Dear Young Life Staff, 

Can you smell it in the air? Summer is just around the corner. The weather is warming up, the flowers are blooming, and kids everywhere are saying goodbye to the 2025–26 school year. 

That can only mean one thing: summer camping season is here. 

Across the mission, leaders are praying over camp lists, continuing to extend invitations, and getting ready to welcome kids to camp. Every summer tells a different story, but year after year, we get to watch God meet kids in powerful ways through Young Life camping. 

While you prepare, camps are also working hard to welcome you and your campers this summer. LoneHollow Camp Manager Stacey Noll shares some words of encouragement as we all get ready for a great summer! 

Here's what you need to know about camp this month:

Making One-on-One Talks Matter 

When leaders think about having one-on-ones at camp, they often focus on the end-of-week conversation where they help kids process the full salvation message and consider their response. But one-on-ones happen more often than that: in the weeks before camp happens, on the bus ride there, during free time, after cabin time, walking across camp, waiting for a ride, and more. Here's a practical resource to help make each of those conversations intentional and meaningful. 

Gospel Toolkits 

This summer, every cabin will once again have a Gospel Proclamation Toolkit available to support a variety of spiritual processing moments such as times of silence, cabin times, real life, and one-on-one conversations with leaders. When you arrive, you’ll receive more details about what the toolkit looks like at your camp. 

These kits are one more way we’re working together to create space for all kids to encounter Jesus. Learn more about how you and your leaders can use these kits when leading cabin time.

Continued Learning: Summer Devos 

Thanks to a generous donor, Young Life Discipleship is excited to once again provide the 2026 summer devotional for all work crew, summer staff, assigned teams, and camp staff.  

The 2026 devo will take readers through the Gospel of Matthew, chapter by chapter, with discussion questions, reflection exercises, and other Scripture engagement practices. 

Want to join in? You can purchase your own copy for $5.99 on Amazon and follow along in real-time with your summer staff and work crew friends. 

Every year, we also create a specially adapted version for our Capernaum friends serving on summer staff. This year’s Capernaum devos were funded by the Young Life Store. If you want to follow along or get copies for your Capernaum small groups, they are available on Amazon.

Keeping in Touch with the Camp Office 

As you make your final preparations for camp, stay up-to-date on important information about your specific camp week. Be sure to check the updates that camp offices post on the Trip Leader website. These sites include items from your camp speaker and program team, packing lists, required forms, and deadlines you don’t want to miss. To help meet your campers’ and leaders’ needs, camps also need to hear from you via:  

FYI - Camp teams transitioned to Google Workspace in late April, but don’t worry, their previous email address will forward to their new @younglife.org email address. Feel free to keep using the email address that you have on file for your camp team!

Mini Volunteer Sessions 

Many people want to serve at Young Life camp but sometimes it's hard to commit to a full four-week session. Great news — mini sessions are available for work crew and summer staff at Timber Wolf Lake and Rockbridge Alum Springs! These two-week sessions offer more flexibility while still providing the opportunity to serve, grow, and be part of what God is doing at camp. Available dates:  

Timber Wolf Lake, Lake City, MI 

Rockbridge Alum Springs, Goshen, VA  

All volunteers — regardless of session length — must complete an application and submit a recommendation to be considered. Camps will place summer staff applicants based on the availability they provide. For work crew, regional admins can continue using the current regional waitlist process to place applicants in mini-sessions that best match their dates. For specific questions, reach out to Timber Wolf or Rockbridge. 

Thanking Donors who Helped You Get to Camp 

Looking for a way to thank your donors this summer? Creative Services offers custom postcards featuring your camp photos. 

Simply upload a photo of your campers or create your own collage image, and Creative Services will handle the printing. Postcards can be shipped directly to camp, mailed to a non-camp address, or sent directly to your donors. Most orders are printed and shipped within one business day. If cards are being sent to camp, they will be scheduled to arrive no later than the last full day at camp. Please note: postcards cannot be delivered to camps when the last full day of the trip falls on a Saturday or Sunday. The Service Center is also closed on weekends and national holidays, so please plan accordingly. 

Vintage camp postcards are another great option — especially for leaders who want to plan ahead, don’t have time to create custom postcards, or simply want to give kids a special keepsake from their trip. Many leaders use vintage postcards to write a personal note to campers that they can take home and treasure long after camp ends! 

Are Your School-Season Camp Statistics Accurate? 

In order to have accurate school season camping statistics for your area, be sure to close out your school season camps if they weren’t at a Young Life camp. Here’s how.    

Thank you for walking with kids and for inviting them to camp this summer!  

We look forward to all God will do through you in kids’ lives at camp this summer!  

View previous issues and all our camping resources on Staff Resources.      

FYI – This newsletter is sent to all current U.S. Field staff, camp managers, and camping admin managers. Do you know of a volunteer who would like to be added to this communication? Just have them sign up, and we’ll be sure to include them.