The Cedarkirk Summer Camp Experience

Kids can have a difficult time figuring out where they’re going – much less who they’re becoming. So, at Cedarkirk, more important than what we do is how we do it. Our counselors live the lessons they teach, reinforcing the values that campers look for each time they return to camp. Whether during group Bible study or casual one-on-one conversation, we ensure Cedarkirk is a place apart where honesty, respect, responsibility, and caring thrive, and spirits grow. Camp is more than a summer of fun – it’s building a lifetime of character.

Camp is one of the most effective environments in which young people develop, learn, and grow in faith. A significant body of research shows that time spent at camp – and away from home! – helps kids grow. Summer camp experiences give young people the opportunity to:

  • BUILD faith through shared relationships and experiences
  • UTILIZE imagination, creativity, and play
  • BE VALUED for exactly who they are
  • CONSTRUCT and adhere to shared, common values
  • CULTIVATE independence, self-esteem, and identity
  • LEARN social skills and nurture lasting friendships
  • BECOME more comfortable and confident in nature
  • GAIN respect for – and appreciation of – our planet
  • EMULATE strong role models
  • DEVELOP lasting leadership skills


SMALL-GROUP, RESIDENTIAL CAMPING
Cedarkirk offers small-group camping throughout its varied programs – a “family group”, typically comprised of boys and girls with their counselors, will experience camp together and grow as a group.  We believe this is the best model to provide a nurturing and safe environment and helps foster meaningful relationships among campers and between campers and counselors.  The community that forms within the “family group” and that group’s relation to the rest of camp is an important aspect of the Cedarkirk experience.

Regardless of the particular program you and your child select, EVERY camper will be part of our small-group camping experience. The greatest strength of our summer program is the community that forms here each week among staff and campers in these small groups and we make sure each camper is a part of it! Even our specialty camps (i.e. Culinary Camps, Adventure Camps, etc.) generally have only one block of specialty time each day, at most. The rest of the day is spent as a small group at activities like archery, canoeing, Bible study, swimming, cook outs, and more. After dinner, small groups in the same age range will come together for supervised free time, worship, and night activities.

Cedarkirk campers leave with a sense of accomplishment and a greater appreciation for their own – and others’ – abilities. They gain a deeper comprehension of their relationship with God and a new perspective on what they are capable of achieving.

Trust, courage, achievement, cooperation, decision-making, a sense of wonder, and a deeper understanding of God are gained through life lived in intentional community and time spent outdoors.