Frequently Asked Questions

How long is Camp Sychar?
Camp Sychar is 10 days long...10 nights and technically 11 days. The 2023 dates are July 20th to July 30th. Check-in/drop off is from 10:00am to 4:00pm on Thursday, July 20th, and check-out/pick up is from 1:00pm to 3:00pm on Sunday, July 30th.

How expensive is Camp Sychar?
Our youth get to come to Camp for a steal, in my opinion, as the expense is only $110 for the best 10 days of your summer! Not only that, but we offer a variety of discounts for first time attenders and for those who bring friends with them. If cost is an issue, we don't want that to stop you from getting to experience Jesus at Camp Sychar, please contact Youth Superintend, Zach Riggs, to talk about scholarship opportunities. 

​If you aren't going to be there the full 10 days, don't worry about paying the cost for the full time, expenses will be waived for any days missed at a rate of $11 a day. 

What does food look like? 
The most important part of my day is oftentimes whatever I'm eating and the same could be said of my thoughts at Camp. All of our students are served 3 meals a day in our Cafeteria. Meals begin at 8am, 12pm and 5pm, but, more often than not, our students are in line at a quarter till meal time...breakfast is the one exception to that rule. If a student is not eating, it's not for lack of availability. 

Also available every day, except Sunday, is our camp snack shop (affectionately referred to as the Snack Shack). All food at the Snack Shack is available at an additional cost.

All students are allowed to bring snacks of their own, at their own risk...food will often disappear if left around. 

With the advent of technology, many of our students have a tendency to order pizza or DoorDash food from local restaurants. While we discourage doing that consistently, it is allowed. 

Our staff members also have a pattern of purchasing food for their devo groups and students on occasion. The Silo Boys have a pattern of getting Buffalo Wild Wings takeout one night durning Camp, while pizza, McDonalds, Taco Bell and Wendy's are not uncommon in the Barn.

Our evening recreation activities will, also, often include food in the form of hotdogs or pizza.

Should I bring money?
While it's not mandatory, I would encourage bringing a little spending money if you would like. Throughout the 10 days, there will be seemingly constant opportunities for you to give or spend. For instance, the Camp Sychar Bookstore will be open every day except Sunday for you to purchase books, toys, Bibles and Camp Sychar merchandise, The Snack Shack will also be open to satisfy for your every craving (including coffee needs), and, most importantly in my mind, the Missionary Fair. Missionary Day is the Tuesday of Camp (by far my favorite day), which is where we showcase a variety of our mission partners and work to raise money in support of them; the main way we raise money is through the Missionary Fair, a small festival we host with a variety of vendors in which all money goes to missions work around the globe.

What should I wear?
As Camp approaches, we will be sending out a suggested packing list of things to bring and not to bring. When it comes to clothes, we do believe there is a level of appropriateness and modesty that should be held, we ask that, for both the ladies and the gentleman, you don't wear anything revealing. Think about it like this, if you won't wear it to school, church or Grandma's, don't wear it at Camp.

That being said, pack comfortable clothes for during the day...clothes you can be active in and don't mind getting a little dirty, but also try not to wear anything too hot, it's July and we'll be outside 90% of the time. 

​Evening service is a different ball game. The youth get the privilege of singing in front of the entire Camp at the beginning of evening service each night. We ask that our youth dress up for evening service, and, honestly, who doesn't want to get dressed up? Many of our youth take the opportunity to dress to impress and have little photo shoots after service. Typically, that means a collared shirt for the guys and dresses for the girls, but we won't hold you to that. Think Sunday morning best...not quite Easter Sunday, but casual dressy. 

Do I have to stay the whole time?
The short answer is, no! While we would love for all of our students to stay at Camp for the full time, we understand that can be difficult, especially for our student athletes and working students. That's why we allow all of our students to check in and out of the program when necessary. Parents or guardians, ONLY, are allowed to sign their student out with one of our staff members any time they need to leave campus. Examples of times this is necessary are...athletic practices, games and tryouts, family vacations, concerts, doctors appointments, family functions, school, work, and medical emergencies. 

Not only can you leave early, but you're also allowed to arrive late! It's very common for students to not arrive with their family until the first Saturday of Camp.

What does housing look like?
Ten days away from home can be a big step for anyone, 10 days away from my bed can be a struggle for me, I know, so we want you to rest assured that sleeping arrangements are secure.

The girls housing is in one of 2 locations:
The first is our younger ladies (those 13 and younger), they are housed in a building we refer to as the Annex...a second, floor dormitory style residence. Rooms consist of 2 to 6 girls with a minimum of 2 female, live in counselors on the floor.  The second female residence is referred to as the Dorm. The Dorm is a single floor, dormitory style  residence split into an East and West Side (groupings divided by age). Rooms in the Dorm consist of 4 to 8 girls, with live in counselors spaced throughout both East and West Sides. The Dorm and Annex are across the street from each other and share a bathroom.

The boys residences are on the other end of the grounds and are vastly different. Our older guys, those that are 18 and up (occasionally a few 17 year olds as well), sleep barracks style in a large, 1 room cabin affectionately referred to as The Silo. Traditionally, The Silo will house anywhere from 6 to 10 guys with 1 to 2 live in staff. While our younger boys, those 12 to 17 year olds, sleep barracks style in a building we refer to as the Barn. The Barn  houses a  lot of guys at times  and will have a minimum of  3 live in counselors , but sometimes upwards of 4 or 5. The guys  share a shower house located outside  of the Barn.  

What are we going to do?
One of the unique things about Camp Sychar is that it's not like your traditional church camps; we don't offer all the big interactions and activities, we focus on relationships.

​A typical day in the life of a camper looks like this:
6:45AM - Wake Up (every other day)
7:15AM - Prayer Meeting (every other day)
7:30AM - Wake Up (every other day)
8:00AM - Breakfast
9:30AM - Youth Service
12:00PM - Lunch
1:30PM - Recreation/Free Time
4:00PM - Choir Practice
5:00PM - Dinner
7:30PM - Evening Service
9:00PM - Evening Recreation/Free Time
10:30PM - Quiet Bell (return to residences)
10:45PM - Devos
11:45PM/12:00AM - Lights Out (counselor discretion)

Typically, if we have afternoon recreation, we won't have an evening recreation and vice versa. Much of our time is free to hangout with friends/counselors and to explore the grounds. Almost constantly you'll find people playing soccer, basketball or cards somewhere on the grounds.

Afternoon recreation consists of trips to the baseball diamond for kick ball, the field for ultimate frisbee, Water Wars, trips to the Hiawatha Water Park, service projects, and the Wacky Olympics.
Evening recreation looks a little different, it consists of long time favorites like The Bonfire, the Talent Show and an ice cream social fundraiser, but also new favorites like a Hawaiian Luau and a fiesta. 
 

What about my phone?
Phones are allowed with youth at all times, but it is at your own risk and parental or guardian discretion. We ask that all youth stay off of their phones during both youth service and evening service , with exceptions if you're using the Bible app or taking notes. If phones are being abused, staff are within their rights to confiscate it for an appropriate period of time.