How to Create a Camp Culture in your Student Ministry

Creating a camp culture doesn’t happen overnight. There are some ministries where there has been a strong culture and others where you will have to start from scratch. Either way, these steps and our download on the monthly process will set you up well and get you started.

Start with your leadership, both youth and adults. Your ministry will never outgrow your leadership.
- Recruit
- Train
- Define responsibilities
Publish camp dates early and often. Here is the minimum plan we recommend for your students and their families to get camp on their calendar and maybe even highlighted. Use your communication funnel during these periods to keep camp top of mind.
- First Sunday after school starts
- First Sunday in January after school starts
- After any major event (After DiscipleNow or Retreat)
Plan a registration event. The groups that we have seen use this most successfully schedule a date after Spring Break and before May 1. It is a full-on registration and informative event. Make it camp like in energy and fun.
- Utilize camp theme and structure
- Provide enrollment process whether paper or online
- Include parents
Host a parent meeting. Parents usually have questions that students won’t ask. Make it fun and informative. Let them experience a bit of Camp.
- Schedule before school is out- Usually before May 1
- Agenda:
  - Share philosophy and camp theme
  - Provide all information for registration
  - Share guidelines and goals for their students
  - Q & A
Develop student leadership within your Youth Camp structure. In our experience this is where ministries excel. In fact, we have created a Horizon Leadership Camp within the context of camp where we work with student ministers to help develop their leaders.
- Define responsibilities and expectations before camp
- Do something special at camp
  - For example, a part of our leadership camp is asking students to talk with their student minister and choose 1-2 younger students in their ministry to build a relationship with and invest in over the course of the week.
- Debrief after camp
Plan a follow-up fellowship and conversation that brings camp home. Camp isn’t over until you have done proper follow up with decisions and evaluation of camp overall. This is the week that synergizes the camp culture.

These steps are not all-inclusive but will give you plenty to discuss and implement with your team.

We love camp and if you would like to discuss any ideas in this blog or other ideas please reach out to us at shapingstudents@gmail.com or you can talk to me personally at horizon.jerry@gmail.com or 325-669-1517.

Remember to get our Monthly Camp Planning Guide