Camp Sunday: Where Church Meets Camp Vibes!

Get ready to bring the joy, adventure, and spirit of camp right into your church! Camp Sunday is a day to celebrate all things camp—think campfire-style worship (minus the actual fire, of course), energetic music, and real stories of how camp changes lives. Deck out your church with campy décor, serve up s’mores or trail mix, and dive into fun activities that showcase everything camp has to offer. Plus, it’s the perfect time to share info on camp registrations, financial support, and exciting opportunities for all ages. Whether it’s Sunday school, youth group, or the whole congregation, everyone gets a taste of that unforgettable camp magic—right at home!

Camp Sunday Worship Material

Camp Sunday Worship Service
The worship program includes call to worship, hymn suggestions, children's message, scripture, sermon ideas, prayers, invitation to communion, Invitation to offering, and a benediction. Use this program or change it to make your own!

This Camp Sunday Worship Service is based on Matthew 3: 1-6, John the Baptist Prepares the Way and the 2025 Camp Curriculum, Another Way. The curriculum explores themes around while at camp we can find another way, apart from the trappings and distractions of home. In the peace of camp, we will explore what would change if we lived as our authentic selves and respected the truths of others. Each camp day focuses on a different Old Testament or New Testament story of encountering God through Another Way. For this year’s worship, we have drawn heavily from curriculum Day 4 “Wild Ideas.”

Decoration Ideas

Promotional Materials and Social Media images​
Click on the image title to open. Once opened, to save PDF's, simply click on the download icon in the upper right-hand corner. For JPEG images, right click on the image and choose "save image as."

• Camp Sunday Talking Points
• Church Bulletin Cover (PDF) (8.5 x 11, Portrait)
• Church Bulletin Cover (JPEG)
• 2025 Camp Sunday - Social Media image Facebook Banner
• 2025 Camp Sunday - Social Media image Instagram
• 2025 Camp Sunday - PowerPoint - Slide Cover Image
• 2025 Camp Sunday - PowerPoint - Slide Background Image

Music - Song Suggestions: 

• Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (UMH #196)
• Grace Alone (TFWS #2162)
• Change My Heart O God (TFWS #2152)
• Mighty To Save  
• Build Your Kingdom (Rend Collective)
• My Lighthouse  (Rend Collective)
• Days of Elijah
• Spirit Song (UMH #347)
• Every Move I Make
• Gratitude  (Brandon Lake)
• Come As You Are (Crowder)

Spotify Playlist -for Another Way. This playlist includes contemporary Christian and secular music to play before, during, or after worship. These songs tie in with the worship program above.

Dakotas United Methodist Camps Promotional VIDEO!
Play this during announcement times at worship, on Camp Sunday, and/or during Sunday School classes! Or play the camp video of the location your campers are planning to attend by clicking on one of the following links: Lake Poinsett Camp, Wesley Acres Camp, or Storm Mountain Center.

Preparing for Camp Sunday

Set a Date

Work with your pastor(s) and education staff to find a date that works best for you. Get it on your church calendar and start promoting! Some churches make the whole service (scripture, children’s message, message, hymns) about changed lives and opportunities at camp. That is ideal, but your church may choose instead to simply make announcements, pass out information, and extend invitations.

Whatever the case, be sure to choose a Sunday when you anticipate a strong turnout.

Plan a Budget & Arrange Fundraisers

Find out how much money is set aside or available to support campers from your church. Talk to your church leaders about whether your church can contribute a portion of the cost for each child who signs up for camp. Many churches contribute 50-100% of the total cost, while others contribute a set amount per camper. Consider helping your church arrange a fundraiser to support your campers. Camp Sunday may be a great day for it! Fundraisers could involve: a dinner prepared by youth, car washes, bake sales, and any other fun opportunities you can think of.

There are also conference camp scholarships (camperships) available; to learn more about them, click here.

Request a Camp Representative

If scheduling permits, a camp representative would be happy to visit your church to assist with your Camp Sunday celebration. Please contact your closest campsite or the central camping office.

Camp representatives can provide the message/sermon, lead a time of children’s worship, share camp opportunities during a fellowship hour, provide a display in a common area, bring handouts and giveaways, or simply be present to cheer you and your church leaders on!

More posters and flyers are available upon request.

A box of brochures and promotional posters will be sent to each church in January.  For your Camp Sunday, plan to have enough brochures available for each child in your church community to receive one (plus have extras to keep on hand to pass out throughout the spring). Contact the central camping office (855) 622-1973 (toll-free) to request more brochures.

Enlist helpers.

Find a few “camp friends” within your church who might be willing to help with tasks, speak about their camping experiences, and answer questions.

Start getting the word out!

Contact (via e-mail, social media, or postal mail) every family in your congregation to let them know the dates for Camp Sunday and related fundraisers. (Check with the camping office if you would like a contact list for former campers from your church.)

Create a display in a common area where families come and go. The display should include a poster and brochures.

Promote Camp Sunday in these ways:

• Make announcements about Camp Sunday during worship.
• Create an article for church newsletter that talks about Camp Sunday
• Put information about Camp Sunday in the church bulletin and/or on screens during worship.
• Share fun camp tidbits and photos through your church’s social media platforms.

Here’s the information to share in your Camp Sunday promotions:

• Camp Sunday date.
• Need for prayers for families to become involved.
• Need for financial support for campers from your church.
• The opportunity to wear comfortable “camp” clothes to worship on Camp Sunday: jeans or shorts, camp T-shirt or sweatshirts from a previous summer, hats, etc.

Continue sharing with the congregation (through announcements, newsletter, social media, bulletin, or on screens) that Camp Sunday is coming! Remind people to wear camp clothes. Remind people to wear camp t-shirts or other camp clothing.

PREPARING YOURSELF

• Look through a copy of the camp brochure to see a list of all events offered this summer, or check out the camp and events page of our website!
• Feel free to contact Dakotas-Minnesota Area United Methodist Camps staff or staff at a specific campsite to ask questions or learn more about camp opportunities.
• Many churches choose to target 3-4 camps they feel would be a good fit for their congregations that they know would be of interest, are held at a close campsite, or perhaps where someone from their congregation is helping to lead. Targeting a handful of events can allow for churches to arrange transportation more easily and ensures that kids will be going with at least a few friends.

PREPARING FOR THE BIG DAY

Work with your pastor(s) and other worship leaders. Share with them ideas for how to incorporate Dakotas-Minnesota Area United Methodist Camps into worship on Camp Sunday through related scriptures, readings, children’s message, prayers, hymns, and songs. 

Enlist youth to read scripture or lead worship in other ways on Camp Sunday. Recruit past campers to share their experiences with the congregation (highlights, what they learned, how they grew in their faith, and what they’re looking forward to this summer.)

Decorate the church in a camping/outdoor theme. A few ideas: set up a tent in the fellowship hall, create a mock fire with a ring of rocks by the main door into the sanctuary, place a crude wooden cross on the altar, or place camp-themed centerpieces in the fellowship hall. The possibilities are endless! Look at the “Decoration Ideas” page in the Camp Sunday Worship Resources on the website for some great ideas!

Plan a camp related snack or activity.  S’more fixings, granola, trail mix, gummy worms for fishing, etc.

Consider holding a fundraiser of some type to raise money to help support campers from your church.

Most importantly, have fun!!