Making Room: Spring-Summer Ministry Update

As the anticipated sounds of laughter begin to echo across camp in a few weeks, we are filled with gratitude for all God is doing at Wabash Park Camp & Retreat Center. As every cabin is prepared, every meal that will be served, every counselor to be trained, and every prayer lifted is part of something much bigger than summer programming—it is ministry that changes lives.

This season, hundreds of children, teens, families, volunteers, pastors, and guests will step onto these sacred grounds searching for rest, friendship, purpose, healing, and hope. We believe God will meet them here.

Whether you are a lot lessee, church partner, donor, volunteer, or longtime friend of camp, thank you. Your prayers, generosity, encouragement, and presence help make ministry possible.

Summer Camp 2026
More Than Camp. A Place to Grow.
This summer, WPC&RC is preparing to welcome campers from all across the region for weeks filled with worship, friendship, recreation, discipleship, campfire conversations, and moments that often stay with people for the rest of their lives.
Some campers will arrive for the very first time, nervous and unsure. Others will return to the same cabins, counselors, and traditions they’ve loved for years. But every summer, we’re reminded that camp has a way of helping people grow—often in ways they don’t expect.
Campers can expect:

• Dynamic worship and biblical teaching
• Outdoor recreation and waterfront activities
• Deep friendships and encouraging mentors
• Safe, caring staff and volunteers
• Space to unplug, slow down, and hear God’s voice

For many young people, camp becomes the place where:

• faith becomes personal,
• confidence begins to grow,
• lifelong friendships are formed,
• and God’s calling starts to come into focus.

Thank you for investing in the next generation and helping create a place where young people can grow in faith, character, and community.
Crossroads Family Camp 2026
A Week to Grow Closer—To God and to One Another
Family Camp continues to be one of the most meaningful traditions at WPC&RC. Each summer, generations gather here for worship, meals, recreation, fellowship, laughter, and spiritual renewal.
In a world that rarely slows down, Family Camp offers something increasingly rare: intentional time together.
Time to sit around a table.
Time to worship side by side.
Time to talk without rushing.
Time to reconnect—with God, with family, and with community.
This year’s Family Camp will include:

• Morning worship and evening services
• Activities for all ages
• Fellowship and shared meals
• Recreation and waterfront fun
• Time for rest, reflection, and renewal
• Opportunities to make memories that last long after the week is over

Whether you join us for a day or stay the entire week, we invite you to come experience the joy, peace, and encouragement of Christian community in a place intentionally set apart for rest and renewal.
Exciting Improvements Around Camp
Thanks to the generosity of many supporters—and the incredible blessing of the Lilly Endowment Youth Camp Initiative—important improvements are continuing across camp.
Projects currently underway or planned include:

• A new Youth Bathhouse
• Recreation area enhancements
• Pickleball and basketball improvements
• Waterfront additions
• Lighting and electrical upgrades
• Additional gathering and activity spaces
• Facility improvements that strengthen year-round ministry opportunities

These are more than construction projects. They are investments in hospitality, safety, discipleship, and the future of camp ministry.
Every improvement helps create spaces where people can gather, grow, rest, worship, and encounter Christ for generations to come.
We are deeply grateful for the momentum God continues to provide.
Room to Grow Campaign Update
Earlier this spring, we shared the vision for the future through our Room to Grow campaign gathering. Since then, we’ve continued to hear excitement, encouragement, and stories from people who believe deeply in what WPC&RC can become in the years ahead.
One major part of that vision is a future Youth Lodge designed to:

• expand year-round ministry opportunities,
• increase lodging capacity,
• create additional retreat and discipleship space,
• and welcome even more youth, families, and church groups to camp.

We are continuing to move forward prayerfully, faithfully, and intentionally—and we invite you to keep praying alongside us as God continues to open doors.
How You Can Partner With WPC&RC
Pray
Pray for campers, counselors, pastors, volunteers, staff, and families. Pray for safety, encouragement, meaningful relationships, and life-changing encounters with Christ this summer.
Serve
From work days to kitchen help, maintenance projects to volunteer support roles, there are many ways to jump in and be part of what God is doing at camp.
Share
Invite families, churches, and friends to experience camp ministry and become part of the WPC&RC story.
Give
Your financial partnership helps provide camper scholarships, ministry resources, facility improvements, and opportunities for even more people to experience the life-changing impact of camp ministry.
Upcoming Dates
Family Camp
July 20–26, 2026
Join us for worship, fellowship, recreation, and spiritual renewal.
Church at Camp
10:00 AM in the Youth Chapel • May 24, 2026
Sunday worship gatherings held on holiday weekends.
Room to Grow Public Launch
September 12, 2026 • 4:00 PM
A special evening celebrating what God is doing at WPC&RC and sharing vision for the future.
Thank You
Thank you for believing in the mission of Wabash Park Camp & Retreat Center.
Because of your partnership, this place continues to be:

• a refuge for families,
• a training ground for young leaders,
• a place of spiritual renewal,
• and a place where people can still hear the whisper of God.

We are grateful for you, and we are excited for all that God has ahead.
With gratitude,
Deana Hayes-Black
Executive Director
Wabash Park Camp & Retreat Center