On Deck . . .

Stay Connected to the Region’s Program Ministry for Children and Youth.  Read the November Intersections and Subscribe!

November

  • 3: All Saints Sunday

  • 9-10: Chi Rho/CYF Fall Retreat

  • 14-16: Progressive Youth Ministry Conference

    Learn More and Contact Michael Davison about a Disciples Discount Code

  • 17 & 24: Thanksgiving Special Offering for Disciples Institutions of Higher Education Received

  • 25: Regional Youth Council Advent Devotion Published

December

  • Special Christmas Offering Received 15 & 22

  • 1: First Sunday of Advent

  • 4: 2025 Camp Directors Announced

  • 8: Second Sunday of Advent

  • 15: Third Sunday of Advent

  • 22: Fourth Sunday of Advent

  • 25: Merry Christmas!

Where is Michael?

November

2: Regional Board Mtg @ Wildewood Christian Church
3: Worship @ Central Christian Church Fairview
9-10: Chi Rho/CYF Fall Retreat
12: NEA Council Zoom
14: NWA Clergy Mtg in Enid
16: Empower & Equip Event @ Forest Park CC Tulsa (Canceled)
17: Worship at FCC Morris
22-26: American Academy of Religion & Society of Biblical Literature Conference (San Diego)
27-30: Michael on Holiday for Thanksgiving (Lubbock, TX)
Michael works on Search & Call on Monday afternoon.
The Regional staff gathers weekly on Wednesday mornings via Zoom for devotion and staff meeting.

Summer Camp 2025

2025 Camp Dates

Chi Rho Camp: June 2-6
(grades 6-8)
Canyon Camp (Hinton, OK)
Discovery Camp: June 13-15
(grades 2-3)
Camp Christian (Chouteau, OK)
CYF Conference: June 16-21
(grades 9-12)
Disciples Center at Tawakoni (Augusta, KS)
Junior Camp: June 23-27
(grades 4-5)
Camp Christian (Chouteau, OK)
General Assembly: July 12-15
Memphis, TN
Water Weekend: July 18-20
(grades 8-12)
Lake Texoma
Family Camp: August 1-3
(all ages)

2024 Photos

Photos from camp and retreat this year.

Congregations Participating in Camp This Summer

Congregations sending 10 or more campers / Congregations sending 20 or more campers

Disciples Christian Church, Bartlesville
First Christian Church, Chandler
First Christian Church, Cherokee
First Christian Church, Chickasha
First Christian Church, Duncan
First Christian Church, Edmond
Southern Hills Christian Church, Edmond
First Christian Church, El Reno
Central Christian Church, Enid
Christian Church of the Covenant, Enid
First Christian Church, Luther
First Christian Church, Midwest City
First Christian Church, Norman
Crown Heights Christian Church, Oklahoma City
New Covenant Christian Church, Oklahoma City
Western Oaks Christian Church, Oklahoma City
First Christian Church, Perry
First Christian Church, Stillwater
First Christian Church, Sulphur
First Christian Church, Thomas
Forest Park Christian Church, Tulsa
Harvard Ave Christian Church, Tulsa
First Christian Church, Woodward
First Christian Church, Yukon

Camp 101

Sites Hosting Our Camps

Oakridge Christian Camp
Chi Rho Camp (grades 6-8)
Oakridge is located just west of Anadarko, Ok.

Camp Christain
Discovery Camp (grades 2-3)
Junior Camp (grades 4-5)
Camp Christian is located east of Tulsa near Chouteau, Ok.

Disciples Center at Camp Tawakoni
CYF Conference (grades 9-12)
Camp Tawakoni is located near Augusta, Ks.

Types of Camp

Outdoor Ministry is a defining characteristic of the missional ministry that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) offers to children, youth, and adults. Often people will think of Outdoor Ministry as “summer camp” only, but our Region’s Outdoor Ministry includes weekend retreats, traditional residential week long camps and non-traditional week long camps that give children, youth, and adults of all ages the opportunity to play, pray, worship, study, and serve one another and new neighbors. Outdoor Ministry is one way we teach the language of faith, and the practice of Christianity for the Church today and tomorrow.

What Happens at Camp?

Great question. The design of our outdoor ministry is based in small groups that provides space for campers to learn how to listen and talk to others. Campers spend time each day with their small group, and within the whole community they participate in art projects, they hear and interpret bible stories, worship together, and of course there are games, singing, sports, and pool time. Chi Rho and CYF campers are also offered workshops that teach life skills.  Some recent workshops have focused on Internet safety, budgeting, photography, car maintenance, first-aid, and relationships.

About the Camp Facilities

In Oklahoma there are camp facilities that have Disciples roots dating to the early 1950’s. These facilities remain related to Christian Church in Oklahoma. Camps have their own governing boards that set policies, rental fees, and maintain onsite staff and programs. The Christian Church in Oklahoma has no oversight, nor financial responsibility for these facilities.  Many individual members and congregations provide their time and financial support for Disciples related facilities.

Experiences We Offer (usually)

Designed for children who have completed grades 2-3. This weekend camp introduces children to living in intentional Christian community.

Designed for younger youth who have completed grades 4-5 and lasts a week.
Designed for youth who have completed grades 6-8 and lasts a week.
Designed for youth who have completed grades 9-12 and lasts a week.

This weekend camp is designed for families of all sizes and kinds. This two night-three day experience will introduce families to our Outdoor Ministry (summer camp) program with play, prayer, study, worship, and service for all ages.

Some years during Spring Break we offer a two-night three day trip to the Heifer Ranch for a short program in the Global Challenge.

A study trip to Washington DC and New York City designed for youth in grades 11-12. Accompanied by adults, the youth study a topic relevant to both our culture and faith while taking in the sites and sounds of these two major East Coast cities.

Offered to youth in grades 6-12, Mission Camp (Road Show) is an offshoot of your local mission trip. Some years, we take a group beyond the borders of Oklahoma and some years we visit a town or city in Oklahoma.

FAQs

We publish the summer camp schedule for the upcoming year in September the year before.  In mid-January, you can download the “Camp Registration Guidebook” from this website.  This publication will help you know how to register, what forms are needed, costs, and answer many of your questions.

The summer camp rates are set each January before the coming summer season. The rates cover the cost of the site fee, t-shirt, adult volunteers, liability insurance, lodging, meals, supplies, and program expenses. We offer a “discount rate” for those who register for camp between February and April 24 and a “regular rate” for those who register for camp between April 25 and May 15.

Summer Camp dates are published for the coming year in September.  You can find camp information and all other program ministries for children, youth, and young adults published on this website as well as on the CYYA Ministries Facebook page and the CYYA Intersection.

Are you a subscriber to the CYYA Intersection? This monthly e-News will keep you up to date with opportunities, events, resources, and stories about ministry with Children, Youth, and Young Adults in our Region.

YES! Please contact Michael Davison (mdavison at okdisciples dot org).  He would love to talk with you about adult volunteer experiences at our camps.

A Word from the Commission with Children, Youth & Young Adults

Rev. Bill Hemm and Madi Showalter, Co-Chairs

The CYYA offers a variety of opportunities throughout the year for persons ages K-35 years old. CYYA  Ministries in Oklahoma are evolving and growing into a future that includes age appropriate experiences and events beyond the summer months for our diverse age bracket.

We need two things: adult volunteers and funding. Our summer camp directors are always seeking adults to be counselors. As our opportunities expand we will need a variety of adults with different skills to make these opportunities a reality.  The other major need is funding.  It costs approximately $15,000 each summer to pay for our adults volunteering as directors and counselors.  We add this cost to camper fees which makes our camps expensive.  Similarly, International Affairs Seminar costs $2000 per adult, and any weekend retreat or mission trip where the Region recruits volunteer adults as leaders we pass on this cost to registrants.  Could you help with a gift or creating an endowment?  Contact our Co-Chairs or Rev. Michael Davison, Associate Regional Minister.

Your Gifts Make a Difference!

Your generous gifts to the Disciples Mission Fund or the Annual Fund underwrites the operation of the Region (Regional Office, staff salaries, benefits, and expenses, the Board and Commission work), but it does not provide financial support for the program ministries of the Region: events, retreats, camp, and mission experiences for children, youth, and adults.

Please consider a gift and support one of these experiences:

International Affairs Seminar
Goal $5000

Summer Camp
$10,000

Summer Ministry
Each young person attending a summer ministry experience helps pay for the adult volunteers for that week. This fee is added to the camper fee and is based on the number of campers who attend and the number of adults needed. Funds raised for Summer Ministry could lower the cost for everyone that attends a camp in the future no matter where it may be hosted.  Please consider a gift to support Summer Ministry and help us create funding to support this ongoing program ministry of the Region.  

Are you considering a “legacy gift” to fund a ministry in your congregation or through the Region?  The Oklahoma Disciples Foundation does this kind of work to support ministries throughout the Disciples of Christ in Oklahoma.

Make your check payable to Christian Church in Oklahoma, and note in the memo line what program ministry you are supporting.

Mail To: 301 NW 36th Street / Oklahoma City, OK, 73118. Please indicate IAS, Youth Ministry, Children’s Ministry, Young Adult Ministry, Heifer Week, Mission Camp, or  Summer Ministry in the memo line.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!  Contact Rev. Michael Davison for more information about how you can support these missional ministries.

Visit our homepage to donate Online.
Choose “Youth Ministry” from the dropdown box.
In the “Special Instructions” box type which experience you want to support.