Stories of Grace

This page is dedicated to God our Father. It is a celebration of what He did in 2020 as we offered to Him summer camp to do His work of transformation and renewal. We knew that summer camp was needed. We knew the shut down and pandemic would have adverse affects on the campers and their families and that a week of camp would go far to bring joy, peace and a sense of normalness to their lives. We knew that some families would need our Day Camp so that they could get back to work. We knew the challenges and took each step in faith as we moved to keep camp open.

This page is called “Stories of Grace” and reflect what God did through the power of camp. We share these stories to honor God and praise Him for His amazing grace.

From our Staff:

“At the beginning of the week [my camper] was completely averse to anything about God. On Tuesday he asked about the Bible lesson. On Wednesday he asked if the Bible was true. Once he found out that it was real, he was more interested and on Thursday he told me he accepted Christ.” ~Savannah
“We were at Bible and there was a short break at the end. One of my campers said he had never committed his life to Christ, so I lead him in a short prayer and explained what it means to follow Jesus!” ~ Josh
“A camper who couldn’t swim really wanted to swim. He worked hard to learn over the past few weeks It was so amazing to see him pass the swim test this week. He was really proud.” ~Matthew
“All my girls have been really seeking truth. They were challenged to know they are saved and how to stay on fire for God after camp. They brought up almost every question I ever had myself. God was really moving in the hearts of these campers. It’s so cool to see these teenagers searching for a closer relationship with God. This summer has a purpose!” ~ Kora
“[I love] the Spirit’s presence at Woodcrest. No other way to say it, but God is here.”

From Overnight Camp Parents:

We were forced to cancel two weeks of overnight camp plus our Outbound Wilderness trip. We were able to convert one of those weeks into what we called “Wilderness Day Camp” which was a 12 hour day camp. We took several other steps to follow guidelines and mandates while keeping the essence of the program the same. We were so encouraged by the response we received from parents.

This was [our son’s] fourth year at overnight camp and it is always the highlight of his summer. Each year he comes home saying that this year was even better than last year! We are thankful for a place he can go where we know he is safe and being fed spiritually as well.
My daughter enjoyed the ability to talk about deeper spiritual questions and gain new perspective on topics.
Each year when I pickup my son from camp I feel that he has grown up a bit more. I love the fact he can be around other boys and his counselor was an encouragement to him.
We see lots of joy in our son as he relates camp stories and treasure his experience of Christian community at camp.
Thank you are having camp during a pandemic. Thanks for the extra work that you put into the summer. My family was blessed by your ministry.
Thanks for your bold & risky faith to hold camp this summer during a corona pandemic. Our kids needed this time at camp.

From Day Camp Parents:

Woodcrest was able to run all eight weeks of our Discovery Day and Trek program. Although we limited the number of campers each week (we had 25 less campers than we were staffed for) and kept groups separated and removed some traditional activities, we attempted to keep camp the same since 95% of the time we are outside. Within the first week we started receiving surveys that brought tears to our eyes and caused us to break out in prayer and praise. Well worth all of the struggles to run camp this summer.

Day camp was the perfect thing for my son this year. He didn’t get to finish his kindergarten year at school because of the pandemic. He had really been missing being around other kids and getting out of the house. He had such a great time this week. His comment today (on the last day) was “I wish day camp would never end!” Thanks for providing this opportunity for kids, especially this year!
My son who has a really hard time memorizing things, was determined to memorize the 3 verses of the week, and did!
[My son] loved it! as a new 7 year old I was a little concerned it would be a long week for him. But he was excited and ready to go each day! He is the youngest in the family and having his own camp/ thing to go to was perfect for him! He does well staying active. I’m assuming on Wednesday or Thursday you sang “it is well” because he kept randomly singing it though out the night.
Our daughter was so depressed since school closed, she felt isolated and uncertain about her future. It often left her sleepless with nightmares. She is very sensitive to these things. Camp has made her come alive again, she has been happy and carefree all week and is now sleeping through the night again! She also is able to recite scripture and loves God. She feels like she is on cloud nine. we will be back every year now, I am thankful our friends told us about your camp. A huge thank you to all that put their time and effort into being with all the children. You are truly making a huge impact on their lives! God Bless!
After being confined to home for three months due to COVID it is nice to see that my daughter is back to her normal social self! I love that she can interact with others while building meaningful relationships and making new friends while staying safe. I really look forward to the stories she shares with me about how much fun she had at camp. It is definitely one of the biggest highlights of my day.
This was very restorative after such a long time of “isolation” or stay-at-home orders in which we had minimal access to playmates for our son. It was great to hear him laughing and talking about what he had done with his friends from camp.
My grandchildren have been through a lot before they came to me. Their spirits were broken. This past week I saw the joy and excitement kids should have. I thank everyone of you for having a part in that. They are looking forward to having the best summer of their lives.
It was so nice to be “normal” and be around other kids having fun. This was so pivotal during this crazy time.
My son was soooo nervous on the first day and Jordan and everyone was so welcoming and kind he can home that day and asked what other weeks he gets to come back 🙂.
She is coming out of her shell. This pandemic really did a number on her. Now she is singing all the time and excited about every day. Thank you.
My girls were exhausted by the end of the week, but full of stories and excitement. They have had a lonely spring, this week was a refreshing week with friends.
I enjoyed watching [my daughter] make friends as the week went on. This was our first time at Woodcrest and we didn’t know anyone. She was very hesitant the first day even crying as I left her, but by the end of the week she had made friends and was busy playing with them when I came to pick her up.
She was so full of happiness and joy the whole week.
We love Woodcrest and see a wonderful shift in his wellbeing during the weeks he is at camp. He loves going and is constantly recruiting all his friends to go. His goal for when he is old enough is to be a counselor.
We love your day camp 100% – So glad Woodcrest chose faith over fear this summer and provided a happy, safe place for children to have some sense of normalcy again.
I really appreciate that your camp does singing, chapel and a Bible lesson. She loves singing and two different days she shared the songs with us. Woodcrest is having a positive impact on the campers and their families!

From Overnight Campers:

We love to hear from the campers themselves because they have a unique perspective as they are the immediate recipients of God’s grace.

The counselors have impacted me from day 1. first, they encouraged me to strive to be a better person and second because they are relatable and fun.
I love the community here! I really was inspired to continue spending time with God in the morning.
I have decided to continue and grow my faith. The atmosphere here is strong.
One thing that has impacted me this week at camp is how all the staff and counselors and also volunteers have been very focused and intent on spreading God’s love. This has inspired me to do the same.
Doing Bible study made me want to do it constantly at home.
I learned more about God and two big words: justify and sanctify.
I had so much fun for my first year! I loved everyone here and and everyone was super nice and supportive.
This was the best camp I ever went to!
Everyone was beyond my expectations of being nice and accepted me for who I was.
Camp gets better each year! I hope to keep coming back until I am a counselor.