CentriKid

Planning

Use Your Free Promo Resources!

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Camp is quickly approaching and as you get your group prepared for time with CentriKid this summer, don’t miss out on our awesome promotional resources! Go to our Promotional Resources tab and check out the great, free promotional pieces you can download as you get ready to come to camp!

Here are some highlights of what we offer:

For decorating your church:
–Posters, Stickers, Camp Brochures, Flyers
Use these in your kids ministry to communicate deadlines, promote camp, and get families excited for the adventure that awaits your group coming to CentriKid!

For communication:
–Bulletin inserts, postcards, email headers, theme art, CentriKid logos
Use these pieces as you email parents, make announcements on Sundays, and make your own CentriKid informational pieces for your kids ministry.

    Fun idea:

Print out our Postcard Download and have different small groups in your church write notes to kids at camp! You can collect these before you leave for camp and pass them out at Church Group Time during the week so each camper has a piece of mail to open at camp.

For fun:
–iPhone backgrounds, special edition OMC cards, sticker templates
Use these as camp approaches to build anticipation for camp! Campers and adult volunteers can download a themed iPhone background for their phone; your group can play pre-camp OMC with special task cards to get ready for the best day of camp; and you can print CentriKid stickers as a promotional piece so that kids go home with a reminder about camp for their parents to see!

All of these great resources await you on our website. Be sure to check it out now and get your group ready for CentriKid 2017. Adventure Awaits!

Taking Risks in Leadership

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The word “risk” can send shivers up your spine or can invigorate your curiosity. These steps toward “what’s possible” can, at times, feel impossible. Whether it’s a financial investment, a new ministry, or a different model for your team, risks ultimately mean change. In leadership, responsible risk taking looks a lot less like gambling and a lot more like calculated chess moves.

As a leader, you must be willing to guide your people into the unknown. Not on a careless journey, but one with promise to benefit all. Though the path will be new for your footsteps, as the leader, you must be willing to forge the trail. With risk comes both uncertainty and possibility; we must face the risk before us with both hands open wide. As you begin this endeavor, consider the following:

1. Count the cost
Consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of your possibilities. Make a pros/cons list. Sit down for discussion over coffee with people you trust. Consult your mentors and teammates. And most importantly, seek the Lord’s guidance through meditation and prayer.
2. Make your move
Once you’ve decided to move forward on this new road, set your eyes on what lies ahead. Map out a game plan and stay faithful to your calculations. Heed not the words of naysayers and unbelievers. With peace from the Lord, take each stride in confidence.
3. Stay focused
A bare bank account, a tough day, or words of opposition will be discouraging. Resolve to stay resilient. When pursuing the call God has for you, continue to run your race. Face the obstacles as they come and move on to your mountaintop.

Leaders are seldom remembered for simply what they intended to do. Leaders take action. Taking risks will not always mean success, or improvement, or reward. But, without taking that chance, you’ll never know what could have been. Don’t meekly evaluate your choices. Recognize your goal, and take that leap of faith!

Pre-Camp Meetings – Use Your 60

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On social media, you’ve probably seen us mention #UseYour60 and we wrote a blog about it too.  This is the heart of CentriKid, equipping adults and children’s ministry leaders to make the very most of their week of camp.  We provide detailed Group Leader Information, so download that for your week of camp (its found on your camp location-specific page).

Making every moment count can apply to your pre-camp meetings.  Don’t just use your meetings as informational meetings, use them as an opportunity to invest in the families who are trusting you with their child at camp.

  1. Relieve fears – especially those who are going away for the first time, or those parents who will be sending a camper away from home for the first time.
  2. Answer questions – you can prepare for some of these things, but leave time to answer questions about what the camp experience will be like, housing and roommates, when to pick up and drop off from the church.
  3. Explain safety – let parents know about your plans to monitor kids through the week, whether its a buddy system or having a leader from your group assigned to small groups of kids.
  4. Convey that camp is more than just fun and games – Share the spiritual direction for the week, begin teaching kids (and their parents) the key verse John 8:12.
  5. Set your clocks – Let parents know that worship is 7 to 8 PM, and they can pray for kids during that hour each night of camp… Knowing that they will be hearing from God’s word and hearing about the gospel.
  6. Make a packing list – Have parents send their camper with a Bible and pen. Like last year there will be notes pages for worship inside the camper nametags.  Talk about OMC and encourage them to label everything that goes to camp with the camper’s name.

In the pre-camp meetings with parents, pray for the upcoming camp trip and what God is doing in the lives of these families.

BONUS – Follow-up after the meeting with kids or parents who may have more questions. Your extra investment could go a long ways towards ensuring success for each camper.  Encourage those who have never been away from home before to have a trial run by spending a couple nights away from mom and dad with a friend or a grandparent’s house.

We believe God can work in the lives of kids in a powerful way when they are away at camp and we want every camper to be successful at camp.  Your pre-camp meetings will be a great opportunity to communicate information and your heart for ministry at camp.

2017 Registration Opens on June 1

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Mark your calendar, 2017 CentriKid registration opens June 1st. We are blessed to serve so many churches this summer through CentriKid, and believe it or not, we are already preparing for next summer!

The new dates and locations will all be released on June 1st for summer of 2017, and some of those camp dates will fill up very quickly!  In fact, we anticipate that several will fill up by the end of the summer. You will want to mark your calendar for June 1 to ensure that you get the date and location that you want! a

Between now and then, check with your church calendar, student camp dates, mission trip dates, and all the other things that have to be coordinated as you prepare to book kids camp dates. We want you to get the location and date you want for 2017, and the best way to do that is to register early. As an addition bonus, if you register by September 1st, you’ll receive and awesome Box of Chaos full of fun promotional items in the mail!

At this time, deposits are not due (view registration policies) but you want to get your spots reserved while they are available.

Contact us anytime if we can help with the questions or the registration process.

4 Things to Look for When Choosing a Camp

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We encounter church leaders and parents looking for the best options for summer camp for their kids – and it is a big deal because camp can have a meaningful impact on the spiritual journey of a child.

Here are 4 things to look for when choosing a camp:

  1. What is their “main thing”?  We emphasize the importance of the Gospel in every aspect of CentriKid, and we are grateful for the trust shown by thousands of church leaders and parents as they give us the opportunity to make the message of Christ clear in the lives of kids through camp.
  2. Is it a safe place?  Many parents and group leaders contact us to ask about dietary concerns and housing options – but we are also concerned with the size of campus, the proximity of main roads to campers walking, the condition of fields for recreation, and even the “climate” or culture of the camp atmosphere.  Camp should be safe for kids on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level.
  3. Do they strive for excellence?  As you learn about a new camp, evaluate the excellence of what you see.  Does the staff respond to you in a professional manner? Do the activities seem haphazard or well-prepared?  Do program elements start on time every time?
  4. Does this camp look fun?  Fun is essential to camp, but don’t solely judge a camp based on the waterfront toys or recreational activities.  Make sure the other elements are in place first, but before you sign up, make sure it looks like something your kids will enjoy being a part of.

At CentriKid, we take each of these aspects seriously (yes, even fun!) because there are a lot of ways to fill up a summer, but camp can be more than just another week on the calendar.  We are passionate about helping make the Gospel real in the lives of kids while they have a great time at camp!