Youth Summer Camp Details – Living Waters Church

Greetings parents! I wanted to provide you with some important details about our upcoming summer camp. The dates are July 24-28, and we plan to meet at the church at 9:30 AM on the 24th. We have 61 people from our church community attending, including leaders and students ranging from 6th to 12th grade.

Be sure to watch the video below. You can also find all the lists of things your student can and cannot bring, the rules, and medical information you need to relay to us. Alternatively, you can download the welcome packet here.

Getting to the Macleay Conference and Retreat Center

Camp Address: 2887 74th Avenue SE Salem, OR 97317
Phone: (503) 391-2806
Check-In starts from 3pm – 5pm

To accommodate our large group, we’ve rented a 55-passenger school bus as our main transportation, along with a support vehicle for luggage. We ask that you help your child pack light – just the essentials for the week, with their sleeping bag and pillow in a labeled trash bag. This will make the bus ride and unloading much easier.

We’re still finalizing cabin assignments, but we’ll have 8 cabin leaders split between middle and high school, with boys and girls separated. Our goal is to help your child connect with both old and new friends during this time.

What to Bring

Packing Tips: Please do not bring anything that is irreplaceable. Label everything using a permanent marker.

Lunch WILL NOT be provided on the first or last day of camp so we suggest bringing a sack lunch or planning lunch with your Youth Pastor/Director.

Please Bring:

Bible, notebook & pens
Sleeping bag and pillow (in a trash bag marked with your name and church)
A large, strong trash bag for dirty and wet clothes
Clothing for 4 days and 3 nights (The nights can get cool, so please bring a light jacket or sweater)
Bath towel, shower sandals, and toiletries (toothbrush, shampoo, deodorant, sunblock, etc.)
Swimsuit and towel. Girls, only one-piece suits or a two-piece suit with a dark shirt to cover will be allowed. Boys, no speedos.
Flashlight
Refillable water bottle

Do NOT Bring

Fireworks
Weapons of any kind or airsoft guns
Tobacco products, lighters, matches, or vapes
Prank materials of ANY kind
No pets (except for certified service animals)
Drugs or Alcohol

A Distraction-Free Environment

This year, we’re doing something a little different – we’re implementing a “no phone” policy for the duration of the camp. Our students are constantly bombarded by digital distractions – from social media to text messages to video games. These things have a way of pulling their attention away from the present moment and the people right in front of them. And let’s be honest, us parents struggle with this too! We’ve all experienced the pull to constantly check our phones, even when we’re trying to be fully present.

At camp, we want to create a distraction-free environment where our students can truly unplug and plug into what matters most – their relationships with each other and with Jesus. We believe this will allow them to be more engaged, more open, and more transformed by the experience.

I’m a parent myself, and I know how hard it can be to be without constant communication with our kids. But I also know the value of letting them step away for a little while. When I was growing up, going to camp was always a chance to disconnect and be fully present. Some of my most meaningful spiritual experiences happened during those times.

So we’re asking all of our students to leave their phones at home or turn them in when they arrive at camp. Our cabin leaders will have a secure phone locker where students can store their devices, and we’ll have a system in place for emergency calls home if needed. We’ll also be sending out group updates to parents throughout the week so you can stay in the loop.

I know this may be a tough ask for some families, but I truly believe it will be worth it. Our hope is that by removing these digital distractions, our students will be able to be fully immersed in the camp experience – building new friendships, growing in their faith, and encountering God in powerful ways.

This is a challenge we’re taking on together as a church community. I’m asking you as parents to have conversations with your students ahead of time, prepare them for this change, and join us in giving them the gift of a distraction-free camp experience.

I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us at camp this year. It’s going to be an amazing time, and I’m grateful we get to do it together.

Camp Rules

Be where you need to be at all times
Rule of three (ex. Leader + 2 students)
Respect camp leaders and staff
Respect campgrounds
Do not bring anything illegal (knives, fireworks, firearms, grenades, vapes, cigarettes, etc.)
No bullying of any type.
No boys in or around girls’ cabins & no girls in or around boys’ cabins.
No one is allowed in the river (or pool) without leadership supervision.
No wandering off campgrounds.
Have Fun!

All rules will be strictly enforced. Students in violation of the rules are subject to immediate dismissal from the camp, depending on the offense. All pranks, fighting, bullying and any other abusive act will result in the immediate dismissal of a student from the camp. If a parent/guardian is called to pick up a student that has been dismissed from camp, it will be at the parent/guardian’s expense.

Medical Information

Things to Know

ALL medication, both students’ and leaders’, must be turned in to the camp nurse upon arrival at camp.

The ONLY exception to this rule is inhalers.
Medication should be in its original packaging properly labeled with the student/leader’s first and last name, the dosage and when the medication should be taken.

It is the responsibility of the student and their cabin leader to make sure that medication is taken on time. Please make sure that medication information is clearly communicated to your student’s cabin leader prior to their arrival at camp.

If there is a change in medical circumstances prior to the start of camp, please make sure that all updates are communicated to the camp staff. Please email [email protected] with any changes.

For students with medically necessary assisting devices, such as wheelchairs or crutches, we advise them to take any necessary precautions if attending camp. If you do have students or leaders in wheelchairs, on crutches, etc., please make sure to communicate to the camp staff ahead of time so that we can properly accommodate those students and/or leaders.

Please do NOT send a student to camp if:

They have had an infectious or contagious disease within two (2) weeks of the start of camp.
They have a fever or have had a fever within 24 hours of the start of camp.
They have or recently have had lice. (See below)

Lice Checks

Please make sure to check all persons coming to camp for lice prior to your arrival at Camp Hope. This is for the health and safety of all students, cabin leaders and staff on the campgrounds.

In close quarters, such as vans, cars, or camp cabins, lice can spread very quickly. Please help us limit exposure by checking your students and leaders before you leave your church campus.

Students and leaders may be subject to a lice check by the camp nurse and staff upon arrival.
If a student or leader is found to have lice, they will not be allowed to participate in the camp and will be sent home without a refund.