If your church has been involved in the Angel Tree® Christmas program, you may be wondering how to get your Angel Tree kids enrolled in a Christian summer camp. Frontlines spoke with Jennifer Lowrey, Angel Tree Relationships Specialist in Sheridan, Arkansas, to learn more about how this innovative program works and how churches can get more involved.
In addition to its Christmas program, Angel Tree® works year round to reach out to children of prisoners who are desperately in need of love and care. This is accomplished through building local church relationships and offering programs like Angel Tree Mentoring and Angel Tree Camping.
Angel Tree Camping offers a way for children of prisoners to attend Christian summer camps. Last year we were able to help 5,003 Angel Tree kids experience the summer of their dreams! These camps are chock full of fun activities, opportunities to make lifelong friends, and—most importantly—the opportunity for each child to learn more about Jesus.
If your church has been involved in the Angel Tree Christmas program, you may be wondering how to get your Angel Tree kids enrolled in a Christian summer camp. Frontlines spoke with Jennifer Lowrey, Angel Tree Relationships Specialist in Sheridan, Arkansas, to learn more about how this innovative program works and how churches can get more involved.
Frontlines: Why do you think camp is so important for children?
Lowrey: The thing that energizes me the most about camp is that it’s such a great opportunity to introduce kids to Jesus, and to help them start the discipleship process. It’s so much fun! It’s a week away from home. I have great memories of camp. I met Jesus when I was seven, but really started to grow as a believer at camp. There’s just story after story of lives that are changed.
Frontlines: What types of camps does Angel Tree Camping partner with?
Lowrey: Angel Tree Camping only works with Christian camps. We currently partner with 25 camps across the nation. All of our camps are overnight, sleep-away camps that run in the summer months (June through August). The age requirements vary with each camp.
Frontlines: How does Angel Tree Camping offer discounted rates for children of prisoners?
Lowrey: Angel Tree builds relationships directly with the Christian camps. We develop memorandums of understanding (signed agreements) with the camps that want to serve children of prisoners. Prison Fellowship® donors fund scholarships that subsidize the cost of camp for each child. This year we created a pool of about 5,000 scholarships that we can offer at $67 per camper. The remainder of the cost is covered by the camp or church involved. Some camps do scholarships on their own, and some churches donate the camp fees as a way to sponsor their kids.
Frontlines: How can a church find out if a camp near them participates in Angel Tree Camping?
Lowrey: An Angel Tree specialist would be happy to provide that information to interested churches. [Call 1-800-55-ANGEL.] A church can hook up with a camp we partner with, that’s already receiving partial scholarship funding. We would provide the church with the contact information for the camp, and the contact information for the AT kids in the area. We also provide the camp with a list of churches that served kids last Christmas, and let Angel Tree coordinators know if there is a partnering camp in their area.
Frontlines: What if there is not an Angel Tree camp in my area?
Lowrey: Kids can travel to camps that are far away or out of state. For instance, Kids Across America is a camp located in Branson, Missouri, that accepts campers from any state. Churches interested in sending their kids to distant camps must arrange transportation with the camp itself.
Also, we encourage churches to take on the blessing of sending their AT kids to camps of their choosing, with their money. We’re part of the Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA), an organization that accredits Christian camps. If there’s not a camp we’ve got a relationship with in a particular area, we can put that church in touch with CCCA’s website where they can find a trustworthy camp to suit their needs. This may involve paying for the AT child to attend camp, but it is well worth the investment and is a great way to pour Christ’s love into that child’s life.
Frontlines: Is there any other way, apart from sending kids to camp, that churches can get involved with Angel Tree Camping?
Lowrey: One way is to physically attend camp with the kids. Some camps hire their own counselors, but a lot of camps also look for volunteers from churches to go with the kids. Where there are opportunities to do that, that’s a great way to get to know a child really well and be able to follow up with them when they come home from camp.
Another way is to make a special effort to follow-up with a child. The camp experience itself is great, but it’s part of a journey. A lot of the kids that go have a great experience at camp, but will need someone to keep up with them when they get back home.
For more information about Angel Tree Camping opportunities, please contact Jennifer Lowrey (jennifer_lowrey@pfm.org), or an Angel Tree Support Specialist at 1-800-55-ANGEL.