FAQS
Important Information
WHY SHOULD I SEND MY CHILD TO CAMP AT GRACE POINT?
At Grace Point, our ministry is to create an environment that fosters love and acceptance. Grace Point takes conscious steps to rapidly and deeply develop community each week. The permanent staff, summer staff, counselors, deans and camp nurse all strive to help the young people here learn to love themselves and each other more deeply.
At Grace Point, kids can be themselves, experience love, learn about responsibility in a community, learn acceptance of themselves and others, and experience the love of God. These powerful experiences, along with the friendships made here, are what keep our campers returning year after year.
WHAT TIME IS DROP OFF/PICK UP?
Drop off is from 3-5pm the first day of each session in the Pavilion. Staff members in Grace Point polo shirts will guide you to registration as needed.
Pick up is at 10am at the Pavilion on the last day of the session.
WHO WILL BE TAKING CARE OF MY CHILD AT GRACE POINT AND WILL THEY BE SUPERVISED?
At Grace Point, your children will be supervised 24 hours a day by either our summer staff, counselors, or both. The vast majority of the summer staff and counselors grew up at Grace Point during their summers. They know what is expected of them. All of the staff and counselors go through a screening process and extensive training and are supervised constantly by the director.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SUMMER STAFFER AND A COUNSELOR, AND HOW ARE THEY TRAINED?
The summer staff is a group of 10 college-aged young people who go through extensive training, live at camp all summer, and are paid. The summer staff must apply each year by filling out an application, writing essays, providing references. All staffers undergo background checks through the police department. All staff are trained on sexual misconduct prevention, appropriate discipline, emergency procedures, first aid training, and CPR.
Our Counselors are high school-aged and at least rising 10th graders. Counselors are volunteers. Counselors are required to send in an application, write an essay, and provide references. They also undergo an orientation before each session begins. During this time, there is training that is age-appropriate for the campers who are coming, a brief first aid review is given, each area of the camp is toured, first aid kits and phones are pointed out, and emergency procedures are reviewed.
Our summer staff and counselors are well trained, and we believe that they are the best around. Training is an important part of preparation for our summer campers. In addition, the care, concern and love that our counselors and staff give our campers is indeed a ministry and what sets Grace Point apart for an incredible experience!
HOW WILL MY CHILD STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY AT GRACE POINT?
At Grace Point, we take your child’s safety very seriously. We believe that safety not only encompasses your child’s physical safety but also their emotional and spiritual safety as well. We can’t promise that your child will not get hurt or sick, but we take great care in protecting your child. The summer staff are all trained in CPR, or Basic Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation. This training includes more advanced airway maintenance training as well as training on an Automated External Defibrillator, or AED. Grace Point has a state of the art AED on our premises. In addition, the summer staff are trained in Red Cross First Aid.
The summer staff are trained for possible disaster scenarios, such as a fire or tornado. These procedures are also reviewed by our counselors.
We will have either an RN or nurse practitioner on site while your child is here. They will be responsible for administering your child’s medication and providing care beyond the scope of basic first aid.
While your camper is on the lake, he/she is required to wear a life vest at all times. In addition, lifeguard-certified waterfront staff will be present at all times while campers are in the lake.
Grace Point provides hand sanitizer in the dining hall. In addition, your child is encouraged to maintain personal hygiene during the week.
Your child will be supervised 24/7 while at Grace Point. Most of the time, there will be a college-age staff person and high school-age counselor with your camper.
Grace Point takes pride in our ability to build community each week. We take this very seriously. This means that we welcome each child as an individual and believe that ALL children are gifts from God and children of God- regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or religious background. All who come to Grace Point will be loved and cared for.
It is more than our job, it is our ministry.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REGULAR SESSION AND A SUMMER SESSION?
The only difference between a traditional camp (i.e. Youth Camp) and a summer session (i.e. Youth Summer Session) is the time of year it is offered. Traditional camps take place earlier in the summer (around June) and summer sessions take place later on (July). Summer sessions tend to fill up faster than traditional sessions, so be sure to sign up early.
CAN MY CHILD COME TO MORE THAN ONE WEEK OF CAMP AT GRACE POINT?
Of course! We would love to have your camper come to camp twice a summer.
HOW CAN WE APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID AT GRACE POINT?
Finances should never be a reason why a child can’t come to camp. At Grace Point, we pride ourselves on providing opportunities for all campers.
If you wish to apply for the 1/3 scholarship (1/3 paid by family, 1/3 paid by church, 1/3 paid by Grace Point), please fill out the application under the camps tab on our website, gracepointcamp.org.
If you wish to apply for the Camp Billy Johnson scholarship (full scholarship for campers in need), please email Brad Jones at bjones@dioet.org.
WHAT DOES MY CHILD NEED TO BRING TO GRACE POINT?
WHO ARE THE DEANS AND WHAT DO THEY DO?
The Deans are either priests or christian educators who volunteer their time and talents for a week at Grace Point. They plan a program that is age-appropriate ahead of time, usually with a staff of other volunteers that they have assembled. This program sets the tone for the week and campers address issues at an age-appropriate level. Art activities, skits, small group discussions, videos, talks, etc. are all ways that the deans get their message across.
WHAT WILL MY CHILD DO ON A TYPICAL DAY AT GRACE POINT?
7:30 am- Wake up Bell
8:00 am- Breakfast
8:45 am- Campers and Counselors up to the cabins for cabin cleanup. Summer staff, Dean’s staff and nurse have morning meeting
9:30 am- Everyone to the Pavilion for morning singing and Dean’s program
12:00 pm- Lunch and announcements for afternoon activities
12:45 pm- Up to the cabins for Siesta
2:00 pm- Down the hill for 1st Period*
3:15 pm- Second Period*
4:15 pm- Snack
4:30 pm- 3rd Period*
5:30 pm- To Treehouses for temperature checks and to get ready for dinner
6:00 pm- Dinner
6:45 pm- GMA (general mess around time, during this time games like 4-square, Wiffle Ball and disc golf are offered)
7:30 pm- Evening activities begin
Snack and Compline/Prayer Time
Bedtime (Depends on the age of campers)
*Afternoon activities: Our afternoon activities vary depending on the age of the camp. Standard activities include tubing, canoeing and kayaking, nature hikes, playing in the creek, recreation periods (kickball, frisbees, field games, and others), arts and crafts, swimming in the pool, and sometimes camp wide activities like the Wacky Woad Wace, Pool Party, Kayaking Excursion, etc.
WHAT TYPE OF TRAINING DO THE COUNSELORS RECEIVE?
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WHAT WILL MY CHILD BE ABLE TO EAT?
Grace Point has excellent food service! For breakfast, we have a hot meal that includes items such as eggs, bacon or sausage, pancakes, a cold cereal bar, juice, milk, yogurt, bagels, fruit and water. For lunch, we have such items as hotdogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, water, and a salad bar.
For dinner, we have items such as spaghetti, Mexican food, barbecue, chicken tenders, assorted vegetables, water, and the salad bar.
In addition, there is snack in the afternoon which could be fruit, Cheez-it’s, granola bars, ice cream, or another sweet treat.
Also, before bedtime, there will be a light snack such as Teddy Grahams or granola bars.
The campers are encouraged to drink at least two glasses of water at each meal and water breaks are built in during the day. For camp wide events in the afternoon and evening, water coolers are available. We strive to keep the campers well hydrated.
Please note: if your camper has significant dietary restrictions (i.e. gluten intolerance, vegan, etc.), we ask that you provide your camper with their own food. The food will be safely prepared by our kitchen staff and served from a contaminant-free tray.
CAN I SEND CARE PACKAGES TO MY CHILD?
Enter your answer here. Be thoughtful, write clearly and concisely, and consider adding written as well as visual examples. Go over what you’ve written to make sure that if it was the first time you were visiting the site, you’d understand your answer.
HOW CAN I CONTACT MY CAMPER WHILE THEY ARE AT GRACE POINT?
The mail runs daily to Grace Point, except for Sundays and holidays. Please send camper mail to:
Grace Point Camp and Retreat Center, ATTN: Camper Name, 300 Chamberlain Cove Rd. Kingston, TN 37763
You could put together a care package before bringing your camper to camp, bring it with you, and then give it to a summer staffer during registration. Write on the package who it is for and what day you would like to have it delivered to your camper. We will take care of the rest. You are also welcome to make your camper a care package in the camp store, which is located in the Old Art Barn.
We do not allow parents to phone their children during camp unless there is an emergency. Cell phones are not allowed during the camp week. Cell phones will be taken up during registration, along with car keys if the camper is old enough to drive, and they will be returned the last morning of camp. This rule is to protect your camper from misuse of camera phones and to allow your camper an experience of independence, which is an essential developmental skill.
HOW CAN I GET IN TOUCH WITH MY CAMPER IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY?
In case of an emergency at home, please call our director Brad Jones at 865-803-8921.