Why Shoppe Matters and a Mini Contest: Win a Shoppe Date with the Staffer of Your Choice!

If you stick around Greystone long enough (or listen to a podcast or two!, you might notice that everything has a purpose. When you want to be a camp defined by excellence to the glory of God, no event or tradition is a “throw-away!”

Those Lip-Syncs you love at the beginning of the session? They are tailor-made for cabin bonding. The way Council Fire nights feel like taking a breath after a crazy week? We intentionally place them there to build in rest. And that applies to Shoppe too! What may just seem like getting a treat before Evening Program actually serves a bigger purpose in our community.

If you’re new to Greystone, Shoppe happens right after dinner and before Evening Program at most of our sessions. Girls get to pick a savory or sweet treat to enjoy with their friends - and that is where the magic lies! Because if you ask us, Shoppe is not really about the treat; it’s about the time it creates for friendships to form.

Take a walk around camp during Shoppe time, and you will see campers all of ages clustered around in groups of twos and threes, engaged in “DMC’s” - deep and meaningful conversations. They call them “Shoppe Dates,” and they are the perfect opportunity to get to know a friend on a deeper level or hang out with someone not in your cabin. Our counselors get in on them too, using them to spend intentional, one-on-one time with their girls.

So when we say Shoppe, we’re not really thinking about the treats. We’re thinking about golden hour as the sun sets on another wonderful day at camp, girls scattered everywhere making memories that they look forward to all year long. No phones in sight! Those 30 minutes or so of Shoppe are some of our favorite every day, because they capture what Greystone is all about: connections and community that points us to Jesus. It’s so much more than the candy!