Our Hopes For Summer 2026
This is Orientation Week, and we are training our staff. It is a big week for us and essential to a good camp. This is when we become of “one mind” for the summer. Meshing 180 college students, dozens of “mature” ladies, tens of nurses, and dozens of full-time Greystone professionals into a cohesive, happy, effective, and inspirational team. You can imagine how difficult this is when we come with so many different goals for these precious summer months.
Some want to savor the magic of camp again (each summer is special and worthy of this goal). Some want to play and have fun (what could be more fun than being at camp for an entire summer?). Some want to grow closer to God (perhaps the most noble of goals and very achievable… such growth happens every day and in surprising ways). All of these are good goals, but they are not the same. In order for the camp to shine, we need to “pull” in the same direction.
Our mission is to “delight and inspire, for the glory of God”. We do everything with one outcome in mind: to glorify God… easy to say, but tough to do. Every detail matters, for it is done to glorify the maker of the universe, who loves us more than anyone and has done more for us than we can ever imagine. Every detail represents Him… so we want to get it right.
We want to love the campers well… welcoming them with joy and attending to their needs in a way that draws them closer. They know we are Christians, and we want them to think that Christians are the most wonderful people they will ever meet. We want them to think fondly of Jesus when they think of camp. This will glorify God.
We want to care for the campers well… every department doing everything possible to keep the girls safe; every nurse taking every concern seriously and providing the highest standard of care, every meal should be anticipated keenly and enjoyed with enthusiastic conversation and singing, every evening program should play the important role that we scripted many months ago (bonding cabins, celebrating accomplishments, silly fun, crazy activity), and every devotion (morning assemblies, cabin time before bed, vespers, church, council fire) be right.
The facilities should be perfect (or at least as good as possible!), the grounds well maintained, the vehicles clean, the phones answered with a smile, the emails responded to promptly, and all parents informed. If we do all these things, with joy and with constant prayer and grateful encouragement to each other… it will be our best summer ever as we “delight and inspire for the glory of God”.
In short, our hope for the summer is that no matter who comes in contact with this place, God will be glorified.