Father / Teen Adventure Instructors Bio

FTA 1 and 2: Rick Kuhlman | FTA 3: CH Greg Schannep

Rick Kuhlman : FTA 1 (21 - 28 June 2008) and FTA 2 (28 June - 5 July 2008)

Spring Canyon is excited to welcome Rick Kuhlman back as an instructor for FTA 2007! Here's some more about Rick:

Colonel Rick Kuhlman spent 30 years in the Air Force, both active duty and reserve serving in security forces. He also owned his own business for the past 20 years. He has been involved in Officers’ Christian Fellowship since 1976. He has spent the last 27 years in lay youth ministry working with high school and college aged men and women.

Presently he leads the University of Tennessee Air Force ROTC OCF as well as a weekly fraternity Bible Study and several high school studies. He serves an advisor to his church’s senior high fellowship. His passion is discipling and mentoring young men, teaching them about being men of God. He also desires to connect fathers and their high school aged children and working at high adventure youth camps.

He led the OCF Father / Teen Adventure in 2004 and 2005 in Buena Vista and has attended the Father Teen Adventure under Tom Hemmingway during the years of 1995 and 1996. He is an elder in his church and serves on the Board of Directors for the Cross Greek Ministries at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Rick has received training in the Robert Lewis Program of Adventures for Life and incorporates this exciting curriculum into his FTA teaching sessions.

Rick has been married to Beverley for over 30 years. They have one son Rick III, 25 years old and a daughter Katie 13. The family resides in Knoxville, Tennessee. You may contact Rick at bighooah(at)aol.com or 865-250-5479.

In Rick's words,

"My first trip to Spring Canyon for the Father Teen was in the summer of 1995 when I took my own son to this adventure camp. It was then led by Tom Hemingway, a retired Marine officer with a true passion for God and military fathers who had been absent from the home due to Military Mission Requirements. I sincerely enjoyed my time with my son at this event and took my 'protege' with me for the 1996 season. It was not that physically demanding and it did not take anyone out of the event because of some physical challenge.

I realized then as I realize now, that not just military fathers need to spend exclusive time with their sons but all Dads and sons need this experience. Many Dads feel awkward towards their sons and sons sometimes feel the same way. It was my feeling that we should create an atmosphere where fathers and sons can bond or re-bond in a place that would foster their relationship and remove the awkwardness. In 2003 I sold my business and retired from the Air Force Reserve. I felt that God was leading me to lead adventure camps like this full time. Officers Christian Fellowship gave me the opportunity to lead the 2004 Father Teen adventure. It was open to Fathers and Sons only during this season. I developed my own curriculum for this trip based on the life of David. In 2005 we decided to have one week with Fathers and Sons and Fathers and Daughters and a follow on week with Fathers and Sons only. The first week we used the 2004 curriculum (stories of David) with some modifications, the second week we used much of the Robert Lewis curriculum from Christ in the Tetons which I had attended earlier in the summer of 2005.

Both weeks went well I believe and fathers and sons had a real opportunity to spend some great time together. This year, 2006 we will offer the Father Teen Adventure in two sessions, the first will be for Fathers and Sons and Fathers and Daughters, the second will be for Fathers and Sons only. The groups will be limited to 10 F-T pairs and will be geared to a very intimate setting. We will view 4 of Robert Lewis sessions from Men''s fraternity, the Strategic Father, the Four Faces of Manhood, Two Adams-Two Manhood's, and defining Manhood. The last session we will have a manhood ceremony where the father will give a blessing to their son in front of the rest of the group.

Each morning we will have devotions that would be lead by a father-teen team."

Read comments from former particpants!

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Chaplain Greg Schannep : FTA 3 (5 - 12 July 2008)

Short personal bio: Greg Schannep was born in El Segundo, California. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, and a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California.

He served in the United States Army with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina, from 1965 to 1967. He was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant.

After completing his education, he returned to active duty in 1977 and served as a Chaplain for twenty-eight years, retiring in 2004. He was stationed in Korea, Germany, Hawaii, Kansas and Texas (4x). His assignments included 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment (2x); 3d Infantry Division; 25th Infantry Division; 1st Cavalry Division and III Corps. Among his awards, COL Schannep received the Legion of Merit Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Airborne and Air Assault badges, and the Special Forces Tab.

He is married to the former Martha (Marty) E. Haley. They have six children and four grandchildren. Chaplain (COL) Schannep, retired, was appointed to the staff of Congressman John R. Carter on 1 January 2005 and serves Texas District 31, as Regional Director.

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