Our camps, Our Philosophy & Our Staff
. . . Summer Camp at Covenant Harbor
Our Camps
Covenant Harbor offers several summer camp programs to choose from. With programs for different ages and camps of different lengths, you're sure to find the right fit for everyone in your family.
Day Camp (k-6th grades)
Day Camp is a great opportunity for campers from our local community to experience the best of camp without staying overnight. Each day of the Day Camp program is unique. Special activities for each age group and a new Bible lesson everyday make Day Camp the perfect choice for one week or more. The summer starts with Summer Kickoff, for campers currently in Kindergarten through 6th grades. The summer then rotates between Team 13 and Club 46. Team 13 is for campers currently in Kindergarten through 2nd grades and Club 46 is for campers currently in grades 3-6. Day Camp Skills is for K - 6: Choose one of several areas of focus for the 2 day camp and hone your skill each day come to one or both of the programs. Endless Summer: Wrap up the summer with a 3-day program for K-6.
Kishwauketoe (1st-3rd grades)
Kishwauketoe (affectionately called Kish) is a smaller camp of about 40 campers. Kish is intentionally designed for a camper's first camp experience. The program has a cozy feel, helping campers to feel right at home. Kishwauketoe Pathfinder is a 3 night option for campers in grades 1-3. Kishwauketoe Trailblazer is a week long camp for campers in grades 2-3.
Pier 30 (3rd-8th grades)
Pier 30 is our largest and most traditional camp with as many as 230 campers. Pier 30 builds the schedule around the campers' desire to explore and try new things. Pier 30 Explorer serves campers in current grades 4-5 with either a week long camp or a 4 night option. Pier 30 Navigator serves campers currently in grades 6-8 and allows campers to customize their camp experience by choosing a skill to focus on for the week. These skills offer our older campers a chance to branch out and learn new things or fine tune something familiar.
High School Options (9th-12th grades)
High School students have options that allow them to choose the depth and style of their program. Element Camp is a somewhat traditional but more intense camp experience for grades 9-12. The Alpha Team is for students 15 and older who are ready for a transition experience that helps prepare students for working on summer staff. The two week Alpha programs balance fun and service, while focusing on personal spiritual development. The Day Camp counseling team is a full summer, paid, staff position designed for Alpha graduates (or others with proven experience) to spend the summer counseling for our day camp program (K - 6th graders). A rigorous application and interview process is required to be hired for the Day Camp counseling team.
Request Brochure
Summer 2012 brochures will be available in January. If you would like to be added to our mailing list so that you will receive a brochure, please click here. The brochure lists all of our summer programs, dates, prices and includes registration forms. The dates and prices will also be listed on the individual program pages.
Our philosophy
Covenant Harbor is a Christian camp, owned and operated by the Evangelical Covenant Church. We exist for the purpose of introducing people to Jesus Christ. The mission statement of Covenant Harbor is to "Draw people from their routines into opportunities to enjoy creation, recreation and relationships so that all will experience God through Jesus Christ." Our primary goal with the campers is to love them, share the truth of Jesus Christ with them and to encourage their growth in Christ. We think this happens best when they are building relationships with our staff, who are excited to share their faith with others. We do this by building a Bible program that presents Biblical truths in both large and small group settings. We incorporate drama, songs, skits, games and more into the presentations to make the process of learning about Jesus fun and meaningful. Each truth is presented in an age appropriate manner.
Our goal is not to force campers to agree with us or to make campers decide what to believe. We simply want to make them aware of a God who loves them and desires a relationship with them.
Our philosophy is clarified in more detail in a document titled, "Making Waves." Click HERE to learn more.
Our Staff
Covenant Harbor seeks only the most highly qualified college, and in some cases high school, students to serve on our summer staff. The majority of our staff comes from the Midwest, some of whom grew up coming to Covenant Harbor as campers.
Hiring Process
We have a fairly rigorous application and hiring process to ensure that each staff member will be a good fit for our team. Each staff member fills out a lengthy application, including several self-evaluation questions and four references. Applicants then have their first interview, and those who are deemed qualified have a second interview while their references are contacted. Only those who are the most qualified and fit our ministry are offered positions. Upon accepting the position, summer staff members must agree to strict expectations and also undergo a background check.
Training
Our leadership staff arrive in late May to undergo training, plan Bible programs and prepare program and activity areas for camper use. Counselors spend 10 days in training prior to the arrival of our campers. Training topics include team building, small group leadership, evangelism, age characteristics, daily role expectations, discipline, cabin group dynamics, severe weather and emergency preparedness and more. Training is also an important time to build our summer staff community and sense of team. We take staff training seriously and strive to create a team of summer staff that desire to serve campers and their families with excellence.
