD Students normally have one day off per week and two days off whenever possible. Holiday vacation is given for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, and each are just over a week in length. It’s important to note that all camp staff must be at camp on December 27th for staff training. Exact dates of LTD vacation time is stated in the LTD staff contract, provided two months prior to your arrival. Any additional time off for personal reasons must be approved ahead of time by the Director of Educational Ministries.

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The LTD program has a set cost of $6000 per student for the current year. This program fee covers all direct program expenses- books and resources, trip expenses, etc. It also covers all provided meals and housing expenses. 

If LTD students come alongside their spouse or children, there are additional fees. Spouses are highly encouraged to complete the program together, and will be fully vested in the LTD program and receive 50% off of the program fees. Spouses with children cannot be fully vested students. The fee for their year is $800 for housing, $600 for trip fees, and $150 for an activity fee. Fees for children range between $240 and $550, depending on their age. 

Christian Camping Majors (Undergraduate/Graduate)

Forest Springs provides scholarships covering the tuition fee for Christian Camping Ministry majors (CCM) from partnering colleges/universities. The LTD program fee for CCM students has two components: 1) room and board fees (set by partner colleges or universities), and 2)the LTD program fees. These fees are paid through the partnering school. CCM students also receive a monthly stipend to augment their food costs when food service is closed. CCM students receive summer staff wages from their arrival in late May until summer ministry is completed in mid-August. From mid-August until the end of the program in the spring – in lieu of scholarshipped tuition, CCM students are not paid. 

Ministry Interns

The LTD program fee is $6,000, divided into two payments: $3,000 due upon arrival and $3,000 due in January. Ministry interns receive summer staff wages from their arrival in late May until summer ministry is completed in mid-August. From mid-August until the end of the program (9 months), ministry interns are paid Wisconsin minimum wage for 25 hours a week. An total cost estimate for interns would be $6000 plus personal expenses with a total of about $7,500-$8,500. Family expenses may add another $2,000-$3,000 for the year, depending on your family needs.

International Interns

The LTD program fee is $6,000 USD, divided into two payments: $3,000 due upon arrival and $3,000 due in January. Additionally, each international participant and family member must have qualified health insurance issued through the CCUSA visa agency (approximately $1,460 annual premium). Forest Springs pre-pays insurance premiums. Students and families must pay 50% (roughly $730) of the total premium in October and 50% in January. International interns receive summer staff wages from their arrival in late May until summer ministry is completed in mid-August. From mid-August until the end of the program, J1 visa wages are set at $1,000 a month by federal visa requirements. J2 Visa holders receive Wisconsin minimum wage for 25 hours a week.

Spouses with children cannot be fully vested students. The fee for their year is $2,500, which includes housing and an activity fee that provides trips and access to recreational equipment. Fees for children range between $220 and $550, depending on their age.

International students must fly to the Minneapolis St Paul International Airport (MSP). Forest Springs will arrange transportation from MSP to Forest Springs and for flights back to the student’s home country from MSP. 

Meals & Personal Supplies

Approximately 65% of the years' meals are provided in our dining facilities by our amazing food service team alongside our guests and other staff. The remainder of meals are on your own; however, CCM students receives a stipend to cover the cost of meals when food service facilities are not available. Students are responsible for their own basic supplies for the year. This could be budgeted at about $100-200 per month.

Financial Support

LTD students will provide 20 names of friends and family that Forest Springs will contact about giving special gifts to help support LTD’s wages. Students are allowed to raise their own personal support to offset costs.

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Living on the grounds is a vital part of the LTD experience. Housing includes wireless internet and basic utilities in the fee for LTD. Apartments are furnished including household items for the kitchen. TVs and media players are not provided. A housing and key deposit is required upon arrival. Individuals are also responsible for personal insurance, transportation, clothing, laundry, and other personal expenses. If a spouse participates in an LTD experience that is not built into the program fee, the couple may be asked to pay for those expenses. A garage nearby is provided for storage of bicycles. Each apartment is assigned a small storage unit. A playground is located on the rear side of the building for children. Laundry facilities are on the lowest level of the apartment building.

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Undergraduate/Christan Camping Major 

• Frontier School of the Bible (LaGrange, Wyoming)
• Emmaus Bible College (Dubuque, Iowa)
• Oak Hills Christian College (Bemidji, Minnesota)
• Prairie Bible College (Three Hills, Alberta, Canada)

Undergraduate/Christian Camping Major Graduate/MS in Organizational Leadership 

• Cairn University (Langhorne, Pennsylvania)

Graduate/MA in Outdoor and Adventure Leadership and MA in Global Leadership – Outdoor Ministry 

• Wheaton College (Wheaton, Illinois)

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