Your Donation
Makes an Eternal Impact
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25
Deer Run’s camps, family events, and retreats are rooted in faith, relationships, and adventure. We invite you to prayerfully consider investing in the lives of children, families, and individuals seeking peace, joy, healing, and a deeper relationship with God through a Christ-centered community.
Your gift is an investment in changed lives. Through your generosity, Deer Run can continue providing Christ-centered experiences that inspire faith, strengthen families, and create lasting impact for generations to come.
Foundational Partners are donors who give $500 or more annually, either through a one-time gift or recurring monthly contributions. As a Foundational Partner, your faithful support strengthens the foundation of Deer Run’s ministry and helps ensure our mission continues to flourish year after year.
We are deeply grateful for your generosity and partnership. It is our prayer that God richly blesses you as you invest in the work He is doing through Deer Run.
TWO WAYS YOUR GIFTS HAVE IMPACT
Expand Ministry Opportunities and Provide Scholarships
Deer Run is structured so operating expenses are covered through program and facility fees. Administrative fees are not taken from these donation, allowing 100 percent of your donation to go exclusively to these two areas:
CAPITAL FUND: Your giving boosts new construction, facility improvements, land acquisition, and growth projects, all which are related directly to what God is doing to increase ministry opportunities.
SCHOLARSHIP FUND: The MISSION 42:1 Scholarship Fund gives back to the community by benefiting at-risk children and families in need of financial and emotional support. Deer Run Founder and CEO David Gibson believes that no one should ever be turned away from camp due to an inability to pay. You can fund a scholarship by giving $45 each month for 12 months or $540 per child.
Scholarships are offered to individual families who apply and to our community ministry partnerships: Against the Grain, Angel Tree, Boys and Girls Clubs, FrankTown Open Hearts, Greenhouse Ministries, Nashville Rescue Mission, Safe Haven Family Shelter, and Tennessee Kids Belong.
MAKE A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION
Choose a one-time, monthly or recurring donation to make a significant impact today and for the future. Deer Run is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry and is a God-inspired ministry positioned on 150 acres of beautiful wooded rolling hills in middle Tennessee.
Other ways to give …
- in-kind donations (equipment, construction materials, etc)
- sponsorships
- an employer matching gift
- new or gently used golf carts, side-by-sides, trucks, vans, SUVs, or ATVs for daily use by our ministry
- volunteering in specific areas of our ministry (grounds, maintenance, construction, food service, events, garden, landscaping)
- purchase items from our Amazon Wish List
Let us know if you have questions or would like to meet for lunch or coffee to hear more about Deer Run’s ministry.
Jenny Dyer, Development Director
Call or Text: (615) 426-1196 / Email: JennyD@DeerRun.camp
David Gibson, Founder & CEO
Call or Text: (615) 566-0026 / Email: DavidG@DeerRun.camp
JOIN THE 42:1 LEGACY PARTNER COMMUNITY
Include Deer Run in your will, trust or other estate plans to become a 42:1 Legacy Partner, enjoying exclusive benefits like free access to Parent-Child Dates and special events.
WANT TO LEAVE A LASTING LEGACY?
Expansion Plans
Growing the Ministry of Deer Run
PHASES OF GROWTH AND EXPANSION AT DEER RUN
Deer Run is a debt-free ministry. As a result, each phase of construction will move forward as funding becomes available.
Volunteer teams have helped our staff build a majority of the facilities at Deer Run throughout the years and will continue to be involved with most expansion projects so we can be excellent stewards of the gifts you provide.
On the original Deer Run property:
Enclose The Fortress worship/meeting facility with glass walls, add air conditioning/heating for year-round use, add video wall, and improve sound system.
Repurpose Creekside Dining Hall to be a larger Camp Store and Eatery. Renovate the kitchen for quick-serve food, ice cream, and specialty coffees for campers and retreat guests.
On the 56 acres added in 2020 (west campus):
- Add utilities and connecting roads from existing property to new property.
- Refurbish Brookside Barn as a dining facility to accommodate 250 campers/retreat guests (doubling the prior capacity) and relocate the commercial kitchen which we previously had at Creekside.
- Refurbish pool deck.
- Add Aerial Quest, a high ropes challenge course.
- Renovate The Loft Game Room at Brookside Barn.
- Add a wiffle ball field and basketball/pickleball court.
- Refurbish Homestead Cabin to use as a guest cabin.
- Renovate Valley View Lodge, the existing home on the property, as a lodge to support Family Camps, Married Couple’s Weekends, and retreat guests.
Total Estimated Cost: $1,000,000
Expected Completion: Fall 2023
A generous donor made this timber frame entrance gate with security building possible.
To Be Completed: 2026
In August 2025, a 50,000-square-foot steel-frame building was donated to Deer Run. This gift provides the foundation for significant future growth, and we will reconstruct and finish the facility as funding is secured.
FAMILY LODGE 20 Suites (16,000 sq ft)
RECREATION CENTER (34,000 sq ft)
- Bowling Lanes
- Pickleball Courts
- Roller Skating Rink
- Miniature Golf Course
- Basketball Court
- Children’s Sensory Playroom
- Coffee, Snack Shop and Game Room
- Family Gathering Room
Total Estimated Cost: $5,000,000
Projected Timeline: 2027/2028
Upon arrival, retreat groups/guests will check in at the Welcome Center where they’ll be warmly greeted by our Guest Relations team and directed to their activities and lodging on campus.
Total Estimated Cost: $3,000,000
Projected Timeline: 2028/2029
- The Refuge, a 23,000 square foot multi-use building with a 600-seat auditorium, 400-seat dining hall, camp health center/nurse’s station, and 2 meeting rooms.
Total Estimated Cost: $5,000,000
Projected Timeline: 2029/2030
- 12 cabins with 3 meeting spaces, adding capacity for an additional 144 campers/guests.
Total Estimated Cost: $3,500,000
Projected Timeline: 2031/2032
SCHEDULE A PERSONAL TOUR
We would love to give you a personal tour of what has already been accomplished and show you where new facilities will be located.
Contact our development team at Connect@DeerRun.camp or call/text Jenny Dyer at (615) 426-1196.
Phase 2 Expansion in Progress
Security Entrance
Construction is underway on Deer Run’s new Security Gate, an important project that will enhance both safety and the arrival experience for campers, families, and guests.
The structure itself is substantial, measuring 50 feet wide, 30 feet long, and 30 feet high.
Large timber beams form the framework, including corner posts that are each 15-inches square and rafter beams that are 26 feet long and weigh more than 3,000 pounds each. The trusses weigh more than 12,000 pounds each, highlighting the scale of the project.
The new entrance will serve as a visible reminder of Deer Run’s commitment to creating a safe, welcoming environment where lives can be impacted for years to come.
