Maine District Church of the Nazarene

Rome: Paul and the Underground Church

This year's theme is "Rome: Paul and the Underground Church". Don't let your child miss this wonderful experience, as a Bible Point is daily integrated into each activity to reinforce Bible learning. Each day, kids will hear and experience a multi-sensory trek through Rome! Not only will your kids just hear about Rome - they'll experience it, as they elbow their way through a crowded Roman marketplace, learn with Paul, tiptoe past Roman guards to a hidden cave, where they'll pray with first-century Christians - and much, much more. Exciting music, visits to the ol' swimming hole, great food & snacks - this will be a week to remember!
Following are the files supplied as part of the Camp CD. Most of them are available in both Word format (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat format (.pdf). While Word documents require that you purchase the Word program (alone or as part of the MS Office Suite), Acrobat is available as a free download at Adobe.

CAMPER FORMS
Camper Registration Form (Word)     Camper Registration Form (Acrobat Reader)

STAFF FORMS

CIT Application (Word)     CIT Application (Acrobat)

Senior Staff Application (Word)     Senior Staff Application (Acrobat)

Release for District Background Check (Word)     Release for District Background Check (Acrobat)

Form for DHHS Records Search (Acrobat)   

Instructions for Background Checks (Word)     Instructions for Background Checks (Acrobat)

CHURCH FORMS

Church Instructions (Word)     Church Instructions (Acrobat)

Church Coordinator (Word)     Church Coordinator (Acrobat)

Church Registration Sheet (Word)     Church Registration Sheet (Acrobat)

Church Registration Form (Word)     Church Registration Form (Acrobat)

Scholarship Request (Word)     Scholarship Request (Acrobat)


WHY CAMP?

Children’s Camping is one of the most important summer ministries in the Church of the Nazarene. Across the denomination, thousands of boys and girls attend children’s camps each year, and hundreds come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior as a result of their camp experience. Camp Wakonda strives to bring children closer to God through an introduction to Jesus Christ, an examination of His life, and a closer look at what the Bible teaches us about His will for their lives. This introduction often starts children on a walk with Christ that develops into a life-long relationship.

We view the mission of Camp Wakonda to be two-fold:

(1)   To bond campers & staff together as individuals who have made Jesus Christ Lord of their lives, sharing in Christian fellowship, and seeking to strengthen each other in faith development through worship, preaching, training, and service to others. We strive to express the compassion of Jesus Christ to all persons along with our personal commitment to Christ-like living.

(2)   To make Christ-like disciples of the campers, through a curriculum that is Bible-based and reflects the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. As campers learn lessons of peace, justice, personal responsibility, and love for one another, they are taught to take the Good News of life in Jesus Christ to other people and to spread the message of scriptural holiness (Christ-like living) across the land.

OUR PROGRAM

Two programs, Children’s Camp (ages 7-9) and Junior Camp (ages 10-12) run at the same time. The two groups share the same camping experience, because we have found the influence of the older to be beneficial to the younger when supervised by competent adults. The curriculum is loosely based on resources provided by the International Church of the Nazarene and adapted for use by our camp staff. Campers attend and participate in worship and engage in spiritual reflection activities delivered through games and cooperative experiences.

CAMP ACTIVITIES

Many recreational opportunities are offered throughout the days and evenings, and may (or may not) include crafts, swimming, archery, Frisbee golf, horse & wagon rides, Bible Quizzing, Bible trivia, and sports. Activities are added or subtracted each year, in accordance with the theme for that year’s camping program. The Camp Director determines the theme and whether a particular activity is appropriate for the program.

CAMP FINANCES

The Treasurer of the Maine District Church of the Nazarene Sunday School handles the financial matters of the camp. The treasurer manages the bank account and makes financial reports to the Camp Director, District Sunday School Chairperson, and District Sunday School Board. In addition, the Treasurer reimburses the camp staff for purchased program materials if receipts are present. The Treasurer works with the District Sunday School Board and the Camp Director to set the registration fee and the program budget. Receipts must be turned in to the Treasurer, or the staff will be personally responsible for covering the costs he/she incurred.

Financial Policies Camp

1. Family Max.
    The cost is $150 per student, maximum $300 per family.  So a sibling group of 3 would only pay $300.  A sibling group of 17 would only pay $300.

1a. Children's Camp
      Our plan was that the Family Max would span across both Teen Camp and Children's Camp.  Even though Teen Camp is first, you can deduct from the $300 Max whatever you are spending for Children's Camp (within a sibling group).  I have not coordinated this with Children's Camp at all, so the family and / or local church will be responsible for communicating with me regarding these special circumstances.

2. PK Discount
    Pastor's Kids get half off - $75 per student.


3. Scholarships.  I have already received several inquiries regarding scholarship availability.  We *have* set aside some funds for this.  At this point, we do not have any formal policy or process for demonstrating a need and receiving scholarship funds, so it is again up to the family and / or local church to communicate to me what the need is. 

I hope this does not create too much additional confusion.  Please email any and all questions to teencamp@mainenyi.com.

HEALTH & SAFETY

A nurse is in attendance at camp. The nurse distributes prescription medication, attends to first-aid situations, and determines if additional medical attention is required. In the event a camper is hurt to the point he/she needs to see a doctor, the Camp Director will contact the camper’s parent(s) and explain the situation. The Camp Director will then arrange transportation of the camper to the appropriate medical facility. The Camp Director will then contact the camper’s parent(s) and be the main contact thereafter until the situation is resolved. In the event the Camp Director must leave camp, the Area Chiefs will assume the additional duties of the Director.
Oxford Fairgrounds (the facility used by Camp Wakonda) has a First-Aid Office that is equipped with the basic medical supplies as well as a refrigerator and ice container. In addition, the First-Aid Office has separate sleeping quarters for the nurse as well as sick campers. The First-Aid Office is located at the rear of the Chapel.
All campers must submit a signed Medical Release Form with his/her Registration Form. Any camper that takes prescription medication must have all medications in original packaging with identification and dosage information.

EATING @ CAMP

Camp Wakonda provides dinner on Sunday, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner Monday-Friday. The evening meal on Friday is open to the people of the Maine District and may be of any form (BBQ, luau, etc), dependent on the theme of the week. Campers may be required to assist with the dinning hall set up and clean up. If so, this is organized by cabin groups. The cabin that is assigned to set up is also responsible for clean up. The assigned cabin group is required to report to the dinning hall fifteen minutes prior to the start of the meal.
Snacks are provided daily by the kitchen staff. It is against Camp Wakonda policy for campers to bring money. Snacks are purchased and brought to camp by the Camp Cook. The kitchen staff gets the snack ready and various staff passes it out each afternoon. Every effort is made to provide healthy snacks that are low in sugar and free of caffeine. Campers may not bring snacks to camp, in order to avoid attracting wildlife and insects.
In the event a camper requires special food due to a medical issue, arrangements can be made with the nurse for proper storage. Depending on the theme of the week and local fire regulations, Camp Wakonda may host an evening cookout with marshmallows & roasting sticks at a fire ring.

SLEEPING @ CAMP

Campers are assigned to cabins based on gender, age, numbers, and camper request. Campers are allowed to request a cabin friend, and this request is generally granted unless the age discrepancy between the campers places them in different camps. For example, if a 7-9-year-old camper requests a 10-12-year-old camper as his/her cabin friend, this request would most likely not be granted, except when the Camp Director deems it in the best interest of the camp. Once all registrations are collected, campers will be assigned to cabins (this term may change, dependent on the theme of the week). Each cabin houses a maximum of 1 counselor and 8 campers.  Cabins are assigned to specific groups, dependent on the theme of the week.

CAMPER EXPECTATIONS

Camp has been designed by people who love kids, and it is meant to be a fun experience. To ensure all kids have a great time, are fully engaged in the program, and keep the focus on a Christ-centered camping experience, several expectations have to be communicated and followed:

*         Bullies are not welcome at camp. Camp Wakonda is a place where all kids can come and feel safe, valued, and part of the group. Any camper that chooses to cause another camper to not feel this way needs to be counseled, given the opportunity to correct his/her behavior, and removed from the group if the right choice is not made.

*         Leave electronics at home. This includes MP3 players and Cell Phones. In the event a parent needs to contact their camper, they may call the Director’s cell phone. This number is available on the camp brochure. If an emergency requires that a camper call home, they may use the Director’s phone.

*         Wear clothing that is consistent with the values of camp. Revealing or form-fitting clothing is not appropriate for this venue. Clothing that advertises alcohol, tobacco, or products not generally appropriate for children should be left at home. Many t-shirts depict messages that could be offensive or otherwise contain messages that aren’t appropriate for church camp. These should also be left at home.

 Most camper behavior issues are dealt with at the counselor level. These are usually fairly minor issues such as talking while the Chaplain is talking or playing around after lights out. However, occasionally a major rule is broken or a conflict arises that significantly disrupts the camping experience. In this case the Area Chief for the particular gender-group needs to be involved. He or she will deal with the camper. If the Area Chief deems that it is necessary to contact the camper’s parent, the Camp Director needs to be contacted to help make that determination and make the call if necessary.

Please contact Jim Ledoux
jllgdl@fairpoint.net; 207-787-4185
for questions or concerns