School is out, summer is here, and camping is in season

Summer camp is in season and campers are off to a rollicking time, such as these girls at Camp Pinnacle. WMU/Special

School is out and summer is here and that means children and youth are heading to church camp. And while Boy Scouts and other groups have camps that instill citizenship and moral values, none have a distinctive Baptist perspective with strong biblical teachings.

In addition to the heavyweights such as Kaleo and Pinnacle, local Associations are in the mix as well. For example, Daniel Baptist Association in Ailey still has opening for its annual Surge Youth Camp, set for June 18-22.

The weeklong adventure is hosted by the Association and takes place at Brewton Parker College. Surge is an overnight camp for all youth just completing 6th grade through 12th grade. Camper registration can be viewed here and an application can be downloaded here. A counselor registration and application can be seen here.

Royce Railey, founder of Go Fish Ministries from Columbus, leads the Bible study for day campers last summer at Kaleo. JOE WESTBURY/Index

Registration deadline is this Friday, June 8. For more information contact the Association at (912) 583-2713 or Laura Hay at (912) 583-0160.

The Association will also host Adrian Summer Camp, an overnight camp for all children ages 8-14 years of age. Dates for the event are June 25-29 and registration deadline is also this Friday, June 8. For complete information regarding camper application, notarized medical release form, and counselor application visit here.

The camp is held at Adrian Camp and Conference Center in central Georgia.

On the state level, Camp Pinnacle in Clayton welcomed its first campers on Monday and Camp Kaleo at Forsyth will launch its first session next Monday.

State Missionary and Camp Director Mike Flowers said the theme of this year’s season is “My Life: A Mission Trip.” Campers will learn how to apply Acts 1:8 and focus on knowing the mission, praying the mission, and targeting a group.

Mike Flowers, director at Camp Kaleo, says the central Georgia facility is seeing an uptick in this summer's campers. JOE WESTBURY/Index

“When they leave they will be fishers of men. If you aren’t fishing you’re not following,” he noted. Flowers said the camp is designed to equip believers to share Christ with their friends as part of the Georgia Baptist Reaching Next Gen emphasis.

Flowers is very optimistic with this summer’s camping season, reporting that the facility has already served more than 1,400 public school children in day camp outings. Students from the six schools are introduced to what Kaleo has to offer “and seeds are planted for them to return as summer campers for the complete program,” he says.

Next week will officially kick off the summer season which will run from June 11 through the last week of July. Kaleo has expanded its offerings in recent years to include sessions for girls, for boys, Royal Ambassador-focused experiences, and general activities for churches planning their own programming.

“The summer day camp is really exploding this year. Last year we ended with about 150 campers but already this year we have more than 100 registrations,” Flowers noted.

For more information click here.

Camp Director Tabitha Ferrell and camper Brylie from Dallas take a break during Camp Pinnacle's opening session on Monday. WMU/Special

Up in the mountains of North Georgia, young girls are heading to Clayton for a week of missions education and lifestyle evangelism. Girls unpacked their bags on Monday for the first of six weeks of biblical instruction. Camp will run from June 4 through the week of June 13, said State Missionary and Camp Director Tabitha Ferrell.

More than 600 young girls have registered for this summer’s experiences of hiking, culture camp, Bible study, swimming, and canoeing in the lake. While some weeks are sold out with waiting lists, others are still available.

The weeks of June 11-15 and 18-22 are still taking campers, as well as the “Mom and Me” overnight opportunities on June 15-16 and July 5-7. Those events provide a bonding experience for mothers and young girls from kindergarten through grade 3.

Ferrell said the Culture Camp focus will center on refugees. Campers will learn who they are, how to pray for them, and ways of better understanding their situation.

The camp, hosted by Pinnacle Retreat Center and owned and operated by Georgia Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union, will be partnering with Clarkston International Bible Church in suburban Atlanta. Campers will be learning about three groups who are part of the congregation’s outreach: Syrian refugees, the Rohingya people from Myanmar/Asia, and Congolese from Africa.

A week at camp builds relationship between campers and their mentor/counselors which last decades. WMU/Special

“Our campers will be learning what it is like to flee your homeland and live in a refugee camp. They will also explore how they can provide food, clothing, and shelter in their own communities through volunteering with different ministries and donating money,” she added.

The girls will also be asked to bring school supplies for fall backpacks for children who are being ministered to through the church’s August outreach.

The summer’s Bible verse is John 10:27 and the theme is “Follow.” Girls will learn “to listen to Jesus’ voice and follow Him in all areas of their lives. Serving Jesus and following his example of serving others is what we want them to take home with them.”

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