How to Send Your Kids to Camp: Part 1
There is one summer event that helps kids grow spiritually and make memories that last a lifetime. That event is Kids Camp.
Camp is distinctly different from the other big summer event, VBS. I've always viewed VBS as an outreach, but Kids Camp is a discipleship event. I've used it for years to help kids go deeper in their faith and hit one of the key milestones I have for my ministry.
I've never hosted a camp myself, but I've attended district-hosted camps for years. Even when someone else handles the food, lodging, and fun, there is still a lot of work on your end. You can't decide on Sunday that you're going to camp and show up Monday with a van full of kids. Funds need to be raised, volunteers need to be recruited, and parents need to be looped in well in advance.
This is the first in a series of posts walking you through the entire process from start to finish. Today I'm covering what needs to happen in the months leading up to camp.
1. Host a Parent Meeting
No matter where you're going, you need to get your parents involved early. They are the gatekeepers. They're the ones who will give you permission to take their most precious possession away for a few days and pay you for the privilege. Get them in the loop as soon as possible.
This is why I advocate for a parent meeting at the beginning of the year. It's not just for camp but for every major event on your calendar. You can read more about how to run one here and grab my step-by-step kit here.
For the camp portion of the meeting, lead with vision. Talk about the life change that happens at camp. Talk about how kids' relationships with God deepen. Talk about how much fun they'll have. Then, once they're excited, tell them when, where, and how much. You want parents eager to send their kids before you hit them with a several-hundred-dollar price tag. If you don't have all the details finalized yet, give your best estimate and let them know when to expect the full picture.
The goal of this meeting is to help parents start planning their summer. They're thinking about vacations, time off work, and most importantly, how they're going to pay for it.
2. Fundraise
Camp is expensive, and prices keep climbing. I'm grateful that the Assemblies of God, the denomination I’m a part of, does everything it can to keep costs reasonable. But I've seen camps at other organizations run $500 or more per child. For a family sending multiple kids, that adds up fast.
You need to fundraise. I won't cover every option here, but these three have worked well for me.
Sponsorships
Your parents may not be able to cover the full cost, but someone else in your church might. A generous giver or empty-nester may be happy to sponsor a child, even partially. I always aimed to personally raise half the camp cost for my kids. Dropping a $250 price tag to $125 makes camp accessible for families who couldn't swing it otherwise.
Cake Auction
I've only used this for a few years, but it's been one of the most effective fundraisers I've seen. Some churches raise tens of thousands of dollars in a single afternoon. Here's how it works: each child who wants to attend camp hosts a table and invites as many people as possible to come support them, church members or not. Then, using donated cakes, you run an auction. At my last one, bidding started at $50, most cakes sold for around $100, and we raised $3,600. Some kids left fully funded. Others were most of the way there.
Calendar Fundraiser
This one puts more of the responsibility on the kids themselves. Each child takes a calendar and asks people to donate an amount that corresponds to a date. Someone might give $1 or $23, and that date gets marked off. The next donor picks a different date. Using a 31-day month, each child can raise up to $496.
Whatever fundraising method you use, make sure your kids have some skin in the game. They need to pay something, even if it's just $25. In my experience, the kids I've sent for free have caused the most problems, and some have cancelled at the last minute. A financial commitment, however small, creates accountability.
3. Set Up a Payment Plan
Most families won't be able to pay the full camp cost in one shot, especially if they're sending more than one child. Make it easier on them by offering a payment plan.
If you use a registration system like Planning Center Registrations, you can set up deposits, discounts, and scholarships all in one place.
Many camps require you to register and submit a deposit well before summer arrives, which means you need to collect from your families on a similar timeline. This is another reason the parent meeting matters. You can communicate deposit deadlines early and often.
I typically make the initial deposit non-refundable. As I said before, skin in the game matters. Once a family submits their application, the deposit needs to come with it. Otherwise, their spot isn't secure. The deposit amount should fall somewhere between $25 and half the total cost, depending on what you owe the camp upfront and what your church can absorb. Talk to your financial leadership to land on the right number.
From there, set clear dates for subsequent payments. I usually start talking about camp around Easter, which gives families two to three months to pay in full. Five hundred dollars spread across three payments of $166 is a lot more manageable than one lump sum.
No matter how well you communicate, you'll always have parents trying to register their child after the deadline has passed. I never want to turn a kid away, but there have to be consequences for late registration. The camps I attend charge early-bird, regular, and late registration rates. Rather than the church absorbing those increased costs, I pass them on to the family. If a parent wants to register the day before we leave, that's fine. They'll just pay the full amount plus the late fee. In my experience, parents rarely push back on this, especially when they've had months of reminders about the deadlines.
This is just part one. The next post will cover preparations in the weeks before camp, volunteer recruiting, and transportation.
I love kids camp. I've seen more kids grow closer to God and experience the Holy Spirit at camp than through almost anything else I do. It's exhausting, but the return is worth every bit of effort. When your group comes home, you'll see a new energy in your ministry that carries you well into the fall.
