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.

Quietly Faithful: Remembering Gary Kocher

Throughout Warm Beach Camp’s history, certain individuals have come along who perfectly encapsulate what it is to be a servant of Christ. Gary Kocher was one of those people. He dedicated his life to humbly glorifying God, serving others, and diligently carrying out the work that was entrusted to him. Let us now revisit the impact that Gary has had on Warm Beach Camp (WBC). Gary Kocher was a volunteer youth leader in the Pacific Northwest Conference of the Free ...

A Different Place for Different Needs

If you walk around the Warm Beach Camp (WBC) grounds during a specific week in the spring, there’s a good chance you’ll hear beautiful music pouring out of almost every meeting room. The Northwest Big Band takes over much of the main conference center grounds and floods the space with their sweet melodies during their time at WBC. “It’s so peaceful here,” One of the group’s leaders, Kate Erb, said, “so our participants can focus on their music and their ...

Living at Peace

“God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:9 NLT God blesses us for doing the work of living at peace with ourselves and others. Peace reflects the character of God. A young woman named Skyler shared a video on the You Version Bible App on this verse. She likened the quality of peace as being one thing that shows us as being children of God. She went on to the ...