A Zoom Gathering for our Camp and Conference Leaders is Held Every Third Thursday

Our monthly Zoom calls are held almost every third Thursday of the month at 11:00am EDT. These Zoom call with your fellow camp and conference leaders will cover a specific topic, as well as offer mutual support. We hope you will be a part of this conversation. You can join us for the Zoom call listed below at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82867576883?pwd=Bu95hdEjBXbrrMgdHxeqrmwBo144vT.1. If needed, the passcode is 984320. Below are the dates and topics for our upcoming calls. Our Zoom Call on Thursday, October 15 at 11:00am EasternOur topic will be alternative revenue streams. What is your site doing to generate income these days? Are you trying something different? This Zoom call will give our camp and conference directors an opportunity to learn from one another about revenue beyond traditional summer camp and retreat groups. Come ready to share what’s working, what you’re experimenting with, and what new ideas you’re considering – from special events to partnerships, programs, facility rental ideas, and other creative ways to make the most of your site and resources. Together, we’ll explore how camps are finding new sources of income and share ideas that might help support your ministry. Our Zoom Call on Thursday, November 19 at 11:00am EasternThere will be no call this month due to the date being so close to the Campfire Collective Annual Conference. Our Zoom Call on Thursday, December 10 at 11:00am EasternThis call will be a little earlier in the month due to the Christmas rush. The title of our session is “Why Girls-Only Spaces Still Matter.” Our guest speaker will be Wendy Hammond, the Executive Director of GEMS Girls’ Clubs. What can gender-specific programming offer girls that may be harder to cultivate in a mixed-gender environment? Drawing from GEMS Girls’ Clubs’ nearly 70 years of ministry experience and the recent development of GEMS Outdoors, Wendy will explore how intentional girls-only spaces can foster belonging, confidence, leadership, spiritual growth, and a willingness to try new things. She will also share what GEMS has learned about designing outdoor experiences around girls’ needs without reinforcing limiting stereotypes. Participants will leave with practical ideas for thoughtfully incorporating gender-specific opportunities into their own camp settings. We hope you will join us for this time of fellowship and support among your fellow camp and conference leaders. If you have a topic suggestion for a future call, please contact Joel Winchip.  

The Virtual Camp Portal for Our PCCCA Member Sites

Are you seeking new ways to offer programming to campers and their families? PCCCA partnering with the Office of Christian Formation of the Presbyterian Mission Agency and the web developer, Worship Times, to offer our member sites a platform for virtual programming. Click on the image to learn more about this exciting new resource.

A Report from the 2020 Maintenance Connection

Cedarkirk Camp & Conference Center hosted the 14th gathering of Maintenance Connection with 19 participants representing 5 denominations from 17 different sites across the US and Canada. This year’s event is the largest gathering of resent years, welcoming many new faces and ideas along with renewing old friendships from the past. The event centered on relaxing, renewal of the soul, and continuing education. We learned about “green janitorial supplies,” pest control, and pressure washing to keep our sites clean and appealing. Our day out activities took us to the “toy” store where we were able to ride and explore new equipment, such as a stand-up mower, a riding all-terrain zero turn mower, a riding leaf blower, chain saws and many other wishful items. Next we stopped for a local treat of strawberry shortcake and milkshakes, as it is the middle of strawberry season in Florida. We rounded out our day with a tour of a distillery and then on to downtown Tampa to relax with good food and fellowship. Conversations topics of disaster preparedness, training up the next generation, and preparing for retirement were informative and thought provoking. We thank the Cedarkirk staff for their hospitality, offering vespers in the evening, and the great food that was served. Many of the participants expressed the time that we shared as being just what they needed even as they had many projects they left behind and would return to even more. As we wrapped up the week, we look forward to next year’s event to be held at Crestfield Camp & Conference Center in Slippery Rock Pennsylvania.

COVID-19 Coronavirus: Information for Our PCCCA Members

In light of the Coronavirus, the PCCCA Board feels that a strong policy statement communicated to your constituency is a great way to get ahead of the current wave of uncertainty. If a camp or conference center can create and follow a plan of action for preventing the spread of this infectious virus, they could create an environment that makes our sites one of the safest places for children and youth this summer. In order to help you, we have put together a special page of resources and program suggestions at www.pccca.net/coronavirus. Please check it out and submit suggestions as we continue to update this website. Thank you.

36 Discounts for Our 2026 Members!

As a part of the benefits you receive through membership, Campfire Collective offers special discounts on different products and services related to camp and conference ministries. This is a complete list of the discounts that will be offered to our members this year. Utilizing one or more of these company discounts could save you more money than you pay in membership dues. If you are a current Campfire Collective member, you can log into the Membership System and access the discounts in the menu at the top of the page (it is there that you will see the actual discounts and the methods for accessing them). If you are not yet a member, you can join or renew at campfire-collective.org/membership.