Teen Week at
Camp Arcadia

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  2 Corinthians 5:17

8th Grade Teen Retreat

June 8 - 14, 2008

 

9th -11th Grade Teen Retreat

June 15 - 21, 2008

 

View Streaming Video of Teen Week and See Virtual Tours of Camp

 

We are all in need of remodeling.

Jesus, a carpenter by trade, and Messiah by calling, builds us up by tearing down himself. We are given, through His sacrifice, a re-created self – a life full of hope.

 

Come to this retreat and understand the radical change Jesus creates in you.

FRIENDS

Your group… This is your family for the week. Along with your group counselor, you and your group of 10 other teens will hang out, eat, play, learn and worship together throughout the week.

Your counselor… you get one adult that is totally devoted to you and your group for the whole week. To qualify they have to have the following qualities:

Love the Lord

Love to hang out with teens.

Love to make a fool of themselves.

Love to listen and learn from you.

Your staff… all staff at Camp Arcadia are committed to making sure you have a blast! the program staff , the dining room servers , the ice cream scoopers

Your Camp… don’t forget about the 120 – 140 teens that will be with you at camp.

"The program staff was very energetic and caring."

"All of the program staff are open minded, big hearted, and love everyone."

 

 

 

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ADVENTURE

Challenge Course … learn about yourself and your group.

Climbing Wall … Camp Arcadia has a horizontal climbing wall!

Canoeing … grab a canoe with some of your new friends and enjoy the gentle flow of the Platte River as it bends and turns its way to Lake Michigan.

"Despite getting re-baptized on the canoe trip :), I loved every minute of it."

FUN

The best thing about Camp Arcadia is:

..."being able to grow in my faith while having fun with other kids my age."

..."all the friends you meet, and growing in faith"

..."everyone is so friendly and open"

..."the way you feel when you go home and get close to God and meet new people that are strong in faith"

..."the food and friends"

..."It's so warm, friendly and inviting.  Your surrounded by people who are loving and caring"

..."meeting new friends"

..."The new friends/group/food/dean...everything!"

FOOD

The food at Camp Arcadia is NOT your typical camp food.  The staff at Arcadia believe that everyone deserves to be treated well.  And the food service is no exception to this. 

Camp Arcadia’s food is the best! The worst thing is the long line for seconds.

See a 360 view of our dining room.

"The best camp food ever!!"

"I loved our dining room server.  The whole staff has an awesome sense of humor and is so nice to everyone."

FAITH

Learning about God does not have to be boring. At Camp Arcadia Bible Study and Worship is a contact sport. Bring your Bible cause your going to need it.

"As parents our prayer was that this week would be a week of deep spiritual growth for our son.  It truly was that and so much more than we imagined."
        - parent of teen week guest

"I had a lot of fun at Bible study because we got to do a lot of skits, which turned out to be very funny.  My favorite part about Camp has to be Vespers!!!  I got to sing with a lot of other people who enjoyed singing too."

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The Deans

8th Grade Retreat Dean

Mr. Travis Hartjen - Austin TX, Dean is currently serving as a Director of Christian Education at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Austin, TX. Travis was on staff at RKD the summers of '93-'95 where he worked in the kitchen and on the program staff. He has had the opportunity to speak at teen weekends and camps in the Texas area for the past few years and looks forward to coming back home to Camp Arcadia. He is married and has two young daughters.

High School Retreat Dean

Rev. Bill Yonker, Dundee IL, is dean for the 9th - 11th grade retreat.  He is pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church.  Each year he speaks to thousands of teens in various youth gatherings across the country, and has an active schedule speaking on college campuses. 

 

"What I liked about the dean's program was that the themes could be thought about on many levels.  Every mind could be challenged.  He makes people think of their beliefs more."

 

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FAQ:

What will I do during the week?
Where will I stay during the week?
How do you assign roommates and groups?
How’s the food?
Who can come for the weeks?
Does space fill up quickly?
Where is it located?
When does the retreat start and end?
How many teens attend?
What is a typical day like?
What is Camp Arcadia's goal for the teen weeks?
Can I come if I am not Lutheran?
Who are the counselors?
How much does it cost?
Is there financial aid available?
Is Camp Arcadia affiliated with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS)?

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What will I do during the week?

If you want to have fun, make new friends, and grow in your faith, then Camp Arcadia is the place for you. Along with your group counselor, you and your group of 10 other teens will hang out, eat, play, learn and worship together under the direction of the Camp Arcadia staff. In addition, you'll spend time with the other 100 - 140 teens during community events and free time.

You will spend a lot of time outdoors engaged in activities such as the Challenge Course, The Climbing Wall, volleyball, basketball, ultimate frisbee, canoeing, and archery.

In addition to group activities, you will have the opportunity to create projects in the Craft Shop, eat ice cream in the Trading Post, play ping-pong in the Wigwam, shoot hoops on the basketball court, and play tennis. You will even have a chance to share your talents by playing your instrument, singing a song or performing a skit at our open mic night at our week’s end.

Bible studies at Camp Arcadia are incredible! Travis Hartjen, DCE, Pastor Yonker, and the counseling staff make them fun, interactive, and memorable. Everyone looks forward to vespers in the evening when we sing, pray, ask questions, and hear stories of faith. Everything we do at Camp Arcadia is designed to help, encourage, and challenge you to live and grow as God’s people.

"The square dance at Arcadia is WAY better than the square dance in gym class!"

 

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Where will I stay during the week?

You and your roommates will stay in our 40-room Inn or dorm area (counselors sleep in the same areas). Each room has a sink, and bathrooms are located down the hallway. Rooms have double beds or bunk beds and are furnished with a dresser and space for hanging clothes. Girls are in rooms with anywhere from 2 – 5 girls and the boys are either in rooms of 2 – 5 guys or in the dorm area with 8 – 14 guys per dorm. back to FAQ

How do you assign roommates and groups?

On the registration form there is space to put down who you would like to room with – make sure you and your friend(s) put each other down on the form. We try to room kids together with their friends, but split them up into different groups so that they have the opportunities to make new friends. back to FAQ

How’s the food?

Great! You will eat with your group during the week in our Inn dining room. The Camp menu includes all kinds of homemade foods and desserts from pizza to a burger cookout.

(Sorry, we cannot accommodate special dietary needs.)

"I loved the food there... it is better than the food I get at home. We had steak fajitas, taco salad, spinach-artichoke dip. We had two cookouts."

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Who can come for the weeks?

The retreat for the Class of ’12 is geared for teens completing the eighth grade. During the week we will focus on the critical transition from eighth grade and the new issues raised by high school life.

The retreat for the Classes of ’09 - ’11 is designed for high school students and concentrates on teen social, ethical and spiritual issues. Any high school student is welcome to attend the ’09 - ’11 retreat even if he or she has not been to Arcadia for previous retreats. back to FAQ

Does space fill up quickly?

If you are interested in attending the high school retreat, please return your completed registration form as soon as possible. Rooms fill quickly! The 8th Grade Retreat does not fill up as quickly. back to FAQ

Where is it located?

Camp Arcadia is located in northwest Michigan right on the shores of Lake Michigan. About an hour south of Traverse City; 15 minutes south of Frankfort; a half an hour north of Manistee.

When does the retreat start and end?

It starts on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm and goes until the following Saturday morning, pickup by 10:00 am.

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How many teens attend?

About 120 – 145 teens attend the week. They are assigned to groups of 8 – 12 with an adult counselor. back to FAQ

What is a typical day like?

They are in their groups for all of the activities and meals. This is their family for the week. In the morning we have Bible study lead by the speaker for the week and some physical activities like archery, ultimate Frisbee, volleyball and some crafts as well.

After lunch, we either have a camp-wide activity like the beach carnival or we split the groups into three sections. Each section rotates each day between going canoeing, the challenge course & climbing wall, and a field activity like capture the flag.

Each evening we have a campus wide activity like square dancing (sounds corny, but it is really popular), staff talent show, open mic night for the kids, and a communion service to end the week. After some free time at the ice cream shop, we end each night with a vespers service – a lot of singing and also a time to hear the speaker for the week – we call him the Dean – to answer your questions about your faith and to listen to stories.

As you can see, you will be very active during your week. You have a great opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. For many campers, this week is a mountain-top experience – they grow in their faith and often feel closer to God during this week than maybe they have their whole life. back to FAQ

What is your goal for the teen weeks?

Our goal is to assist, encourage, and challenge teens – to live and grow as God’s people – in a Christian community. back to FAQ

Can I come if I am not Lutheran?

Yes, anyone is welcome to attend, but please know that the theology taught will be Lutheran. You don’t have to be Lutheran to come to camp, but you better like them, because most of the campers, counselors and staff come from Lutheran backgrounds. back to FAQ

Who are the counselors?

We hire adult counselors (19 and older). They come from various professional backgrounds – teachers, lawyers, professors, college students, engineers, business professionals. Counselors are required to be at Camp a day before the campers arrive for an afternoon of training. They are responsible for their group of 8 – 12 campers all day long. They eat with them, lead them through activities (program staff lead the activities, the counselor participates in the activities and encourages her group to join in.) They are housed in their own room or near the dorm area with the campers and are responsible for supervision at night.

"My counselor was very nice and talked to us and he LISTENED."

"He wasn't just a counselor, he was a friend."

"She's so kind, thoughtful, creative and considerate."

"She's the bomb!! She is the best counselor in the world.  She's the perfect mom crossed with your best friend."

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How much does it cost?

The cost is $270 which includes all the meals for the week, the canoe trip and the challenge course & climbing wall. They get a camp t-shirt with the logo of the week. A little extra spending money is needed for the ice cream shop or for a t-shirt/sweatshirt from the camp gift shop. A minimum $90 non-refundable deposit is required with your registration (any deposit money paid in addition to the minimum deposit is  fully refundable). back to FAQ

Is there financial aid available?

You can request a financial aid form on the registration form. We do offer assistance – the most you can receive is half of the cost of attendance. You still need to put down a deposit.

 Download a financial aid form.       back to FAQ

Is Camp Arcadia affiliated with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS)?

While we are registered service organization (RSO) of the LCMS, Camp Arcadia is an independent Lutheran camp. This means that we are not officially connected to any church body – the people that come to Camp are able to join the Lutheran Camp Association – which owns and operates Camp Arcadia. We have strong ties to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, both of our teen retreat speakers are with the LCMS. back to FAQ   back to top