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.

On That Day…

"And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord —his name alone will be worshiped."- Zechariah 14:9 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/zec.14.9.NLT All of us have those “on that day…” thoughts. “On that day…” represents a point of arrival in one’s journey. Perhaps it is individual or the work of a community, church, or nation. It can represent a milestone or a brief moment of deferred gratitude come to pass. The prophet Zechariah is ...

Enjoy Camp for a Day!

Stepping on the grounds of Warm Beach Camp feels like home. From alumni summer staff to guest group participants, Warm Beach has become a second home to our Partners in Ministry. Last May, at the Partners in Ministry Open House, I reconnected with my friend and fellow summer staff alumni I worked with 22 years ago. We shared a picnic lunch with our families and then watched our kids swim in the very pool that we swam in as campers ...

An Internship that offers more!

“I’m leaping into the world! This is my first time living on my own, and I feel safe here. I feel like I belong. My favorite part about Warm Beach is the people; it is the coolest place to be!” exclaimed Jessica Graves, a current intern at Warm Beach Camp. A supportive and encouraging environment has been created by Intern Coordinator Sara Kauffman, where interns like Jessica feel safe to push out of their comfort zones. Sara walks alongside each ...