What age group may participate in PASSPORT Youth Camps? Who qualifies as a chaperone?
Youth eligible for PASSPORT must have completed 6th grade through 12th grade. Adults must be at least 20 years of age. Your group’s adult to camper ratio MUST be a minimum of one adult for every six campers (adult and campers of the same gender). Because the adults who come as chaperones are an integral part of the PASSPORT session, children and babies are not allowed. Children younger who have completed 3rd through 6th grade are invited to attend one of our PASSPORTkids! camps.
When does camp begin and end?
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‣Registration is 2:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. on Opening Day (Sunday or Monday depending on location).
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‣The first meal served on Opening Day is supper.
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‣Opening Celebration is the first program event at 7:00 pm on Opening Day.
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‣The last meal served on Day 5 (Friday or Saturday depending on the location) is Breakfast.
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‣Closing Celebration on Day 5 ends by 11:30 am, after which groups may depart.
How are youth placed in their choices?
Youth are given the opportunity to select their 1st, 2nd and 3rd Choice during Opening Night Bible Study. Youth Leaders will be given a list before Church Group Devotions on Opening Night indicating what Choice their youth have been placed. We do our very best to give youth their 1st or 2nd Choice. Please be advised that entire church groups cannot be placed in one choice, and that we do our best to have a good mix youth from all churches within each Choice. Choice curriculum does not change from year to year, so encourage your youth to try something new!
Will campers be doing mission projects? What type of work?
At each of our camp locations, there are various types of work to be done. Students who are placed in a Missions Choice might have the opportunity to work in painting, yard work, construction, or working with others of all ages including children and senior adults.
How will adults be involved?
Adult chaperones’ primary functions will be to supervise and care for their church group’s campers at night and during meals, and to build meaningful relationships with campers.
Adult chaperones will be asked to sign up for various volunteer positions while at camp. During programmed activities, they will assist the staff in a variety of ways. These will include: helping lead a game at the Rec Party, assisting on a Choice group each day, and spend time growing in their relationships with youth.
Adults will also have an Adult Bible Study during the campers’ Bible Study time.
Will campers have free time?
The staff will offer several afternoon Free Time Activities on the first two days of camp. Each day there will be organized indoor and outdoor activities such as Flag Football, Basketball, Ultimate Frisbee, Soccer, etc. as well as performance and discussion activities.
There will be a volleyball tournament on the last full day of camp in which your campers can compete against campers from other churches to become the PASSPORT Volleyball Champions. The final round will place the winning church team against the Passport Staff.
How much time do I have with my youth during Free Time on Day 3?
Following choice/mission projects on Day 3, groups are given the opportunity to reconnect. Your group spends much of the camp experience divided into different groups for Bible Study and Mission Project/Choices, and while this is done with intentionality to build community over the entire camp, it is also important for your group to build community internally as well. Therefore, on the third full day of camp, groups will be given free time from 2:30 to 9:30 pm to go off campus and do an activity of their choosing. Dinner will be on your own.
What will worship be like?
Worship is designed specifically for 6th – 12th graders. It is multi-sensory and creative. It includes elements of liturgical and contemporary worship forms, but is also unique. The pastor preaches an age-appropriate sermon. Passport has developed a strong tradition of creativity, plenty of camper involvement and offering a fresh perspective. Your students will be invited to participate in worship in several ways including prayers, scripture reading, testimony, video question of the day, and other kinds of on stage leadership. Drama, dance, and other art forms are also included.
At intentional moments throughout the week during worship, the Pastor will offer a challenge to the youth. The challenge is not manipulative in any way and could lead to a variety of responses. Those responses occur within the context of the church group. Church Group Leaders will receive written material in advance to help them prepare to lead these gatherings.
Are there any additional costs?
A one-time mandatory fee for the purchase of Mission Project / Choice Supplies will be required of every group. This fee is based on the final number of your group attending camp and is due with your final payment.
The fee schedule is as follows:
1-10 people = $50.00
11-20 people = $100.00
21-30 people = $150.00
31-40 people = $200.00
41-50 people = $250.00
51-60 people = $300.00
61-70 people = $350.00
71 and above = $400.00
These fees are used to help with the upkeep of supplies and the purchase of non-renewable supplies (the largest portion of this is paint and paintbrushes). We strongly suggest that this not be passed on to the youth as additional registration fees, but rather that the youth leader approach the church mission committee or mission organization and request the donation as a way for the church to support the ministry of the youth group while they are attending a Passport camp.
Campers may also want to bring some money for the mission offering as well as the camp store.
Can you accommodate a camper with special needs?
Yes, we invite all to attend and participate in a Passport camp experience! If you need special accommodations or have a dietary request, please contact the Passport office prior to your camp arrival so that we might best prepare for your stay.
Is our camp affiliated with a particular denomination?
Passport, Inc., is an ecumenical organization and seeks to provide ecumenical camping experiences. It is our hope that each denomination represented will find something familiar within the worship experiences. Passport has many partnerships including:
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
