Guide
For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. - Psalm 48:14 NIV
The Guide Program is a nine month, adventure and discipleship program for young adults. This gap year program creates space for participants to develop adventure facilitation skills, dive into their faith, and live within authentic Christian community.
Adventure
Learn to lead by tackling the unique challenges that the wilderness has to offer. Spend nine months learning to guide rock climbing, canoeing, caving, backpacking, and challenge course experiences. Watch yourself progress from beginner to expert as you hone your skills and pursue professional certifications in the field of adventure education.
Faith
Who is God? Who am I? Who am I as it relates to God?
Take a step away from the the busyness of life and encounter the Creator in new ways. Wrestle through these questions and build strong faith foundations as you study Scripture, engage in conversation, and share life with others.
Community
Live, serve, and learn within an intentional, Christ-centered community. Share the highs and lows of life together as you cook meals, play games, pray together, and encourage one another.
Meet the Team
2025-2026
Silas, Noah, Daisy, Caleb
Caleb McLanahan Schluep
Adventure Specialist; Guide Director
B.A. Adventure Education, Messiah College
Caleb has a passion for sharing formative experiences with others and seeing them grow into who God made them to be. His experience working with other gap year programs, camps, educational settings, and adventure guiding has uniquely prepared him to lead the Guide Team.
Hear from a Guide Student
“The Guide program has given me the opportunity to explore other interests in my life while also surrounding myself in a community that closely resembles the early church. We cook together, plan spontaneous Goodwill trips, and build one another up through prayer and fellowship. I am grateful to God for leading me to this program and am very excited for all He has in store for this year”
- Joe Lapp, 2022-2023 Guide Team Member
“The Guide program has greatly developed me as a person, specifically giving me a new appreciation for the outdoors, Christian community, and working with children. It was a large influence in my decision to go to college and helped me find an area of study that I truly enjoyed. The program transformed many of the unproductive habits I had developed in high school and replaced them with a willingness to work hard, a commitment to growing in my faith, and the ability to be vulnerable within a community. These qualities have proven to be extremely beneficial in my college experience. It has been a year, and I’m still seeing new ways in which the Guide program has changed my life for the better.”
- Andrew Christophel, 2023-2024 Guide Team Member
“Guide has taught me how to embrace every adventure, no matter how big or small, with confidence, resting in the knowledge that I am a beloved child deeply known and deeply loved by God. In this, whether I am out on the trail or navigating everyday life, I have learned what it looks like to experience life and life abundantly through developing a personal relationship with Jesus, living in strong community, and finding a heart for adventure.”
- Abigail Hagopian, 2024-2025 Guide Team Member
Frequently Asked Questions
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Here are some ideas we’d invite you to consider…
Personal transformation happens when we step out of our comfortable routines. Gap year programs are intentionally designed to allow participants to experience this change of pace and location in a structured and growth-oriented environment.
Investing time and money into a traditional education or work experience can be expensive! Gap year programs create a space for participants to discover new passions, develop unique skill sets, and reinvigorate a love for learning. Often, participants leave these experiences with a clearer understanding of who God created them to be and the vocations He is calling them to pursue.
Gap year programs provide participants with a stepping stone towards personal independence and offer excellent entry level work experiences. Participating in Camp Hebron’s gap year program allows participants to serve within camp’s well-established ministry setting.
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Young adults, ages 18-25, are eligible for the Guide Program. We’d encourage folks who can answer, “yes” to any of these three questions to consider joining the Guide team.
Are you passionate about adventure activities like rock climbing, canoeing, or backpacking? Do you want to learn to lead these transformative experiences for others?
Are you searching for a change of pace and place from your daily routine? Are you currently in between other opportunities and looking for a new skill to learn or passion to discover?
Are you desiring to dive deeply into your faith experience? Do you want to learn more about God, Scripture, and who God created you to be?
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Young adults, ages 18-25, are eligible for the Guide Program. We’d encourage folks who can answer, “yes” to any of these three questions to consider joining the Guide team.
Are you passionate about adventure activities like rock climbing, canoeing, or backpacking? Do you want to learn to lead these transformative experiences for others?
Are you searching for a change of pace and place from your daily routine? Are you currently in between other opportunities and looking for a new skill to learn or passion to discover?
Are you desiring to dive deeply into your faith experience? Do you want to learn more about God, Scripture, and who God created you to be?
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The Guide Program offers several unique benefits for participants.
Participants will finish the program with a Wilderness First Responder certification.
Participants will gain hands-on experience leading, facilitating, and guiding others through experiences and conversations. As a program built on the tenants of experiential education, we practice what we teach! We’ve found this approach to education to be effective and inspires self-guided learning and reflection!
The Guide Program offers mentorship, discipleship, and space to dive deeply into one’s faith. Our goal is to cultivate an authentic, Christ-centered community where participants and staff members grow together in their Christian walks.
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Yes. There is a $1000 tuition fee to enter the Guide Program. This fee covers the cost of the professional certifications and portions of the personal gear participants will receive as part of the program.
Participants during the course will be provided some instruction on fundraising and work to raise $4,000 for general operations at Camp Hebron.
Lodging is provided throughout the course of the program. Participants are welcome to join in meals prepared by camp when the kitchen is serving food.
Participants have the opportunity to work 10-15 hours each week at camp to earn some extra money.
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The Guide Program is a 9 month program running from September through May. Participants will have the opportunity to apply for a summer staff position too, which would allow them to work at camp from June through August.
Participants can expect to invest a few hours each day in structured class, training, or community time. There will be scheduled “breaks” throughout the year for holidays and respite. Additional time-off can be accommodated, but participants are responsible for the content and experiences they’ve missed. Participants will be given at least 24 consecutive hours of “time off” each week.
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Participants will be given on-site housing for the duration of the program.
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Halifax is a small, rural town about 30 minutes north of Harrisburg. We’d encourage participants to invest in the local community during their time at camp. There are opportunities to plug into the local Youth Center, Youth Group, or Released Time programs as mentors. Or, we can help folks connect with a local church too.
Additionally, a number of metropolitan areas are easily accessible from camp. Lancaster and Gettysburg are about one hour away. Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC, and New York City are all feasible day trip locations.
Questions? Ready to get started?
Support the Team
The Guide program is largely adventure-based which takes a lot of gear. If you would like to support the ministry of the Guide program please consider helping us get the equipment that we need.
