About the Program

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0018dfc3.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id31.htm"><U>join </U></A><A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id31.htm"><U><B>"The 9 % Club" !</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id12.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id12.htm"><U><B>About the Chaplin</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id4.htm"><U><B>Location / Park Information</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id3.htm"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id9.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id9.htm"><U><B>Worship Services</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id10.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id10.htm"><U><B>Saturday Kids Program</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id11.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id11.htm"><U><B>Request Prayer</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id19.htm"><U><B><U>Sermons on-line</U></B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id16.htm"><U><B>Events</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id17.htm"><U><B>Spaghetti Supper</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id15.htm"><U><B>Tionesta Indian Festival</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id5.htm"><U><B>Visit Forest County</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id13.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id13.htm"><U><B>Ministry Sponsors</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id14.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id14.htm"><U><B>Leisure Ministries</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tionestacm.com/id7.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tionestacm.com/id7.htm"><U><B>-Support This Ministry-</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.supercause.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.supercause.com"><U><B>supercause.com</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0028dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Tionesta Campground Ministry</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tionesta Campground Ministry"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tionesta Campground Ministry"><U>Tionesta Campground Ministry</U></A>   |   <B>About the Program</B>   |   <A HREF="id12.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About the Chaplin"><U>About the Chaplin</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Location / Park Information"><U> Location / Park Information</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Firewood"><U>Firewood</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0028dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>About the Program</I></div> <bR> <div> <B> <form method="get" action="http://www.google.com/search"> <div style="border:1px solid black;padding:4px;width:20em;"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr><td> <input type="text" name="q" size="25" maxlength="255" value="" /> <input type="submit" value="Google Search" /></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" style="font-size:75%"> </td></tr></table> </div> </form> </form>  </B></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="895" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 815 WIDTH="520"><div>  </div> <div> ORIGIN OF THE STATE PARK MINISTRY</div> <bR> <div> The popularity of camping in Pennsylvania's beautiful parks in the late 1950's brought a request from campers for religious services in the parks.  They desired an informal worship service where campers from many church backgrounds could worship informally in a beautiful outdoor setting.</div> <bR> <div> As an organization of twenty denomination in Pennsylvania, whose membership exceeded three million persons, the Pennsylvania Council of Churches was contacted and developed a pilot project in 1960 at Cowans Gap State Park.</div> <bR> <div> Arrangements were made with the Department of Forest and Waters, predecessor to the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, to provide a non-denominational chaplaincy program.  It was to be inclusive of the wide variety of Christian traditions of persons camping in our state parks while serving and respecting the privacy and rights of persons with different beliefs.</div> <bR> <div> Response of campers and sponsoring church bodies has been so positive that the program has grown to serve as many as fifty five campgrounds across the Commonwealth.  From Pymatuning to Promised Land, form Raccoon Creek to French Creek, more than 300,000 men, women and children appreciate a friendly contact with a representative of the campground chaplaincy program each summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.</div> <bR> <div> In 1990 the informal working relationship between the Pennsylvania Council of Churches and the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources was formalized in a Special Activities Agreement.  This agreement is renewed periodically.</div> <bR> <div> The success and expansion of this program is a combination of second mile church contributions, camper participation and offerings, and work of local committees and administration by the Pennsylvania Council of Churches.</div> <bR> <div> Through the years many Seminary students, retired pastors and lay speakers have experienced the satisfaction of meeting people from all walks of life, sharing a spiritual pilgrimage and enjoying the blessings of serving others in the name of Christ and the church.</div> <bR> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="01b62220.jpg" border=0 width="354" height="802" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>