When sitting at the lunch table with kids, I always ask them what their favorite part of camp. About 90% of the time they name one or all of their track times. Kids love tracks, so we do too. Check out our post on why campers love track times. Let’s jump into Camp Prep Series #10: Track Times!
Check out the usual track times and their descriptions on the image to the right (tracks may vary by location).
Last year we added a few new tracks to our mix. Build It, Adventure and Blast Tracks were a nice addition to the offering of activities CentriKid provides. The emphasis of the Adventure and Blast were to maximize the fun to be had at some of our conference centers. Zip lines, inner tubes, rock walls, and more are all a part of the offering. These tracks are location specific so make sure you check out your Group Leader Information for details. Build It was found at every location and featured the Rube Goldberg Experiment. Expect new and fun activities from Build It this year.
At the end of the day we want our track times to be phenomenally fun. This means we take time to are beefing up our tracks to be more exciting. Kids who sign up for the baseball track should expect to scrimmage every day while still learning a few basics. At our indoor tracks our experiments will be more interactive and bigger! For example in Weird Science you will get to see a watermelon explode!
Most importantly all the fun is purposeful. Each track has two debriefs a day where our staff will use God’s Word to teach kids something about God. The debriefs take the activities kids love during tracks and put a spiritual application on those activities. This is a great tool to ask kids what they learned during their tracks and have an intentional conversation with them.
Remember to check out your Group Leader Info on your location page.There you will find your location specific tracks on pages 4 and 5. You will want to print off page 5 and have your campers fill these out before you arrive at Check In. Some churches fill these out ahead of time, others on the bus ride to camp, and you always have the option to have our CentriKid Staff lead your kids through the process of filling out their track time cards.
If you have any last minute questions about tracks email your team’s gmail account found on your location page. We cannot wait to have you at camp this summer!
Check out these others posts in our 2015 Camp Prep Series:
As the summer approaches, your kids are ready to get out of school and the craziness of summer activities begins! Here is a checklist of a few things that will help you and your group be ready when it is time to hop in the bus for camp!
Talk to your adult sponsors!
The people that you are bringing to camp will help shape the experience for all of your campers. Bring adults and students who you trust to invest in your kids throughout the week. While at camp, these sponsors will be the one answering spiritual questions and loving your children as they learn how to grow their faith in Christ. Also, be sure that all of your sponsors have signed the statement of compliance before they come to camp.
Meet with parents!
One of the promises that we make at CentriKid is that we provide a safe environment for the kids. This starts by providing you as group leaders with the information that you can share during parent meetings. Check out the Parent Packet and provide copies of it for all of the parents so that they also feel ready to send their kids off to camp. Getting copies of insurance cards and signing release forms is a vital key to preparing for camp. Also, be sure that you collect all the photo and DVD order forms so that the parents can get their snapshots of their kids at camp! Another way that we want to make each child feel safe at camp is by giving the parents a chance to fill out a special attention card. We as a staff take these cards very seriously and want to know about any physical or emotional/spiritual needs that the children might have. Don’t forget to fill out a special attention card if anyone in your group has a birthday the week of camp, we would love to celebrate with them! You can also show our new Parent Peace of Mind video!
3 weeks before camp!
The best week of the summer is getting closer and you are almost ready to go! Three weeks before camp, don’t forget to email your participant list that includes your adult sponsors so that we can have housing all prepared for you when you get to camp. You can get the participant list HERE, and you’ll email it to the email address found on your location specific page! At three weeks, you can also pay your balance for camp which will be due 14 days prior to camp.
We can not wait to see you and your kids this summer. We know that you put lots of work into getting your kids ready for camp and we want to make this process as simple as possible for you. If you have any questions as you prepare for camp, feel free to contact the CentriKid office or your camp director and we would love to answer any questions you might have!
We hope you are excited about FIT: Faith in Training! Camp begins in only 2 short months, so as you continue your preparations, we wanted to give you a sneak peek of what you will see this summer.
When we create a theme for CentriKid, we always start with Scripture. The spiritual content of camp is the most important thing! If you missed my last post, be sure to check out the 2015 CentriKid Spiritual Direction. After we nail down the spiritual direction, then we try to create a motif that supports the content. This year, we are excited to get FIT as we grow closer to Jesus! Check out the key verse poster and cover art for FIT: Faith in Training below:
We always try to create a fun environment in the auditorium that goes along with our theme. This year, when campers walk into the auditorium, one of our head trainers will welcome them to Club FIT! The stage will look similar to a locker or equipment room at a fitness center, and many of our videos and characters will have connections to Club FIT. Check out an early mock-up of our stage design below:
Music is also a very important part of camp. Our music selection this year will feature an original theme song created specifically for FIT: Faith in Training (“FIT for God”), as well as many other familiar worship songs:
We know many of you have been waiting all year for another chance to shuffle like a monkey. Don’t fear, because the Monkey Shuffle will be back again this summer, and we will also introduce a brand new dance song created for CentriKid Camps! For a full sneak peek of the music you will hear at CentriKid this summer, be sure to check out our camp music page. The music page provides links to download music files so you and your kids can get familiar with the songs before you arrive! Check back often as we continue to update the music page in preparation for the summer.
We are excited about all the things you will see and here this summer at CentriKid Camps! We hope to see you there!
Hopefully by now you have learned our theme for 2015 CentriKid Camps is FIT: Faith in Training. The theme will have a fitness and training motif, but at the end of the day the heartbeat of CentriKid is not as much the fun, wacky videos and impressive stage designs as it is the spiritual content. Our team works hard to make sure our content is rooted in Scripture, and all throughout the day in their various activities (Bible study, recreation, track times, worship, and even hang time) your campers will encounter biblical truths that reinforce the spiritual direction of the week. We are excited to share more of the CentriKid spiritual direction with you today.
In 2015, we will teach campers about the spiritual practices that help them grow in their faith. Specifically, we will focus on Scripture intake, prayer, giving, and Christian community. Of course, you cannot grow in faith if you do not first have a relationship with Christ, so our daily themes will focus around the idea of being first and foremost a disciple — very simply, a follower of Jesus Christ.
DAY 1 – A DISCIPLE IS A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST
A disciple is someone who has found God through Jesus. The greatest way to know who God is and what He is like is to be a follower of Jesus. Disciples walk in obedience to Him for the rest of their lives.
Bible study passages: Luke 5:1-11; Matthew 4: 18-22, 9:9
DAY 2- A DISCIPLE ENCOUNTERS GOD THROUGH HIS WORD
Our lives can be transformed when we meet God by reading, meditating on, and memorizing His word. We should allow the word of God to dwell richly in our lives so that we can know Him better and love Christ more.
Bible study passages: Acts 8:26-40 (the Eunuch Encountered God)
DAYT 3 – A DISCIPLE EMBRACES GOD THROUGH PRAYER
Prayer is a way to communicate with God and allow our hearts to become more like His. Through prayer, we should praise God, make requests, admit our sin, and yield to His will for our lives.
Bible study passages: Luke 11:1-4; Matthew 6:9-13 (the Lord’s Prayer)
DAY 4 – A DISCIPLE ENGAGES WITH GOD THROUGH GIVING
Giving helps us to care about the things God cares about and participate in the things God does. When we give, God examines our hearts. We should give with the right heart and attitude.
Bible study passages: Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-13
DAY 5 – A DISCIPLE EXPERIENCES GOD THROUGH CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
We understand God more deeply through our relationships with others.
Bible study passages: Acts 12:6-17
As always, we believe this will be another incredible summer of exploring Scripture together, and we cannot wait to see how God uses His word to convict hearts, change lives, and draw us to Himself. We hope you’ll join us as we get FIT!
Sometimes raising money for camp can be a daunting task. But with fun ideas to get your church involved, fundraising will be a breeze this year!
1. Give a Little, Get Back a Lot!
Give each kid who is signed up for camp $5 and tell them to see how much money they can make with that $5. They could buy items to make cookies and then sell them to their neighbors. They could buy art supplies and create something. And whatever they make from that $5 goes toward camp. Your kids in your ministry are so talented it will be so amazing to see what all they come up with!
2. Host an Event at your Church
What talents are in your church? Maybe a variety show where all the kids are able to show off their individual talents. Host a pancake dinner with the kids as waiters and waitresses. You could also host a 5K or some type of athletic event that the whole church can get involved in!
3. Cell Phone Recycling
Lots of folks have old cell phones that they are no longer using. Have the kids ministry run a drive for old cell phones. There are quite a few places that you can sell old cell phones for cash and this can be an easy way to raise some money.
4. Sponsorships
Never underestimate asking your congregation to sponsor kids to go to camp. There are many folk who are passionate about camp ministry and the kids in your church and many of them would be glad to donate money so that a child could have a life-changing week at CentriKid!
Don’t let fundraising overwhelm you! There are so many options and I hope that some of these ideas were helpful. Also take a look at some previous posts below with even more fundraising ideas!
2013 CentriKid Prep: Fundraising
2012 CentriKid Prep: Fundraising
Although snow is still falling, Spring and Summer are rapidly approaching, and CentriKid Camps will be here before you blink! As our office team continues to finalize details for camp this summer, we want to help you prepare, too. For the next several weeks we will feature our Camp Prep blog series. Be sure to check back regularly for all the latest information. Today, take some time to familiarize yourself with all our online tools which can assist you in your preparation for camp.
Manage Your Account Online
One of our great online tools allows you to manage your account online. You can add a participant, change your male/female distribution, and even make payments. For a full overview on how to access this feature, check out this post.
Group Leader Information
This is one of the best online tools to help you prepare for camp. Access all group leader information, links, and forms on the downloads page.
– These individual pages provide important details specific for your camp location. Be sure to download the complete Group Leader Information Packet for your location. You will also find contact info for your camp leaders, a map, location photos, the current weather, and you can learn more about housing and campus facilities.Parent Page
We have created a new page tailored specifically to parents. This page provides basic information about CentriKid, including some of our most common FAQs. It also includes a link to download the parent pack, a suggested packing list, information about the camp store, and most importantly, an overview of our spiritual content. Be sure to point your parents to this great resource.
Promotional Resources
Visit the promo page to download several great resources to help promote CentriKid in your ministry. Download our logo, bulletin inserts, flyers, postcards, sticker templates, email headers and more! You can also access several promo videos online.
We want your camp preparation to be smooth and easy. We hope you will find these online tools helpful, and we also hope that you will stay tuned to the blog for the remainder of our Camp Prep series. If we can assist you in any way, please never hesitate to contact us. We are here to serve you, and we cannot wait to see you at camp! Don’t Sweat the Summer!
The new year is here and it is time to start preparing for all of the exciting things you will be doing with your children’s ministry! We here at CentriKid know that there is a lot of planning that goes into everything that you do with your children and we want to help. The 2015 Group Leader Guide is available on the website and it has everything that you need to prepare for camp. You can find the guide online by going to the location that you will be attending and clicking on “Group Leader Guide.”
In this year’s Group Leader Information, you will find information that is specific to your camp location, a to do list to help you prepare for camp, information about the Team Assistant program, the daily schedule, Parent Packet, release form, and new this year is an order summary form. We hope that each aspect of this document will enable you to have a smooth camp experience from your first parent meeting until your bus arrives back at the church. We have included an order summary form on page 16 of the guide that will enable you to consolidate all of the picture, dvd, and camper care package orders for your group onto one form. This will make check-in much smoother and will keep each groups orders together. As the group leader you will also be able to keep all of the individual orders be ensure that your kids get exactly what they ordered.
We can not wait to see you at CentriKid and we hope that this guide will be a great asset as you get your kids to camp! Let us know what you are getting your kids and parents excited about as you schedule these parent meetings and get your kids ready for the summer.
Over the past couple summers at CentriKid Camps, we have explored a galaxy that was truly Out of this World, and we learned more about who God is and how He desires to be among His people. We also dove in to the virtual world of RESET: God Redeems and learned more about God’s age-old story and plan for redeeming His people. In 2015, we are very excited to bring you FIT: Faith in Training.
In 2015, we will teach campers about the spiritual practices that help them grow in their faith. We will internalize God’s word and allow Him to be our teacher, and we will seek to provide kids with some practical, take-it-home tools for using spiritual practices as they grow their faith. Our daily themes will focus around the idea of being a disciple — very simply, a follower of Jesus Christ.
Our theme will have a fitness motif, and we’ll be focusing on the idea of training up in the faith. Check out some of our early art concepts below, and be sure to stay tuned to the blog for more updates about FIT: Faith in Training!
Camp is a mountaintop experience. Camp represents a peak – a special occasion where things are uniquely different. It may be a mountaintop for a child because he or she accomplishes some type of physical goal, overcomes homesickness, or makes a spiritual decision. One danger of a mountaintop experience, though, is falling into a spiritual slump after coming down off the mountain. As a leader or parent, this is a great opportunity to go deeper in relationship with your campers and help reinforce the positive differences you see.
We believe that life-change happens best in the context of relationships. In the 21st century, there are so many ways to connect with other people: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, FaceTime, Skype, text messages, email, and many more. In our media and tech-driven society, though, we must not devalue the importance of real, face-to-face interactions and relationships. Kids are concrete thinkers, and they need “concrete” adults in their lives to help solidify a lifestyle of spiritual growth that reflects the spiritual decisions they’ve made at camp. Don’t miss this chance to really dig deep and challenge your kids to continue to grow in relationship with Christ.
Here are 5 Tips for Avoiding the After Camp Spiritual Slump:
We invest a lot in kids at camp, and we care for their growth after camp, too! Let us know how your kids continue to grow in the things of God after their camp experience.
As you prepare to bring your group to camp this summer, you’ll want to download this resource – Before and After Camp Devotions. It’s available on the downloads page under Group Leader Information or by clicking here. It’s a good idea to begin talking with your kids about God’s abundant redemption and getting them excited for a great week of camp. So, we want to help you do that!
This resource provides four days of activities to do with your church group before coming to camp. Not only are these activities fun, but they are a great way to introduce the spiritual truths kids will study at camp. You may want to use these activities on a Sunday or Wednesday night, or even at a special pre-camp meeting time with kids and parents. Pair these activities with a time of telling kids exactly what to expect so that they will be ready when they arrive at camp!
Group Leaders, also be sure to go ahead and download the separate resource, 2014 Church Group Devotions, for use during your week at camp! You’ll want to print this out, look over it, and bring it with you as you prepare for your church group time each night of camp.