Dear Holly,
This summer we are projecting to welcome more than 60,000 campers to a Young Life camp and this weekend camps like Southwind, Crooked Creek, Trail West, SharpTop Cove, Windy Gap, and Carolina Point will begin week one of the summer camping season!
As we kick off summer 2025, listen to this encouragement about partnering together for the sake of the gospel from Chris Hak, vice president of Camping, U.S.
|
Here’s what you need to know about camp this month:
|
Making One-on-One Talks Matter
|
The school year is ending and soon you will find yourself on a bus or in a car heading to camp, and the heavy administrative duties of summer camping will be in the rearview mirror. Many times, the administrative tasks for camp can overshadow what is most important … conversations with kids about Jesus!
How are you preparing for these sacred conversations? Here are some tips on making one-on-one talks matter.
|
We’re excited to announce that every cabin at outreach camp this summer will have a Gospel Proclamation Toolkit. These toolkits are designed to support a variety of spiritual processing moments such as times of silence, cabin times, real life, and one-on-one conversations with leaders. While some components will be consistent across all cabins, others will be tailored to support the specific themes and messages of each camp speaker.
Each toolkit will include:
|
- Interactive Cabin Time Guide – prompts and ideas to help guide discussion and reflection
- Tangible Objects – items that connect directly to the speaker’s key points
-
Journals – for silent reflection and personal processing
- Pens – for writing or drawing thoughts and prayers
- Emoji Chart – to help express emotions and responses
- Fidgets – to support focus and engagement, especially for active minds and bodies
|
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 the Young Life Store’s giveback program plus a generous donor, Young Life Discipleship is excited to provide the 2025 Summer Devotional for all work crew, summer staff, assigned teams, and camp staff.
The 2025 devo will take readers through the Gospel of Luke. You can see a preview of the content plus a leader’s guide on the Young Life Discipleship website.
Want to join in? You can purchase your own copy for just $4.99 on Amazon and follow along in real-time with your summer staff and work crew friends. We also have a specially adapted version for our Capernaum summer staff friends, designed to be accessible for all learning styles.
|
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 messages that camp offices post on the Trip Leader website. These communications will include messages 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:
|
-
Health Forms. These help camps meet dietary and medical needs, while providing important contact and release information, including travel releases to and from camp. Here’s how to share the online health form link with your campers and leaders.
-
The Area Camp Survey. This provides specific info about your trip that helps assigned teams and camp staff be aware of special situations and gives them the information they need to intentionally welcome and serve your group. Watch for this survey from the camp office or find it on the Trip Leader website.
-
The Arrival Form. This YL Connect form includes the names of everyone on your trip, health form status, your housing request, the required Summer Camp Leader Orientation training status, and is the way we finalize numbers. Forty-eight hours before you leave for camp, be sure to click the “48 Hour Complete” button to submit your arrival form. This lets camp know when they can review your arrival form. Read about the arrival form in section four of the YLCC learning guide.
|
New Mini Volunteer Sessions Available at Timber Wolf Lake and Rockbridge!
|
We know that many people want to serve at Young Life camp but can't commit to a full four-week session. Great news — mini sessions are now available for work crew and summer staff at Timber Wolf Lake and Rockbridge Alum Springs! These new 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:
|
-
May 31 – June 12
- June 12 – June 25
- June 25 – July 6
- July 6 – July 19
- July 19 – July 29
- July 29 – August 9
|
-
July 16 – August 1
- August 1 – August 12
|
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 waitlist process to place applicants in mini-sessions that best match their dates. For specific questions, reach out to Timber Wolf or Rockbridge.
|
Closing Out School Season Camp Trips
|
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.
|
YL Connect Camp Roadside Assistance
|
Join the YL Connect team on Wednesday, June 11, at 11 a.m. MT for “roadside assistance” with YL Connect. Think of it like office hours ... you bring a challenge or obstacle within YL Connect Camp that might have you stuck and a panel of YL Connect Camp experts will answer your questions live to get you rolling again.
|
Thanks for reading this edition of Day Zero! Don't forget you can view past issues and all our camping resources on Staff Resources. See you at camp!
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 include them.
|
|
|
Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
|
420 N Cascade | Colorado Springs, CO 80904 US
|
|
|
This email was sent to hpettit@sc.younglife.org.
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
|
| |
|
|
