Hunting Island State Park Ministry

Campground ministry at Hunting Island State Park (HISP) has become a favorite ministry site for our chaplains, mission teams, and missionaries. In early August, Carole McGrath and her husband Brian, our summer chaplains, packed up and headed back to Hampton, SC for Carole to return to work at the school district. My final question to chaplains before they leave the park is, "So, I'll see you next year, right?" and Carole always looks up with a grin and says, "If you will have me!" 

Each of our chaplain couples this year have left their term of service with beautiful stories of how God has allowed them to share in the lives of so many people. The relationships they build with campers and staff not only extend into the months following their ministry assignment, but campers frequently come up to the chaplains as they are in the process of parking their camper at arrival and say, "I've been looking for you, hoping you would be here this year!"

Beyond offering worship services at the campground on Sunday mornings, the chaplains assist the park staff with campground and beach duties, organize and set up family night activities and beach games several times a week, are available for pastoral counseling or prayer throughout the day, and each chaplain usually develops his or her own personal ministry, such as passing out water bottles on the beach or painting seashells to give away. Sunday services usually average 15-30 people in attendance, and frequently a few pets or wild animals are reported as being present, too!

Other than just being a beautiful place to visit, the ministry at HISP is rich, and often doesn't receive the attention it deserves. The partnership shared between SRBA and HISP is, to my knowledge, the only state park partnership in South Carolina that allows a chaplain to live on site and be as involved in the activities of the campground as what we are currently experiencing. What a blessing to be able to continue this wonderful ministry, and I'm grateful that God has provided such incredible people to serve as our chaplains.

Fall is a wonderful, and much cooler, time to experience ministry at HISP. If you happen to stop by, please take a moment to say hello to our first Fall Chaplain, Russell Williams, and his family. Their site is across from the beach volleyball net and beside the brick pump house. Also, remember SRBA will soon begin collecting food for our Thanksgiving Day meal at HISP, which usually feeds several hundred campers and staff each year.

Blessings!