Winter Camp 2026 invites us to discover that even in life’s wilderness seasons, we are never alone. Just as God met His people in the deserts of Scripture, providing manna, bringing water from rocks, and speaking in the stillness. He meets us today in our own dry and difficult places. The wilderness is not a place of abandonment, but a place of encounter, where you are “Never Deserted”

All weekend long, we’ll explore how God’s presence transforms the desert into sacred ground. These aren’t just ancient stories; they remind us that when faith is tested and the path feels uncertain, God has not walked away. Deserts are not dead ends, they are the very places where He proves He is with us and writes His greatest stories.

Spiritual Theme

• • Message One: GOD 

    • Teaching Passage: 1 Kings 19:1-18

    • This message’s primary focus is to establish God’s character and key attributes. Please provide context for the miraculous ways God has shown up for Elijah leading up to chapter 19. The purpose of this story to show that even when we are in the desert, God is present, He provides all that we need (not want), is patient and He has a purpose. These 4 umbrella traits of God will help highlight God’s goodness and love in the messages to follow of other wilderness journeys.

  • Message Two: The Problem of Sin
    • Teaching Passage: Exodus 16

• • • In this passage we see that Israel, despite seeing God’s awesomely powerful miracles (e.g., 10 Plagues, splitting of the Red Sea) they still don’t trust God. Thankfully for them (and us too) God is patient with them, meets them where they are at, and even when they sin against Him (v.28) He is merciful. God’s mercy is seen by not punishing their sin and by His willingness to teaching them to trust Him by giving them daily provision. Though the sin here is specific, establish what sin is, how we are responsible for sin existing and its pervasiveness— sin never only affects the individual sinning, but those around them as well. We want students to understand that Israel’s initial journey in the desert was not a punishment but meant to develop them into people who trust God and to prepare them for the Promise Land. However, their sin eventually led to punishment—for God is just—affecting even those who did not sin (i.e., Num.14:28-34). God always wants deserts to be a time of development, not a delay to our destiny, but ultimately, it’s our choice to either trust God or choose sin.
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  • Message Three: The Gospel

    • Teaching Passage: Exodus 1-4

    • The life of Moses painted in the beginning of Exodus is a beautiful portrait of God’s love. Moses murdered a man and fled to the wilderness to escape punishment. After 40 years in the wilderness God meets Moses via a burning bush and tells Moses that he will be His instrument of deliverance for Israel from Egypt. Even though Moses committed murder, God still chose him. Moreover, Moses goes back and forth with God giving God every excuse he can think of as to why he can’t God’s vessel of deliverance despite God providing Moses with signs of His great power. It climaxes with God getting angry (this is the first time God is explicitly said to get angry in the Bible) at Moses, but instead of punishing Moses, or choosing someone else, He meets Moses where he is at and provides him extra help for his calling via Aaron. Moses from the very beginning of his life was incredibly imperfect, both in character and in his faith in God. However, he finally and reluctantly put’s his faith in God which leads to Israel’s salvation. God desires to do the same with us as He did with Moses and Israel. God doesn’t need us to be perfect, and He is more than willing to help us with our doubts. If we put our faith, as imperfect as it may be, in God He is sure to grace us with salvation.

  • Message Four: God Preparing Us for Ministry

    • Teaching Passage: Jesus’s 40 Days in the Wilderness— Luke 4:1-14

    • The best example of being developed in the desert is none other than Jesus himself. After being baptized, affirmed by the Father, and having the Holy Spirit descend on him, Jesus is then lead by the Spirit to go into the wilderness for to fast for 40 days and nights. At the end of his 40 day fast and wilderness journey, when Jesus is physically his weakest, the devil comes to tempt Jesus. Jesus withstands temptation through trusting the Father and by speaking Scripture. It is after this wilderness journey that Jesus then begins His ministry in the power of the Spirit which climaxes with his crucifixion and resurrection, which by grace paved a way for salvation for us through faith in Him.

  • Long Weekend Only Message 5: Overcoming Adversity

    • Teaching Passage: 1 Samuel 24 & 26

    • This message deepens our understanding of the reality of life as Christians—adversity, temptations, and suffering, are inevitable. David is unjustly being hunted down by King Saul, who has already personally attempted to murder him, twice! David is fleeing in the wilderness being forced to live in caves and is constantly in less than desirable situations. It is here in the wilderness that David had two opportunities to murder King Saul and no longer be on the run and become king. And yet, David spares King Saul and trusts that God will deliver him. David knows that letting God be in control is far better than him taking control of his own life, and therefore can stand true in the midst of adversity. The desert tested and developed David’s character. Though adversity is inevitable, we can overcome through the power of Christ Jesus!

Visual Theme
The theme for this winter camp weekend is “Never Deserted” it paints the winter-camp weekend in the vivid contrast of the wilderness—barren dunes, distant mesas, and night skies glittering like stars over Sinai—yet washed in a nostalgic 1980’s neon glow. Throughout Scripture the desert is rarely empty: God met Moses in Midian’s sands, guided Israel with a pillar of fire by night, fed them with manna, spoke to Elijah in a gentle whisper, and even led Jesus into the wilderness to reveal His strength and presence. The 80’s-retro palette of electric pinks, glowing blues, and grid-lined horizons hints that these ancient stories are alive and relevant now—divine encounters breaking into our present moment with color and light. The theme reminds every student that even in life’s driest seasons, God’s presence transforms desolation into holy ground—we are truly Never Deserted.

The Essentials: 

• Warm Clothing
  • Casual Winter Clothing – long sleeves, sweatshirts, jeans, long pants
  • Pajamas
  • Warm / Waterproof Jacket
    • Winter Accessories – hat, scarf, gloves
    • Warm / Waterproof Closed-Toe Shoes
      • Vans and Converse are closed-toed shoes, but are not waterproof. Please
        be mindful of the shoes that you pack – if it happens to be a snowy
        weekend, you’ll want to be prepared with the proper footwear!
  • Trash Bag for Dirty / Wet Clothing and Shoes
• Toiletries
  • Toothbrush & Toothpaste
  • Shampoo & Conditioner
  •  Soap
  • Deodorant
  • Lotion & Chapstick (recommended for high elevation)
• Linens (NOT provided by camp) – recommended to be packed in a trash bag for
  protection from rain / snow during traveling and unloading at camp
  • Towel / Washcloth
  • Sleeping Bag
  • Pillow
  • Extra Blanket (recommended
• Extra Items to Make Camp Awesome
  Flashlight (for walking to / from your cabin at night)
  • Reusable Water Bottle
  • Backpack (to Carry Everyday Items around Camp)
  • Bible, Notebook, Pen
  • Spending Money – your camper’s experience is all-inclusive. They do not NEED to
    bring extra money to have a full camp experience; all meals and most activities
    are paid for in your camper’s registration cost. However, if your student wishes
    to purchase drinks, snacks, a FH souvenir, or projects at the craft cabin, extra
    spending money is suggested ($20-$40).
  • Items to share with Cabinmates to make camp fun – snacks, decks of cards, glow
    sticks, etc.
• Please Do NOT Bring the Following Items
  • Open-Toed Shoes / Sandals
  • iPads, Laptops, Gaming Devices, etc.
  • Weapons – knives, airsoft guns, slingshots, etc.
  • Prank Supplies (including Fireworks)
  • Drugs / Alcohol / Tobacco – including Juuls, vapes, wax pens, dab pens, etc.
  • Items with significant monetary value or sentimental value
• Pro-Tips:
  • Label ALL luggage and items with duct tape and a permanent marker – camper’s name
    and church name. That way, if luggage gets left behind or misplaced, we can easily get it
    back to you!
  • Make sure that your campers can carry all the luggage they are bringing to camp.
  • Prepare for cold weather; up on the mountain, it can be cold, rainy, and / or snowy! It is
    advised that campers have their jackets with them on the bus to be able to put on once
    they arrive to camp.
  • Avoid potential heartbreak – Do NOT bring anything that is invaluable, irreplicable, or of
    significant monetary value. Forest Home is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen
    items.

Check-In / Arrival

• Before you arrive at camp, log-on to your Forest Home account to see if any of your students or
  leaders are missing medical forms. If there are missing health forms, contact those participants
  and get the health forms filled out ASAP. Ensuring that all your students are registered and
  have turned in a health form will help make your check-in process go as smoothly as possible.

• Check-in will begin at 4:30 PM on Friday. In the unfortunate event of a late arrival (traffic,
  distance, etc.) please email Sarah Shepherd as soon as possible. Check-in will take place in the
  main Forest Center parking lot; there will be signage on the main road to guide you to the lot.
  Forest Home Staff will be placed to help you navigate the arrivals process and welcome you to
  camp. Once your vehicles are parked, you (or your group’s designated group leader) will
  proceed to Blinco Lounge while the rest of your group will remain in the parking lot and enjoy
  some warm treats. Make sure the group leader brings all of the group’s medication and
  Health Screening Forms with them to Blinco Lounge.

• Once in Blinco, Ian (Program Director) and Sarah (Reservations Associate) will have your
  registration packet and our nurses and health techs will check-in any medication for your
  group. Once your group is officially checked-in, the group leader will return to the parking lot to
  distribute keys and wristbands to your group. We will have staff waiting to show you and your
  students to your cabins. Once settled in your cabins, the following activities will be open before
  dinner: Roundhouse (gift shop), fire pits, and the Den (game room). Dinner starts at 7:30PM in
  the Forest Center Dining Room and there will be a Counselor Meeting in Hormel Hall at 8:15PM.
  Once you arrive at Forest Home, feel free to grab anyone with a Forest Home name tag to
  answer any questions!

Check-Out / Departure

• After breakfast on Sunday (or Monday if you’re participating in one of our long weekends), all
  guests will head to our final gathering of the weekend. After gathering is finished (around
  11:00AM), an optional Church Debrief time (as outlined above) will be available before sending
  churches off. If participating in the optional Church Debrief time, plan to depart camp property
  no later than 12:30 on that day. Lunch will not be served on departure day, so please ensure to
  plan accordingly for your group.

Each camper is required to undergo a health screening and have that information recorded on the group’s “Health Screening Form” BEFORE arriving at camp. Please note, any ill campers or counselors should not come to camp until they are symptom free without medication for 24 hours. If a camper or counselor arrives ill or becomes ill at camp, they may be sent home, subject to the discretion of the camp nurse and first aid policies.

Medication:

• Church/Group Partners
  • Please watch the short video regarding sending medication to camp. https://vimeo.com/865184187/a83b2c7e19?share=copy
  • Designate a medical volunteer (ie. Registered Nurse, LVN, EMT, nursing student ect.) to assist with the collection of camper medication. 
  • Provide the following document “Church Partner Medical Volunteer” to your medical volunteer with step-by-step instructions.  
  • Log on to your Forest Home account for a list of medicines you should expect to receive from your campers. 
  • Print this list so your medical volunteer can check off medications received. 
  • Cross reference the medication the parent provides with the medication printed on the medication expected list to ensure all medications parents registered campers to take during camp are retrieved prior to departure from the church. This will help save time at check-in once at camp. Print the “Medicine Postcard” document on bright colored paper. 
  • The postcard will be completed by the medical volunteer at the time medication is collected. 
  • All medications must be in their original containers for both prescriptions and over the counter (OTC) store-bought medications. 
  • All prescriptions must have their correct prescription labels. 
  • Place all medications in a Ziploc bag with camper and church name on the bag. Place all medication in a plastic container to be transported and handed off to the First Aid Team. 
  • Please provide the “Sending Medications to Camp” document to ALL parents.

The Health Techs on duty will distribute medication during each meal and can be found in the First Aid Station to distribute medications as needed throughout your stay. 

Please ensure that all dietary requests are indicated on your camper’s online registration form. 

Our chefs are trained and able to accommodate the following common dietary allergies: 

• gluten free diets
• dairy intolerances
• egg allergies
• vegetarian diets
• vegan diets,
• nut allergies (all our kitchens are nut free facilities). 

If your camper has a dietary need or allergy that our kitchen is unable to accommodate for (like Celiac Disease), we require that your camper brings their own food to meet their dining needs during their stay. 

• If your camper is bringing their own food to camp, pack their pre-cooked meals in pre-portioned microwave safe containers. 
• There are refrigerators for storage and microwaves for heating in all dining facilities for guests to use. (Please note there is no prep area)
• If your camper is bringing their own food, please send it in appropriate containers for travel and ensure that it is labeled with your camper’s name.
• We understand many allergies can be very severe, and we cannot fully guarantee that every item served is 100% free from airborne particles or other means of food allergy cross-contamination. The process of bringing your own precooked and pre-portioned food will limit the chance of any allergy cross-contamination.
• There are other areas in camp that may cause allergic reactions that are out of our control, such as in retail food locations, vending machines, or other campers that may bring snacks. 

If you have any additional questions, please contact our Director of Guest Dining, Matt Stryffeler at matt.stryffeler@foresthome.org and he will respond within 2-3 business days.

All of your camper’s main activities while at Forest Home are covered by their camp registration fees. 

There will be opportunities during the week where campers can choose to purchase items. This includes:

• Roundhouse/The Hub (t-shirts, stickers, hats, etc.)

• The Clubhouse and Stagecoach Coffee Shop (snacks/drinks) 

• Craft Cabin crafts/activities
• Laser Tag

All of Forest Home’s retail transactions are cashless; all retail purchases must be made by credit card, debit card, apple pay, google pay, Forest Home giftcard, or eGiftcard. 

• eGiftcard
  • This link allows you to load money on to your camper’s account at any time before or during camp. 
  • You have the option of adding a telephone number to the account, making it easier for your camper to memorize the number required for making a purchase (for efficiency and ease of use, we strongly recommend using this method).

• • To reload money, please click here

• • To check balance on your egiftcard, please click here

• • For more instructions or troubleshooting on eGiftcards, click here 

• • At the end of camp, if your camper does not spend all the money on their eGiftcard, it will remain open so that your camper can use it the next time they are at camp. In the event your camper is not returning to camp within a 12-month period, you can also email refunds@foresthome.org to request a refund for the extra funds on your camper’s eGiftcard. We are only able to process refunds that are requested within 12 months of date of purchase.

Photos can be accessed through a link provided by your group’s leader. This link will be sent directly to the group leader a few days before arriving at camp. It is the group leader’s responsibility to share that link with camper families. If you do not receive the link directly from your group leader, follow up with them for photo access! 

We encourage campers to leave all electronics (including cellphones) at home and ask that all our guests join us in our efforts to keep our public areas at Forest Home cellphone free.

Forest Home will provide phone service for campers who need to contact their parents / guardians, but generally speaking, campers are not able to make or receive phone calls during camp. 

If there is a situation with your child at camp that warrants contact of their guardian (homesickness, injury, not cooperating, etc.), you will be contacted by our camp staff immediately.

All of these options are available to your campers during free time, weather permitting:

• Canyon Park – Zipline, Giant Swing, Sky Trail
• Snow Tube Run
• Laser Tag
• Mini Golf
• The Den – Billiards, Ping Pong, Foosball, Air Hockey, etc.
• Craft Cabin (additional cost – varies by project)

We need your final count and male / female breakdown two weeks prior to your arrival to camp. We do not assign housing until we receive these numbers to ensure adequate housing for your group and others. If you would like additional spots, contact Sarah Shepherd (Reservations Associate) and she will do her best to accommodate requests as she receives them.

Your campers’ experience is all-inclusive. They do not NEED to bring extra money to have a full camp-experience – all meals and most activities are paid for in your campers’ registration cost. However, if your students wish to purchase drinks, snacks, FH merch, or projects in the craft cabin, extra spending money will be needed ($20-$40). Please see the above section “Spending Money / Retail Options at Camp” for further explanation.

We have a closed campus.

For the safety of all of our guests, do not instruct anyone to come up to camp (for ANY length of time) who is not a registered guest. 

Day passes are not available unless pre-arranged with the Camp Director.

For more information on our Child Protection Policies, please contact Evan Liewer, Senior Director of Programs, at evanl@foresthome.org.

If there is a serious family emergency and a parent needs to contact their child while at camp, they may contact the Forest Home Roundhouse at 909-389-2300 and they can put them in contact with the Camp Director.

At Forest Home, we deeply care about the safety of our campers in every regard. During the
Friday night Counselor Meeting, we will walk all counselors through the steps and policies that
the Forest Home staff, counselors, and campers will abide by while at camp. We will walk
through camper safety expectations for the weekend so that we can ensure every student is
safe while at Forest Home.