Ferncliff

News

1/7/2012: Summer Camp Registration is Open

Preview: Registration went live a few days ago and we have already had a flurry of registrations. Summer 2012 promises to be the best summer ever with new programming and site improvements campers will be quick to notice and enjoy...

11/27/2011: Camp Combats Challenge of Childhood Obesity
Preview: The following is taken from a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Overweight and obesity in children are significant public health problems in the United States...

11/26/2011: A Busy Thanksgiving
Preview: In the past, Thanksgiving weekend had been a quite time at Ferncliff. However, over the past few years the pace has progressively picked up to the point that this year the site was full...

11/17/2011: Americorps - Getting Things Done at Ferncliff
Preview: Ferncliff has had a great relationship with Americorps NCCC since 1999. We have been a project sponsor where teams of 10-12 have come for 4-8 weeks of public service...

11/7/2011: Solar Sign Coming Soon
Preview: Our solar sign is under construction! Soon, as you come to the "T" intersection you will have a colorful sign showing you to turn right for the Youth Camp or turn left and go under the tunnel for the Conference Center...

11/1/2011: Are We Having Fun Yet?
Preview: We make a point to enjoy our work at Ferncliff. If we claim to be a place "where fun and faith flourish" then we need to practice what we preach...

10/19/2011: Going the Extra Mile
Preview: Ferncliff staff go the extra mile. It is part of our faith and we work to make it part of our culture...

9/26/2011: Ferncliff Volunteer to Run 100 Miles to Benefit Children's Hospital
Preview: Katy Lipscomb grew up at First Presbyterian in Stuttgart and came to camp every summer. After her senior year of high school she worked in the dish room for the summer...

9/18/2011: Solar School #5 Completed and Making a Difference in Haiti
Preview: One of the best things going at Ferncliff is the Solar Schools we host in close partnership with Solar Under the Sun...

9/15/2011: $100,000 to Energize Ferncliff with Solar Power
Preview: Solar Under the Sun was awarded a coveted Birthday Offering from Presbyterian Women nationwide. Of the $200,000 grant, $100,000 will be used to add a variety of solar energy systems on Ferncliff buildings to give Solar School students more examples and hands-on training opportunities, as well as for the educational value to campers, guests and churches...

9/2/2011: Ferncliff's Green Mission Gets TV Audience
Preview: Talk Business is a program of our local Fox News affiliate. They do a "Clean and Green" segment each week...

8/31/2011: Surprise Benefit of International Summer Staff
Preview: Ferncliff has had international summer counselors every summer since 1999. Each year from 4-8 international counselors are part of the staff team...

8/18/2011: Summer 2011: Another "Best Summer Ever"
Preview: Summer 2011 is "in the books" as they say. Abby recruited an exceptional group of counselors and handed the reins over to Joel Gill as she enrolled in graduate school...

8/17/2011: Green Camps To Gather for Sustainable Pathways Conference
Preview: Ferncliff has pulled together the first conference for camp/retreat centers from various denominations who are interested in "going green." (Click under Upcoming Events to get the brochure.) It is the first time the camp/retreat center networks of the Presbyterian, United Methodist and Lutheran churches have endorsed an event together...

7/19/2011: Buckets to Tuscaloosa!
Preview: Church World Service emailed on Monday and asked how quickly we could get all our disaster clean up buckets to Tuscaloosa...

6/15/2011: Detour!
Preview: A bridge on Ferndale Cuttoff Road is being replaced and the road is closed for the summer. Please click on "Direction" in the column on the right side if you need alternative directions.

3/29/2011: Postcard from Ferncliff
Preview: I’ve been starting my postcards from Ferncliff with, “It’s surprisingly beautiful in Arkansas.” I’m originally from the still snow-covered Massachusetts, where the ocean has always captivated my aesthetic inclinations...

3/25/2011: The Garden Goes In!
Preview: Thanks to the help of our Americorps volunteers, our camp garden is up and growing. Twelve double dug raised beds are prepared and several are planted with cool weather vegetables...

2/25/2011: Americorps Comings and Goings
Preview: Even as our super productive Americorps team Water 2 heads into their last week of service before heading back to base camp in Denver, another team is preparing to take their place...

2/10/2011: Hot New Camp Truck!
Preview: You would be the envy of all your friends with this truck. Yep, a 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit diesel pickup...

2/10/2011: Want to Enliven Worship at Your Church?
Preview: Ferncliff is helping Gloryland Pastor's Choir raise money to come back to Ferncliff for their choir camp...

1/24/2011: Incoming Disaster Materials Smash Record
Preview: During 2010, Ferncliff volunteers received and processed 132,000 pounds of disaster kits! By comparison, in2009 the DAC processed 37,000 pounds of incoming disaster kits and supplies...

10/27/2010: Ferncliff Hosts First Synod Meeting
Preview: Ferncliff was pleased to host the fall meeting of the Synod of the Sun. About 70 commissioners and staffcame from 11 Presbyteries spread over 4 states...

10/4/2010: Bella Vista Volunteers Helping Out
Preview: A group ofseven men from Bella Vista have been working hard at Ferncliff this week. This group is working with Operations Manager Steve Wilson tobuild the Anne Russ deck on the Jim Mosley Tabernacle...

7/20/2010: Mosley Tabernacle to Get Decked Out
Preview: The Jim Mosley tabernacle is arguably the most beautiful building at Ferncliff. The rock columns and fireplace....the arched truss work.....the setting overlooking Belden Pond...

7/19/2010: A Bright Spot in Summer 2010: The Solar Vehicle
Preview: Our solar electric vehicle has been a welcome addition for camper and for transporting volunteers, guests and visitors around camp...

7/3/2010: Happy 80th Birthday GPT!
Preview: GPT, short for GrandPa Ted, celebrates his 80th birthday with fireworks on the 4th of July. Janie and Ted's family have come to Ferncliff from Colorado, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Illinois to celebrate with them...

7/3/2010: Ferncliff Statistics
Preview: In 2009 Ferncliff registered a record number of 675 summer campers, hosted 118 groups with 158 events involving 5,582 guests, and received 8,752 in hours of volunteer service from 343 volunteers.

7/3/2010: The Shady Chute
Preview: Ferncliff now has a 120' enclosed slide down the mountain we call Matthew - right across from the Welcome Center...

6/22/2010: New Critters at Camp
Preview: Our amazing Americorps team of volunteers, among many other jobs, have been raising 15 duckings for the lake...

5/3/2010: Summer Staffing Completed
Preview: Congratulations to Abby Cain for completing the hiring of what looks to be a fantastic group of summer staff!  We have 16 females and 10 males for counselors all of whom have had one or more years of college.  They come not only from Arkansas but from as far away as North Carolina and Indiana.  They come not only from the USA, but from England, Australia, Poland and South Africa. Veteran counselors Emily Wernsdorfer and Ryan Kirkeby return as our two Assistant Program Directors.  Registration is on track to break our previous records and it looks to be a great summer to be at Ferncliff!

3/30/2010: Volunteer House Makeover Nears Completion
Preview: Ferncliff's Volunteer House has gone through a very significant transformation on the inside.   With primarily volunteer labor, decades old carpeting was pulled up, asbestos tiles were professionally removed, every square inch of dark paneling and trim were painted with lighter colors, the gas stove was removed as was the propane tank, a new stove was installed and a new water heater, new kitchen cabinets and counter tops are being installed, 10 inches of cellulose were added to the attic, a great deal of dirt was excavated from behind the house to solve drainage issues and a retaining wall built, vinyl floor coverings added to front rooms and ceramic tile to kitchen, baths and master bedroom, new window treatments and lighting fixtures...

3/18/2010: Haiti Kits Still Arriving...Volunteer Groups Welcome!
Preview: Many boxes of disaster kits for Haiti continue to arrive at Ferncliff's Disaster Assistance Center daily.  An average day brings 50-60 boxes.  Thus far Ferncliff has shipped to Haiti over 50,000 Hygiene kits and 2500 Baby kits -- that's five truckloads.  Volunteer groups are needed to process the kits.  Most groups come on weekdays for either a morning or an afternoon.  Contact David Gill be email at

3/16/2010: Americorps Team Arrives at Ferncliff for 8 Weeks of Volunteering!
Preview: "Water 7" is the name of the NCCC team of 12 Americorps volunteers who have landed at Ferncliff for 8 weeks of service...

3/2/2010: February Disaster Work Breaks Record
Preview: During the month of February, Ferncliff received 49,338 pounds of boxes of disaster kits for Haiti sent from churches around the country...

2/23/2010: Ferncliff in the News
Preview: The work in our Disaster Assistance Center processing kits for Haiti was the subject of an article in the Democrat Gazette today (2/14)...

1/30/2010: Ferncliff Annual Dinner, Friday 2/5 6:00pm
Preview: Ferncliff started a tradition about 7 years ago of having an annual dinner the first Friday in February for any and all Friends of Ferncliff...

1/24/2010: Churches Rally Volunteers to Help Ferncliff with Kits for Haiti
Preview: UPS, Fed Ex, and the post office are bringing many boxes of Church World Service Gift-of-the-Heart Hygiene kits to Ferncliff every day...

1/14/2010: Haiti...."Mom, Ferncliff Can Help!"
Preview: This morning I got an email from Kate, mother of one of our campers.  Her son Thomas was watching the Today show about Haiti and told her "Ferncliff can help!"  When she asked how he said “They have packets with blankets, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and crayons...

1/7/2010: Summer Camp 2010 Open For Registration!
Preview: Online registration is open for summer 2010.  Several new camps have been added.  The summer has been condenced from 8 weeks to 7 to have more campers each week and give counselors more of a summer break before returning to school.  Of special interest is the $30 discount for those who register and pay their deposit before February 1st.  The discount is $20 in Feb/March and $10 for those who register in April/May.  Register now by going to the summer camp tab and clicking on "camp registration."