2025 Summer Camp Info

2025 Camp Information

Dear Parents,

We are so excited about the opportunity for your camper to attend camp with us. Hanging Rock has a reputation of being a safe environment and an impactful, UNFORGETTABLE experience for young people. It's no wonder why our campers come back year after year!

Camp is often one of the most significant, life-changing experiences in a young person's life. First of all, camp is SO MUCH FUN… but it is also so much more than that. It is a place of new adventures. It is a place of sweet friendships. It is a place of renewal and refocus. It is a place where they feel safe to open up about what’s going on their life. It is a place where they can hear from God.

This generation is inundated with the noise and messages of culture, giving culture significant influence in their life. Unfortunately, that influence often leads to toxic thinking and destructive decisions. Our vision for Hanging Rock, however, is to create an environment where campers disconnect from devices—just for a week. And in doing so, they are disconnecting from the noise and influence of culture, creating a significant void in their lives. Then we get to pick what we fill that void up with and reconnect with Christ. 

Their week will be filled with new friendships, intentional relationships with our staff, faculty and Event Coordinators unique experiences, epic attractions, hype competitions, engaging worship, and relevant teaching from God’s Word. And THAT (as we have found over 76 years) is an effective formula for seeing their hearts and minds transformed for Jesus!

At Hanging Rock , we have protocols in place to make sure the health and safety of your campers are our highest priorities. Your kids become our kids when they come to camp. We are also in the process of interviewing, vetting, and selecting  young men and women who possess the level of maturity and responsibility, heart for God, and love for kids that will qualify them to be a part of Hanging Rock's' team. Each staff member is carefully and prayerfully selected to ensure that only the best are hired to serve at Hanging Rock.

So whether your camper is coming to camp for the first time or has been here many times, they are in for the most epic, incredible, impactful, unforgettable week of their life!

Gary Baker,
Executive Director 

garybaker@hangingrock.org

Registration Date: March 1st, 2025

We are always trying to make the registration process easier and easier each year. The 2-tier pricing will go like this: 1st tier will run from March 1st - June 3rd; the second tier will begin June 3rd. 

Confirmation
Once you have registered for camp, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. Be sure to check your junk box for this email if you don't find it in your inbox. 

Cancellation Policy
For all on-site camps, fees are refundable with the exception of $25 if the camp office is notified of cancellation at least seven days before session starts. There will be no refund for off-site camps unless the vacated spot can be filled from the waiting list.

Souvenir Group Picture
There will be an all-camp group picture taken at each camp session. The group pictures will be available to download from our website at no additional cost. Please click here to get your group picture. Group Picture

Canteen
Souvenirs, snacks, and miscellaneous items may be purchased at the Canteen. While camp is in session, snacks will be provided for Day Camps, Super Saturday, 1st-2nd Grade Overnight and JOY camp ONLY!! Those attending any camp sessions for Grades 3- 6 will need to purchase a canteen card at the time of check -in. Any money left on the canteen card at the end of the last scheduled canteen of the camp session will be donated to our Summer Camp Mission. Campers attending all other camp sessions will use their own spending money to purchase snack items. The Canteen will open each afternoon and evening during camp sessions. The costs of snack and drink items range from $1.00 to $2.00. Campers are allowed to purchase two items per visit (maximum of $8 per day). All campers will have an opportunity to purchase souvenir items during registration/check-in and at camp closing. Older students can purchase souvenirs at any time the canteen is open.

Camper Mail
Campers may send out mail from the camp office. Campers should bring paper, envelopes and postage stamps with them. Campers may also receive mail while at camp. Please allow 4-5 days for delivery. DO NOT SEND FOOD!! Food items will be confiscated. 

Address mail to:
Camper's Name
Name of Session
PO Box 218
West Lebanon, IN 47991-0218

Camp staff is not responsible for mail that does not include camper's name and name of camp session.

Camper Email.  

To send an email to campers... 

On our website click under 2025 summer camp tab then scroll down to "camper email" from there send your camper an email! 

*emails will be printed by Hanging Rock staff then delivered to Event Coordinator to be delivered to your camper!

First-Aid / Medical Insurance
There will be a First-Aid Attendant on duty for every camp. All camper medication is to be in ORIGINAL CONTAINERS and turned in to the First-Aid Attendant at camper check-in. Parent or guardian will be notified of camper illness or injury. Campers will be sent home if they have an above-normal temperature or if they are found to have head lice. Camper medical insurance is the primary coverage. Uninsured campers must provide the camp office with a letter stating such. 

Homesickness: Campers are encouraged with understanding and compassion to stay at camp and participate in the program. We do not encourage campers to talk to a parent or guardian on the telephone. However, camp personnel will communicate with the parent or guardian about the situation.

JOY Camp: Volunteer Licensed nurses will dispense all medications and tend to the needs of the campers. Campers needing total care must be accompanied by an adult familiar with their individual needs.

Check-In & Pick Up Procedures
Camp check-in and dismissal times are listed on the summer camp book, as well as on the camp confirmation e-mail you will receive once you have registered. (NOTE: Indiana is on Eastern Time. Start and End times are listed as EDT.)

If a camper needs to leave the camp at other times, written parental permission must be received by the camp office. Upon departure, camper must sign out in the office or with the First Aid Attendant after office hours. When a camper returns, he/she must sign back in. It is best when the camper does not leave camp while camp is in session. At the end of each event, campers will be dismissed and checked out. Written parental permission must be given to the camp office if a camper is to leave with someone other than a parent or legal guardian.

Camp Staff & Faculty
Volunteers from Hanging Rock's supporting Christian and Church of Christ Churches serve on the team of faculty. School teachers, ministers, parents, college and high school students are an example of those serving. Each Event Coordinator is responsible to provide faculty for his/her event. The faculty works directly with the campers as family group leaders, teachers, worship leaders, and dormitory chaperones.

Paid employees serve on the team of camp staff. College-age students are hired to serve during the summer camp season to assist the full-time employees with building and grounds maintenance, janitorial duties, food service, dish washing, life guarding, facilitating recreation and dorm R.A. Each dorm will have a paid RA that will supervise the dorm along with volunteer faculty.

Camp Activities
All camp sessions include Bible study and scripture memorization, praise and worship, missionary speakers, games and recreation. Included are swimming, hiking, lawn games, basketball, gaga ball, carpet-ball, ping-pong, foosball, indoor rock climbing and the giant swing, zip-lining, rappelling, a low-impact challenge course, archery, fishing, canoeing and paddle boating. Wilderness programs may include the above recreational activities with additional optional activities for 7-12th graders including canoeing, tubing, or horseback riding as planned by the Event Coordinator.

Sample daily schedule
Residential & Wilderness Camps

Event Coordinators plan schedule and activities.
Subject to change per camp.

Packing Lists

Youth Camp Curriculum Objectives
Curriculum focus is Christ. Each year the Camp Committee chooses a theme that focuses on the major events of Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and return. Basic attributes of God and Christ are stressed but the focus is on acts and deeds. For Junior or Junior High, the focus shifts to the significance of Jesus, with an emphasis on titles and roles: Messiah, Son of God, Lord, Savior. Jesus' teachings are brought into focus. Senior High campers focus on more complex material: synoptic studies and Christological passages in the epistles. Christ's divinity, pre-existence, humanity, and roles as advocate, judge, and Lord.

Our emphasis is education, encouragement, and help for campers to accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and obedience that leads to baptism by immersion.

Campers are introduced to World Outreach through visiting missionaries. Offerings for the mission will be collected at each camp event. All monies received will be given to the mission.