Steve Hankins has been serving at Sky Lodge since April of1984. He comes from a family of 4 brothers and 1 sister, all of whom live in the Chicago area. As Steve says, he’s the only one who escaped the city! Steve and Terry were married in 1977 and have two grown daughters and 1 granddaughter.

Steve graduated with a B.A. in Physical Education/Recreation. He is also qualified as a certified emergency response/first aid instructor, lifeguard instructor, and certified in teaching DISC personality types.

Before Steve got involved in camping, he was an electrical tradesman. Outside of his Sky Lodge camping experience, he served as maintenance director at a Wisconsin camp and as session director at various camps.

Steve has attended camps since he was 8 years old and has not missed a summer without some type of camping experience. In his senior year of high school, he recommitted his life to Jesus at a teen camp. That experience and the strong friends developed at camps was a big factor in deciding to enter Christian camping.

Steve says there are two ways to look at why he has invested his life in camp ministry – scientifically and spiritually.

Scientifically, just do the math! A kid spending a week at camp means that there will be 96 waking hours around a godly counselor, in creation, with scripture, Bible verses and songs! That is almost 2 times more experience than a kid will spend in Sunday school. Camp provides so many opportunities to grow and stretch.

Spiritually, while he has seen hundreds of campers take their relationship a step farther with God, he has also seen dozens of kids' lives who were radically changed and restored through their time spent at camp. To Steve, Christian camping is one of the best tools for our local church.

Outside of camp, Steve enjoys action adventure movies, hanging out with his wife, reading (all types of books), golf, hunting and paying for college and weddings!

Terry Hankins
Camp Secretary

I have worked at Sky Lodge since April of 1984.  I am married to Steve Hankins, the Sky Lodge Executive Director.  We have two grown daughters.  Our girls loved growing up at camp with a pool, horses, and lots of excitement!  Helping in the Hitching Post (our snack bar) was a favorite activity.  To them, it was playing store!  They are now grown up and on their own.  Our oldest daughter is engaged.  The other is married and they have the most beautiful, sweet, smiling baby girl you’ve ever seen!  (That’s “Grandma Talk” from a very proud Grandma!)

My choice to work in Christian camping is due to the great experiences I had as a young camper and on summer staff as a teenager.  I’m glad to be part of something that was so influential in my spiritual growth.

Christian camping has been very important to me ever since I was an 8 year old camper.  I loved camp!  I loved the new friends, my counselors, the cabin fun, swimming, horseback riding, crafts, games, and chapel times.  I loved the energetic songs with the guitar; I loved the speakers who were aimed at my age group.  I loved everything!  I kept going back year after year.  Some of the summers, I was even able to go to a couple of different Christian camps. My church also took our Junior/Senior High youth groups on some exciting winter retreats at camp. 

A turning point in my life happened at camp when I was 16 years old.  I worked on summer staff at one of the camps I had attended as a child.  That summer was an eye opening experience for me.  I had a concentrated time (6 weeks) of working with other Christian teenagers and adults.  It gave me a lot of time for growing and learning through Bible studies, prayer times, and just having the examples of Christian leaders and other teenagers who were committed to Jesus.  I rededicated my life to Jesus that summer. My summer staff experience is the reason why I am a huge supporter of our Zone Summer Staff Program.

I also met a handsome lifeguard that summer named Steve Hankins who was also on summer staff.  Steve and I were married two years later at the ripe old ages of 18 and 20.  We lived Chicago and continued to volunteer time at camp.  In the summer of 1981, we had the opportunity to serve on the staff at Phantom Ranch Bible Camp.  It was supposed to be just for the summer, but turned into two years at camp.

God led us to Sky Lodge Christian Camp in 1984.  We looked at several camps, but felt God’s leading to Sky Lodge.  We are thankful for His direction and care.  It has been a great experience to serve Him through Christian Camping at Sky Lodge.

My hobbies are quilting, sewing, reading, walking, and spending time with my husband.  And of course… playing with my beautiful granddaughter!

Steve Himsel
Camp Director

Steve Himsel has been at Sky Lodge since 1988.  He has been married to Chris since May 14, 1977.  The two are very proud of their son, who recently graduated with a degree in physics and mathematics.

Steve has been part of staff in camping ministry since the summer 1974, but he didn’t join a camp on full time staff until 1979.  He has a bachelor’s degree in sociology, is certified as a Red Cross lifeguard, and had previously been trained and certified as a first responder.

Steve is in camping because of how God can change lives so dramatically in a natural setting.  Watching young people over the years, seeing them become Christian leaders; also seeing families be transformed because of God’s grace has been what has kept him excited about the ministry at Sky Lodge.

Steve enjoys reading, biking, camping, watching sports, and spending time with his wife and son.

Brian Hulka
Maintenance Director

Brian has been at Sky Lodge since March of 2000.  He and his wife Annie have 2 grown sons, and one other who still lives at home. 

Brian had lots of good maintenance-like experiences under his belt when he came to camp.  He was involved in woodworking for 22 years.  He also did work in general maintenance and carpentry.  

A family had once invited the Hulkas to a family camp where they attended for 10 years prior to coming to Sky Lodge.  It was then that they began to open their eyes to what God does through Bible teaching camps, and here they are, 9 years later.       

Brian and Annie wanted to be a part of the work God is doing to change lives for Christ.  They weren’t sure what area they wanted to serve in, whether it be camps, schools, or missions.  After a year of seeking the Lord and praying, they sensed God’s leading to Sky Lodge.

When Brian isn’t around camp fixing things up, he likes to spend time with Annie, his sons, his one daughter in law, and a “to be” daughter in law.  He loves commuter bicycling, and even does it when it’s very cold outside!  In warmer weather, he enjoys water skiing.  He also enjoys volunteering time at his church.

Sky Lodge Camp is where I attended camp as a teen, and where I have had significant, memorable, live-changing encounters with God. Working at camp, I enjoy watching God work in people’s lives. Watching God change lives never gets old or stale, but it is exciting being involved in God’s work here. Though groups may only attend once a year, after years of attending, we build relationships with the leaders and some of the youth.

When not at camp, I invest time making improvements on our house. I also enjoy watching my girls in sports, and relaxing or shopping with my family.

She attended Greenville College, where she and Bill met. The two of them always had a desire to be in ministry. Renate says “We are thankful that God has allowed us to use our talents at Sky Lodge, where we enjoy the team-based camping ministry environment.”

Renate has had several camping experiences before coming to Sky Lodge. Significant spiritual growth occurred in her teen years at camping events that she attended with her church youth group. Also, she and Bill first met at a church retreat which was held at Durley Camp.

In her free time, Renate enjoys reading and cooking delicious food.

It's no wonder that I ended up in camping full time. Some of my greatest memories take place in a camp setting – learning to wind surf, singing around a campfire, scaring my counselor. I began working at camps while in high school. Each summer I spent as many weeks as possible at a small camp in North Carolina where I washed dishes the old fashion way for $7 a week and a trip to town. It was heaven on earth! While in college I was a counselor and activity director at camps in Pennsylvania. Many of the significant relationships and spiritual milestones in my journey happened at camp. As a camper and a staff member, I experienced the opportunity to lead and developed leadership skills. I have chosen to invest my life in camping because I know first hand, and have seen over and over again, how God chooses the unique components a camp experience to shape and develop people as whole beings.

I graduated from Philadelphia Biblical University in 1995 with a degree in Bible and an emphasis in camping ministry. This degree track included an eleven-month internship in the Leadership Training and Development (LTD) program of Camp Forest Springs in northern Wisconsin. While in the LTD program I met "the Steves" at the Christian Camping International Wisconsin sectional. Upon graduation, I served on the Sky Lodge summer staff as the program supervisor. Throughout the summer, it became clear that Sky Lodge and I were a good fit for each other, so I joined the full time staff in the fall of 1995 as the Program Facilitator.

In my free time I love to read both fiction and non-fiction, play with my daughter, explore the outdoors with my husband, and dream about the future of camp!

I met my wife K. Dawn here at Sky Lodge. We got married in 1998. We had a son in 2004, who was only with us two months. Then in 2006 God blessed us with a beautiful daughter, only one day after Valentine’s!

I have a B. S. in ministry from Central Christian College in Kansas. I have worked in youth ministry and in the secular world in manufacturing before and while at Sky Lodge.

I have been certified in CPR and as a First Responder through Red Cross.

Camping has always had a special place in my life. It is a fact that God has used camping to impact almost every one who has come in one way or another. It is a place where we can slow down and connect or reconnect to God and the meaning of life. Nature is a wonderful thing. We can see God's hand in everything. Growing up I went to family camp and youth camps. It was at camp that God grabbed a hold of my life, and I committed my life to ministry and service to Our Lord and Savior.

I am a Chicago Bears fan who collects canceled U.S. Postage stamps. I enjoy camping and hiking with my family and just watching my daughter grow! I was once a very active pottery maker, and hope to one day start again.