What Makes this Camp Special?

Four Fantastic Days and Three Thrilling Nights
Years of experience has taught us that this is the perfect length of time for preteens.  There’s less homesickness and fatigue related illness.  Plus, it saves the “bigger experience” of a five day/four night camp for when the preteens promote into the teen ministry of your church.

Never a Dull Moment
The daily schedule is carefully planned with the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs (and limitations) of preteens in mind.  The schedule is full but not frantic.  The fun starts as soon as you get your group checked in.  With half of our volunteer staff working to help you get checked in quickly and smoothly, the other half is supervising recreational activities open to everyone.  And from that moment on, we offer a carefully balanced schedule of recreational, spiritual, and fun activities.

Worship that is Age-Appropriate and More Effective
Here’s something really unique - we offer three simultaneous age-appropriate worship services every evening at Preteen Camp!  No more overcrowding with all the problems and distractions that brings!  Smaller groups mean preteens will be able to see, hear, and focus better.

--3rd Graders will meet separately in the Ogletree Conference Center.
--4th & 5th Graders will have worship in the Tabernacle.
--6th Graders will be promoted to a special group in the brand new Hyde Hall to help them prepare for their
  jump to the teenage years.

And don’t worry, if your group is too small to divide into three parts, our camp director will help you find the most effective way to arrange your group at worship time.

Together is Better
Your preteen group comes to camp under the supervision of your church’s carefully chosen sponsors, and they stay under the supervision of those sponsors the whole time they are at camp.  Most teen camps split groups up, and put the campers under the leadership of employees or other volunteers for spiritual and fun activities.  That works well for teens, but we believe preteens need the more nurturing approach of leaving them in the hands of those who know them and love them most – the sponsors from your church.  This helps campers develop a deeper sense of belonging to you church’s children’s ministry – so when they go back home, they will have a greater desire to participate in weekly church activities.  This approach helps preteens who are new to your group feel assimilated more quickly.  And it allows for building stronger relationships between campers and sponsors – relationships that God uses to help kids come to faith in Christ and grow stronger in their faith.

A Staff of Dedicated Servants
We give an honorarium to our camp personalities, nurses, and special guests, but everyone else on the Preteen Camp Staff is a volunteer.  They are active, energetic church members who serve in churches just like your’s.  You won’t find overworked, underpaid, worn-out, zombie-like employees.  The people on our staff are there because they love God, and they delight in serving Him by serving you and your preteens for one wonderful week in the summer!  Not only does this mean that you get a better staff, it also helps keep the cost down.  Plus, there’s one more advantage: if you would like to help us make camp even better in the future, you are welcome to participate with the planning team.

We Really Know Preteens
We know that preteens come to camp from all across the spectrum of spiritual development.  Many need a good, nurturing environment in order to hear God speak to their hearts and invite Jesus into their lives.  Some are very young Christians who already know what it is like to drift away from Christ and need to experience spiritual renewal.  And many are believers who find camp a great opportunity to grow stronger and deeper in their faith.  We don’t treat preteens like little teenagers.  And we don’t push them into emotional settings they are not mature enough to understand.