You can find a day camp for just about anything. What about one focused on forming faith and friendships?
Grow brings the powerful experience of camp ministry to local churches. Packed with activities that contribute to learning new skills and building Christian community, the focus throughout is for each camper to grow deeper roots in their faith (grow spiritually), in their ability to work as a team (grow socially), and in self-confidence as a loved child of God (grow individually).
We know how to have fun – our passion is forming faith in the process. We put 90+ years of experience into creating an environment where every moment – whether in morning chapel or 20 feet up a tree – is about practicing faith in Christian community.
2023 LOCATIONS
Register your camper today for a week of faith-forming fun this summer!
Press the “+” below to show site-specific details for each location and to register.
Birmingham UMC (Milton)
June 26-30
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon-Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$160
Chamblee First UMC
June 19-23
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon-Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$160
Commerce First UMC
June 26-30
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon-Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$160
Cumming First UMC
July 10-14
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon-Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$160
Dahlonega UMC
July 24-28
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon-Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$160
Gainesville First UMC
June 12-16
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon-Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$160
Grayson UMC
July 17-21
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon-Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$160
Hickory Flat UMC (Canton)
June 19-23
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon-Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$160
Johns Creek UMC
July 3, 5-7
(Note: closed on July 4th)
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon, Wed, Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$128
Marietta First UMC
July 10-14
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon-Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$160
Midway UMC (Alpharetta)
June 26-30
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon-Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$160
Mt. Zion UMC (Smarr)
June 12-16
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon-Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$160
Thomson Area
Hosted at White Oak Campground
June 5-9
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon-Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$160
Tucker First UMC
July 17-21
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon-Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$160
West Georgia Church (Carrollton)
June 12-16
Rising 1st-6th
9-5:30 (Mon-Thu)
9-12:30 (Fri)
$160
Our Mission
SPIRITUAL GROWTH – develop deeper roots in your faith
SOCIAL GROWTH – learn to work as a team
INDIVIDUAL GROWTH – gain self-confidence as a loved child of God
Summer Theme
Grow is designed as experiential faith formation. Counselors plan each day’s activities with the theme of the day and week in mind – from chapel and Bible story time to archery and field games and everything in between. Each summer’s theme is based on professionally developed camp ministry curriculum that is age appropriate, based on scripture, and respectful of creation.
Staff & Counselors
Each site is led by college-age site directors and high-school-age counselors. This on-site team is supported by Grow’s roving program interns and co-directors. Extensive staff training includes Grow programming and the UMC’s Safe Sanctuaries child safety policies. Site directors also receive training from professional vendors on ropes course facilitation and First Aid+CPR.
Grow counselors hail from its sibling ministry, ELI, a leadership development program for rising 11th-12th graders. Participants apply, interview, and are accepted into the two-part program that begins with intense leadership training and culminates in serving as counselors at Grow sites.
MORE ABOUT ELI
“The Site Directors and ELI Leaders were professional, creative, responsible,
and caring in their interaction with both the children and parents.”
– Grow Host Church
Two counselors and 3-10 campers (grouped by age) build relationships while experiencing camp together. All of camp is together for certain events such as chapel and lunch, then campers experience activities as a living group the rest of the day.
While most activities are open to all ages, only rising 5th-6th grade campers will participate in belayed tree climbing (pending tree availability). Certain activities are also subject to weather conditions in order to ensure safety.
Each of our Grow sites is customized to its particular church site and surrounding community. Dates, times, rates, contact info, available activities and “Water Day” experiences vary from site to site.
“My children loved this camp. The counselors were amazing.
We are so grateful! It was truly the highlight of their summer!”
– Grow Parent
CONTACT
For questions about a particular Grow site, contact the site coordinator listed by location above. For questions about registration, email Autumn (below) or call the North Georgia Camp & Retreat Ministries office at (706) 864-6181.
Stephen Ward
Director
Stephen’s first experience with the NGCRM family of ministries was serving multiple years on summer staff at Grow’s sibling ministry, Glisson. After graduating from Kennesaw State with a Bachelor’s in History 2012, he began a year-long internship with Glisson, then joined the year-round team as our first-ever Program Director focused on our expanding Outpost program. As Co-Director of Summer Ministries, Stephen’s role with NGCRM now includes coordinating all aspects of our summer programming. Stephen, his wife, Ellen, and their sons, Micah and Owen, and live in Dahlonega.
Autumn Kuykendoll
Camper Coordinator
Autumn began her camp ministry journey as a Glisson camper in 2005. She went on to participate in ELI and Crew. In 2016, Autumn served on Summer Staff as a Village counselor and a Site Director for Grow+ELI+Shoreline from 2017-2019. Autumn graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Leadership and Psychology. She returned to North Georgia Camp and Retreat Ministries in 2020 as a Program Intern focused on Grow+ELI, then joined our year-round team as a Camper Coordinator in September 2021.
Cameron Jones
Communications & Program Advancement, NGCRM
After multiple summers as a camper and counselor at Grow’s sibling ministry, Glisson, Cameron came back to camp in ’08 and never really left. What began as an internship morphed into various roles and jobs titles since. His latest title is Director of Communications & Program Advancement for NGCRM’s family of ministries. It’s a bit long-winded, but so is Cameron. He’s hoping this one might last longer than the others since it captures what he’s been up to all along: sharing camp’s story and dreaming up ways to help make camp even more impactful and possible for more people in more places. Prior to his time on staff, Cameron served in youth ministry and worship leadership roles at United Methodist Churches while studying at the University of Georgia, then later Georgia State University. He and his wife, Britt, live in Decatur with their children, Eli and Callie, and are members of Decatur First UMC.