Opportunities to serve so many children and youth in the capacity that we do at Glisson are very rare, and I am always so grateful for the impact that Camp Glisson has had on my life…I appreciate so very much they way that Glisson compelled me to act out my faith in my daily life…
- Lanta, Summer Staff 2007
Village Camp
Village Camp is a traditional residential (sleep away) camp at the heart of Glisson’s ministry. Over 250 campers come to Village each week during the summer. Below is a detailed description of what a camper experiences during a week at Village.
Welcome to Village!
On arrival, campers are welcomed by their counselors into their “Living Group” – typically 12 campers and 2 counselors who plan and experience their week together. This summer campers will be involved as a group in planning their week at camp. This small group camp experience supports Glisson’s goal of creating Christian community for our campers. As one camper put it, “Camp Glisson is a place I can be myself and know that people will accept me and love me.”
What to Expect
The Village week begins on Sunday
and ends on Friday. While each week is planned by the campers with counselors, there are common elements to the camp experience. At Glisson we have chapel in the morning and at night. But chapel at Glisson is an experience you won’t forget! Each summer, camper evaluations rate chapel among their favorite camp activities. Every night in Village campers and staff gather on the Dining Hall porch for a 50-year-old tradition – Singing on the Porch. Guitarists accompany campers and staff as w
e sing a variety of songs sung at Glisson for decades. All campers (except for Mini camp) camp out overnight with their living groups – campfire and s’mores included! Every week we have one night of section (groups of living groups) activities and one night of all camp activities. And every week ends with an all camp communion service – a longstanding Glisson tradition – followed by the Closing Celebration, to which family and friends are invited. A Unique Experience
That’s where the similarities among Village experiences end! Each summer at Glisson is different, because camper living groups have different people each year and because the living group schedule is different each year. Activities for the week will be planned by each living group with the guidance of their counselors. That helps us ensure that folks get to do the things at Glisson they’ve come to do! But even more important, it sets the tone for the week that we do things together, that we care about each other’s experience of camp and that we are all, staff and campers alike, responsible for creating the camp experience at Glisson.Four Distinct Programs
There are four main Village programs for campers of different grade levels. Mini Camp is for elementary campers who want to try a two-night experience before coming for a week. Elementary, Middle and Senior High programs are all week-long camp experiences. Each of these programs has its own schedule. Even the Elementary and Middle school programs, on site at the same time during the same weeks, have independent schedules. Though every program has different activities and different times according to campers’ ages, here are examples of a typical camp day and typical camp week.Two Weeks at Village
In addition to the four main Village programs, we have two-week camps available for our Middle School campers. And this summer, for the first time, we have a limited number of Horseback Camp experiences available as well.
Village Video
Catch a glimpse of Village! Requires QuickTime: free download here.
Player not working? Try this link to open video in a new window.
