Crossways Camping Ministries

08/20/2026

"I just wasn't sure if someone needed it more, so we didn't apply."

I felt it in my heart when she said it.

She hadn't registered her kiddos for camp yet, and they're camp regulars! I had reached out to see if she needed any help with registration. Instead, she shared that some unexpected things had come up for their family, and financially, camp just wasn't going to happen this year.

Not on my watch. I thought. Because I know you.

And I know this Crossways community. And I knew you wouldn't let a long-time camper family fall through the cracks.

And you didn't.

You provided the resources this family needed to weather a hard season without giving up a place where their kids come alive.

That's what scholarships do.
They say, We've got you.
They say, Your kids still belong here.
They say, You don't have to choose between a tough season and a place that matters.

And now, we're asking you to help us do it all again.

Your gifts matter all the time. But if you give now, you help us reach 50 people surrounding our camper families. We’re just 5 gifts away from unlocking a matching bonus for our scholarship fund.

That means more "yeses" to campers.
More "we've got you" to families making tough decisions.
And more kids getting to experience the place where they come alive.

Will you help us make room for one more family? CrosswaysCamps.org/donate

08/18/2026

40 Scholarship Partners. Just 10 more to go!

Every time a scholarship gift comes in, so does a story. Each one reminds us why this matters so much.

Camp has been a place where people found friendship, belonging, authenticity, faith, safety, and a deeper understanding of God's love. And now, families who know the power of camp are rallying together to make sure more people can experience it.

We reached our first goal of 35 Scholarship Partners and unlocked our bonus gift!

Now, if we can reach 50 partners, the bonus gift doubles! That's generosity that's hard to pass up. We're at 40 and just need 10 more.

Will you be one of them?

Give in honor of what camp makes possible:
$30 for 30 first-time campers who requested scholarship support
$50 for 50 people saying, “YES! We'll help you experience camp.”
$100 for 100 campers who requested scholarship support
$288 for the average scholarship granted

Every gift helps us say YES to another camper. And what holy, beautiful work that is.

10 more Scholarship Partners to go at CrosswaysCamps.org/donate

08/13/2026

35 people. One shared goal: Wear Love. ❤️

A scholarship can be the reason a camper gets to say yes to camp, and find belonging, joy, and community when they need it most.

We’re looking for 35 scholarship partners. When we reach 35, a generous partner will unlock a bonus gift for camp scholarships!

Will you help us Wear Love by making camp possible for another camper?

Become a scholarship partner today at CrosswaysCamps.org/donate.

08/12/2026

08/02/2026

This summer, our campers have been living out an invitation from Colossians 3:14: "Above all, wear love."

Every day they've been discovering what it looks like to wear kindness, humility, calmness, steadfastness, and forgiveness.

And here's what we've realized.

Before some campers can wear love at camp, someone else has already worn it for them. A Scholarship Partner.

A generous gift becomes a place at the campfire. A bunk in a cabin. A week where a camper hears, again and again, "You are loved by God."

We see the campers who almost didn't come because money was tight. We see siblings making camp memories together. We see kids discover they belong.

Every one of those stories begins the same way: Someone chose to wear God's love.

Right now, we're looking for 35 Scholarship Partners to help more campers experience that same gift.

Will you wear love for a camper and make a gift today? CrosswaysCamps.org/donate

06/11/2026

The Appleton Conference believes ministry is stronger when we do it together.

We see that every week at camp. Campers arrive from different congregations, communities, and backgrounds, yet they share meals, worship together, build friendships, and discover they belong.

To support that ministry, the Appleton Conference has awarded Crossways a $4,000 matching grant for our Summer Staff Program.

Every gift will be doubled, helping us equip the staff who guide, mentor, and care for campers all summer long.

Will you help us meet the match? https://www.crosswayscamps.org/donate

06/06/2026

Last summer, our staff gathered around a jar filled with rocks.

One by one, they shared milestones from the summer before dropping a stone into the jar.

"I became more confident."

"I learned how to communicate my needs."

"I reshaped my values and learned what matters most to me."

Clink.

"Milestone!"

The jar wasn't filled with rocks.

It was filled with evidence of transformation.

Now, our 2026 summer staff have arrived. A new group of young leaders is ready to begin filling the jar all over again.

In the weeks ahead, they'll comfort homesick campers, lead songs around campfires, help campers discover gifts they didn't know they had, and create spaces where young people feel known, welcomed, and loved.

And along the way, they will be changed, too.

When you support our Summer Staff Appeal, you're not simply helping fund a position. You're making these milestones possible.

You're helping a young adult discover confidence.

You're helping a camper find belonging.

You're helping create the moments that shape community.

By the end of the summer, the jar will be full again.

Will you help place the first stones inside?

Give today at CrosswaysCamps.org/donate and invest in the people and moments that make camp ministry possible.

05/26/2026

Ohhh Crossways campers… You are in for a treat.

The Summer Ministry Team has officially arrived, and this group is something special. They are joyful, creative, kind, and already bringing so much to camp!

More introductions and stories to come soon, but for now, just know: we are SO excited for you to meet them.

05/18/2026

The countdown to summer is suddenly feeling VERY real.

If camp registration has been sitting in the “I should really do that…” category, this is your gentle nudge to check the family calendar, text the parent/caregiver group chat, coordinate the cousin schedules, and sprint heroically across the registration finish line.

Because Summer 2026 at Crossways Camps is shaping up to be something special.

And this staff team? Absolute chef’s kiss.

The energy, the care, the ridiculous games, the meaningful moments, the campfire magic, they’re already dreaming it all up, and you’re going to want your camper in the middle of it.

04/27/2026

Most young people don’t just decide to work at camp on their own.

They apply because someone in their life said:
“You’d be really good at this.”

Not in a vague, “you should try it” kind of way, but with a specific reason:
“You’re so patient with kids.”
“You bring great energy to a group.”
“You know how to make people feel included.”

That kind of encouragement sticks.

And honestly? This is the single most powerful way you can support our mission this summer. Our team means EVERYTHING. The people who show up to lead, care, listen, and create belonging are what make camp… camp.

So if someone comes to mind right now, say something!

Tag them. Text them. Nudge them.

It might change their summer. It might shape who they become.
And it will absolutely shape what camp becomes for every young person who shows up.