We are so excited to bring Camper Care Packages back to CentriKid this summer! We have a great collection of items that will get you ready for camp. There are some awesome favorites that are coming back, and some new fun items as well! In the Camper Care Package this year we will have:
This is a $39 value for only $30!
Pre-orders for Camper Care Packages are due on June 1st in order to guarantee the colors and sizes of the items. You can click here to go ahead and get those pre-orders in! We are also bringing back camp store cards! Parents can get them in increments of $5, $25, or $50 for their kids to spend in the CentriKid Camp Store. Remember, these camp store cards are only good in the camp store, not for any other stores at your camp location. All camper care packages can be paid for on the first day of camp at check-in via cash, check, or credit card. Make sure you get your CentriKid gear and represent during Rec, Bible Study, and OMC!
We can’t wait to see you in the camp store this summer!
Camp will be here so soon! We are so excited to teach campers about following the one true light. There will be so much fun, learning and excitement this summer, and here are a few things that will help you be prepared for:
Be Informed: The first thing you need to know is that Group Leader Information is here. All you need to do is click on the location that you will be attending. There is a lot of information here for the Group Leader to share with the parents and other volunteers attending camp. Make sure to read through all the info, especially if you are going to a new location or are new to CentriKid. And once you get everyone to camp, our staff will be ready to take care of everything else!
Plan a Meeting: Now that you have read through all of Group Leader Information it is time to schedule a parent meeting. Make sure that all parents have the Parent Packet so that they will be familiar the schedule and understand more about CentriKid. Make sure to tell them about ordering photos, DVDs and camper care packages. And check out our promotional resources here to get everyone excited about camp.
Keep Fundraising: You have paid your deposits, but keep fundraising to help parents with the rest of the funds for camp. Plan a bake sale, a spaghetti dinner or check out this blog to get more ideas on fundraising tips. We want to make sure that any kid that wants to come to camp has a chance to be there.
If you are a new church, take a look at this video below to get a better idea of what to expect as you prepare and when you get to camp. And returning churches, take a look for a great refresher! We can’t wait to see you at CentriKid this summer!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
CentriKid 2016 is almost here! We are so excited to serve you through camp this summer. There will be so much fun and excitement for kids and adults as we learn how to visibly and boldly live out our faith with the unseen armor of God. Before we get to camp, here are some great reminders to help you as you are getting ready for CentriKid:
Group Leader Information. The Group Leader Information is the most important and helpful tool to help you prepare for camp! It is full of important information, tips, and guidelines to help you know everything you need to know about coming to camp. Click here to choose your camp location and download Group Leader Information.
Participant List. Three weeks before camp you need to send your participant list in to the camp gmail account for your location. You can click here to get a copy of a blank participant list. The participant list is very important to housing. Make sure the camp team knows any policies that your church may have that will affect housing. Release Forms (available here) also need to be filled out and notarized with copies of insurance cards attached. All Adult Sponsors coming to camp are required to have background checks done, and after those are completed you will verify that on the statement of compliance.
Camper Care Package Orders. Camper Care Packages are available and you can still pre-order them until June 1st. Click here to pre-order a great backpack full of CentriKid goodies for all your campers! You can also pre-order camp store cards, for campers to buy items in the CentriKid Camp Store. You will also place orders for DVD’s and camp photos at check-in as well.
Track Time Cards. Make sure that all campers have filled out their track time cards before you arrive at camp! You can find those and a description of each track time in Group Leader Information.
Plan to Register for 2017. It might be weird to think about signing up for next summer before camp this summer, but our registration for 2017 opens on June 1st! We expect many of our locations and dates to fill up (like many of our dates and locations did this year), and to ensure that you get the location and date you want, you’ll need to register early! No money is due until February 15. To register for 2017, call 1-877-CAMP-123 or visit centrikid.com after June 1!
We are so blessed to serve alongside you and your church in ministry and we are honored that you have chosen to come to camp at CentriKid. We are anticipating the very best summer yet and we can’t wait to experience with you! See you at camp!
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:
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!
At CentriKid one of our main promises to the churches who come is that we will always root everything in Scripture. We believe it is important to tie everything back to God’s Word because there is no better place to turn. From Recreation and Bible Study in the morning to Track Times and Worship in the afternoon and evening, everything we do at CentriKid truly points campers back to the gospel and Scripture. We strive to give our activities a purpose, instead of just creating time fillers or fun things to do.Your kids ministry should seek to do this as well.
Plan it out
The best way to make sure you connect all activities back to Scripture is to plan for it. Plan to relate each activity to our relationship with God. In your preparation, whether it be for a regular Sunday morning or once a year event, schedule time to relate the activities you are doing to the Bible, and plan exactly how you will make the connection. This is an active, practical step to making sure you fit it in smoothly and without forcing it. One of our favorite ways to do this at CentriKid is to “debrief” the activity/game.
Debriefing
A “debrief” is a time where we bring the kids together to explain how the activity/game relates back to the Bible and our relationship with Jesus. Here are some tips for debriefing:
–Remove distractions (face the kids away from potential distractions: TVs, other kids playing games, windows they can see out of)
–Be one level removed (if the kids are sitting, you kneel; if they are kneeling, you stand)
–Use objects and personal stories (kids are concrete learners. So, applying spiritual concepts to concrete examples, like objects, helps create a strong connection in the mind of a child)
–Root it in Scripture (read from the Bible… that helps them know it is truth from the Word)
–Make eye contact (if you are outside, remove sunglasses)
I fully believe that fun games and the Bible can go hand-in-hand. So this week, plan out how you are going to relate each of your activities back to the gospel and God’s Word.
We are so excited to bring back Camper Care Packages back to CentriKid this summer! We have a great collection of items that will get you ready for camp. In the Camper Care Package this year we will have a backpack, OMC shirt, water bottle, sunglasses, water bottle, eye black, luggage tag, and a color team bracelet. This is a $40 value for only $30! Take a look at the photo for a sneak peek of the items included in the package!
Pre-orders for Camper Care Packages are due on June 1st in order to guarantee the colors and sizes of the items. You can click here to go ahead and get those pre-orders in! We are also bringing back camp store cards! Parents can get them in increments of $5, $25, or $50 for their kids to spend in the CentriKid Camp Store. Remember, these camp store cards are only good in the camp store, not for any other stores at your camp location.
We can’t wait to see you in the camp store this summer!