Winter Camp

Dates for 2020	Speakers	From Church/Organization	Worship Band
Jr High – Jan. 10-12	Paul Couleur	Libertyville Covenant Church	Leah Swenson and the Olivet Nazarene University Worship Team
Jr/Sr High – Jan. 17-19	Meztli Doles	North Park Theological Seminary	Leah Swenson and the Olivet Nazarene University Worship Team
Jr/Sr High – Feb. 7-9	Steve Wong	Pasadena Covenant Church	Eric Pearson and the Hinsdale Covenant Church Worship Team
Jr High – Feb 14-16	Laura Gowan	Anchor Covenant Church	Neil Gowan and the Anchor Covenant Church Worship Team

 

Pricing for Winter Camp JR/SR High:

The $159 price per student includes meals, lodging, program and all activities except for the Giant Swing, Indoor Climbing Wall and Zipline.  In order for students to tailor their experience to best suit their style, they may add these activities by purchasing a ticket at $5.00 per person/per activity during the weekend.

The $109 price per leader includes meals, lodging, program and all activities except for the Giant Swing, Indoor Climbing Wall and Zipline.

Winter Camp 2020 theme is RELENTLESS!

John 3:30, “He must increase; I must decrease”

We are going to dive into the life of John the Baptist and his relentless devotion to Jesus Christ. We hope to see you this winter!

Read more about our theme here. 

Registration for Winter Camp JR/SR High includes a few steps:

1) Choose your weekend(s). Prayerfully consider which available weekend is the best for your church. Bring your entire youth group to the JR/SR High weekends (perfect for small youth groups) or bring your youth group separately to the JR High weekends.

2) Register with Covenant Harbor as soon as you have made a decision about your Winter Camp weekend. Download a registration form from our website. Fill out the necessary information and mail or fax it in or email it to our registrar, Jane, with a deposit to reserve space in the weekend of your choice. Space will be given based on the numbers provided for church attendance. Registration will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Confirmation will be emailed to confirm dates and details as you register.

3) Detailed directions and information on the following steps of registration will be emailed to you after your church is registered.

4) Distribute flyers and communicate to parents and adult leaders how to register their student or adult leader through the Covenant Harbor online registration.

5) Our registrar, Jane, will communicate with you regularly regarding who has registered from your church.

6) 4 weeks before your retreat is your last chance to change your total number. Please email Jane to confirm the total number of students and adult leaders at that time.  Then we will email you an invoice showing the balance due by your church (or money that we need to send you).​

7) 2 weeks before your retreat the following 3 things are due:

– Your full payment (payment by check is preferred).

– Your gender breakdowns along with a list of the adult leaders and students coming with your church.  Please email Jane the total number of each gender of adult leaders and of students along with a list of who those individuals are so that we can compare that to the actual registrations submitted.

– All student and adult leader online registrations (PLEASE encourage parents and adult leaders to submit them much earlier than that, preferably 4 weeks in advance).

Registration Policies

Payment: A non-refundable deposit is due when you register in order to reserve your spaces. Full payment is due 2 weeks before your weekend. Winter camps fill on a first-come, first-served basis.

Housing: Churches will be housed based on availability and will likely share housing with other churches.

Adult Leaders: Churches must bring at least one adult leader for each 6-8 students of each gender. All adult leaders must be 18 years old or older.

Health Information/Health Release Form:  Please note: Students attending winter camps with church groups are under the care and supervision of the youth pastors and adult leaders from the church registering the students to attend the winter camp. Should students need medications or medical attention while at the winter camp, it will be the church leaders’ responsibility to care for the student. Your church will need to be sure you have permission and information to provide medical attention for your students. If you don’t already have a form your church uses for this, feel free to contact Jane, our Program Registrar, for a form you can use.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection mandates that records be kept of all medications and treatments administered for youth under age 18.  It is the responsibility of the group leader to ensure these records are kept for youth staying overnight without a parent.  Any treatment and medication administered must be under the supervision of an adult leader provided by the church group that is certified in first aid/CPR or higher.  Upon arrival, Covenant Harbor can provide further instruction and a free Medication and Treatment Log to make record keeping as easy as possible.  If you have any questions, contact Eric, our Associate Director.

Cancellation:  Churches are responsible to pay in full for the final number of students and adult leaders listed on the final invoice (based on the number you provide 4 weeks before the retreat).  Churches can replace a non-attending student with a new student of the same gender at any time without penalty, so long as the cancellation is communicated to Covenant Harbor and the new registration is submitted online in a timely fashion.  Churches can replace a non-attending student with a new student of another gender if space allows.  If space is not available for the new student of a different gender, the church is still responsible to pay for the non-attending student.​

​Cancellations should be communicated the church leader first, and then you should inform our Program Registrar at Covenant Harbor immediately.  Generally, cancellations made more than 4 weeks before the event will receive a full refund minus a $15 processing fee per person. Cancellations made less than 4 weeks before the event will receive no refund. Exceptions may be made: 1) for medical reasons, when a doctor’s verification is presented prior to the start of camp; 2) when a non-attending student can be replaced with another student. Exceptions are not guaranteed.

Arrival and Departure

Winter Camp will officially start between 8 and 9 pm Friday night. Please arrive between 6:30 and 7:30 to allow time to check-in, move in and attend a leaders meeting. Winter Camp will wrap up around 11 am Sunday morning. Please schedule your return to church to allow you to fully participate in Sunday morning events at Winter Camp.

Pre-Retreat Communication

After registering, your church leader will receive a confirmation email detailing the next steps. As the weekend draws near, specific details will be sent out via email or Facebook. Please pass on all information to all adult leaders.

What to Bring

The winter weather provides lots of opportunities for outdoor activities. Please be prepared for the weather. All winter housing units are heated and linens are NOT provided. Students may want to bring $10-$30 for snacks and camp merchandise at the camp store as well as to purchase tickets for the Giant Swing, Indoor Climbing Wall and Zip line ($5 per person/per activity). Please leave personal electronic equipment (i.e. cell phones, iPods, game systems, etc.), knives/weapons, and fireworks at home.

Here’s a suggested packing list:

sleeping bag

pillow

towel

flashlight

Bible

toiletries

warm outdoor clothes (hat, gloves, jacket)- we will be outside a lot

boots

What Not to Bring

Do not bring cell phones or any pets, electronic devices (including cd players, Game Boys, and iPods), personal sports equipment, firearms, weapons of any kind, fireworks, tobacco, alcohol or drugs.

***Please note that peanuts/tree-nuts or peanut/tree-nut products are not allowed.

 

The lake may be frozen but there is plenty to do here at Covenant Harbor this winter! Feel free to contact us with specific winter activity questions.

Outdoor Options
Broomball- Play this hockey-like game with a few friends or your entire youth group.

Camp Fire- Hang out and warm up around the fire with friends and roast marshmallows for s’mores.

Camp Games- Every year we provide fun and different camp games we’ve either invented or re-invented for your enjoyment.

Carpetball- This traditional camp game takes on a whole new set of challenges when snow and ice are introduced to it.

Ice Skating- We’ll clear some ice down on the lake, and you can show us your best Olympic gold medal moves. Or take this opportunity to learn how.

Polar Bear Dip- After lunch (when it’s totally hot out) you can choose to jump in a hole cut into the ice of Geneva Lake. Of course, this is a totally optional activity, and minors must receive parental permission.

Sledding- Our summer mountain boarding hill makes for a great sledding hill in the winter time. Yay snow!

Tubing- Hop on one of camp’s tubes and fly downhill, through the woods, on our tubing run. It’s sure to get your heart racing.

Indoor Options
Arts and Crafts- A great way to bond with friends and create a token to remember your winter experience at camp.

Board/Card Games– An excellent opportunity to warm up, have fun and spend time with friends.

Bounce Castle- You’re never too old (or too young) to enjoy a bounce castle with a slide.

Camp Store- Buy a Covenant Harbor sweatshirt or just grab a quick snack, located in the lower level of the activity center.

Game Room- Hang out on the couch and chill, play some foosball, or challenge your friends to air hockey. Also located in the lower level of the activity center.

Open Gym- Take advantage of our basketball hoops or volleyball nets to enjoy some indoor physical activities.

Indoor Climbing Wall- Our indoor climbing wall can handle several harnessed climbers at a time and you don’t even need to wear a coat.