News & Updates

See & read about what is going on in the Warm Beach Camp & Conference Center community

A Camp Where Disabilities Do Not Equal Limitations

special_friends_2010_280pxThis year, Warm Beach Camp kicked off the summer with Special Friends Camp which is specifically designed for adults with developmental disabilities. Campers enjoyed WBC’s fun activities which include: singing songs, swimming, train rides, horseback riding, the ropes course, and the climbing tower. Activtities are designed to accommodate every individual, regardless of their physical limitations. A recreational staff member, David Lawless said, “One camper didn’t have the mobility or the strength that it takes to climb the ropes course. So the staff just pulled him up with a rope while he made climbing motions with his hands; I have never seen a smile so big.”

Although Special Friends Camp is in its fifth year, this will be the first year that WBC has partnered with Camp Barnabas of Missouri in order to host an overnight camp. WBC Youth Program Director Laurie Fertello expects this to be the first of many years in which an overnight camp will be offered to those with disabilities.

Amid the joys and fun memories that typically come with camp, there was also something else which seemed to permeate the loving atmosphere at WBC. Special Friends Camp was conducted with a sense of purpose which could be noted by both counselor and camper alike. In the closing week of the overnight camp, both camper and counselor gathered around a handmade 5 by 3 foot wooden cross. Those who surrounded the cross had a brief ceremony in remembrance of Christ who died for them.

WBC’s Special Friends Camp seeks to bring dignity and hope to the lives of those who are often overlooked. An unexplainable kind of joy is present in this camp and it deepens each year as new people discover Special Friends Camp.

An Environment for Life Change

By actively demonstrating kindness, support, and encouragement to one another, the Horsemanship Staff has created an environment where all who participate down at the Barn have life-changing experiences. Sara, a weekly Horsemanship volunteer, found the Christ-centered environment of the Barn to be just what she needed. Below is her testimonial: “I moved to Warm Beach in December 2023, and by February, Horsemanship had already become the greatest blessing of my year and the highlight of my weeks. I came to ...

A Legacy of Faith: Michael Kanyid’s 40-Year Journey at Warm Beach Camp

There’s something special about the bonds that form at camp—a place where lives are shaped, hearts are opened, and faith takes root. For Michael Kanyid, his story at Warm Beach Camp is a powerful reminder of how moments can ripple through generations, changing not just one life, but many. It all started in 1983 when Michael was 17 years old. Michael grew up in a non-Christian home, and the idea of attending church or camp wasn’t something that was initially ...

The Words we Use

“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” Ephesians 4:29 NLT Early on in my role as Executive Director of Warm Beach Camp Ministries (nearly 30 years ago now), I would use foul language as a form of humor. At the time, I thought it quite clever to surprise people in a conversation with a “crass word zinger.” Often, it would ...