Thanksgiving at Camp: 5 Things We're Grateful For This Year

Every fall, the leaves change, the air cools, and someone inevitably overdoes it on pumpkin-spice lattes. (We won't name names... but they know who they are.) 

As Thanksgiving approaches, we pause to look back, because God has been faithful, generous, and near. And here at Lake Geneva Youth Camp and Conference Point Center, we have so much to be grateful for. 

This year, five things rise to the top: 

1. Our Camp Staff - Faithful, Dedicated, and Full of Heart

If you've spent even five minutes at camp, you know the staff are a special bunch. They serve with joy when it's 95 degrees... and when it's 5 degrees. They give their all to create life-changing experiences in Christ - every week, for every guest, no matter the season. 

We have cooks who pray over the meals, rec staff who share the Gospel mid-zipline, housekeeping teams who turn cabins with quiet excellence, a maintenance team ankle deep in the muck and program leaders who pour into campers long after the buses roll home. 

This year, we're especially thankful that God continues to bring faithful, dedicated people to this ministry - people who love Jesus, love kids, and love the mission enough to keep going even when all the canoe paddles mysteriously disappear. Again. 

2. Our Growing Camper Impact

2025 was another milestone year. We surpassed both our retreat and camper participation numbers. More kids. More churches. More families coming to camp. 

But even better? 

We're not just growing in numbers - we're growing in spiritual depth. 

We're watching campers get anchored in Bible-centered church families. We're seeing young people grounded in Scripture, discipled in their faith, and choosing to follow Jesus beyond their week at camp. That's the kind of growth you don't measure on a spreadsheet - only the Lord truly can. 

3. Our Church Partners - Ministry That Goes Further Together

Lake Geneva Ministries has always believed something important: We are stronger when our church partners are strong. 

This year, through our growing ministry relationships, the Lord has allowed us to deepen connections with pastors, leaders, and congregations who share our vision for Gospel impact. These partnerships don't just help camp thrive, they. strengthen discipleship year-round in local churches. 

We are grateful for every church that entrusts us with their students, every pastor who encourages their students toward camp, and every leader who says, "We're in this with you." 

Because ministry is not meant to be done alone - and we thank God for the partners He's given us. 

4. Safety - A Gift We Never Take for Granted

Camp ministry is joyful, and sometimes a little wild. (If you've every watched 300 middle schoolers spring toward a canteen line, you know exactly what we mean." 

Yet through it all, the Lord has allowed us to serve over 30,000 campers and guests safely this year - spiritually, emotionally, and physically. 

This is not something we assume. We pray for it. We plan for it. We train for it. 

But ultimately, it is the Lord who protects. 

Every safe retreat, every secure week of camp, every camper who feels emotionally cared for, every guest who encounters Christ in a place of peace, these are gifts we want to stop and thank Him for. 

5. Facility Improvements - Spaces That Help Ministry Flourish

2025 was a huge year for facility improvements. And we're still pinching ourselves. 

• The Carrera Welcome Center opened its doors - offering clarity, warmth, and a first impression that says, "You're home."  
• The Yost Pavilion was just completed - giving us an incredible gathering space overflowing with ministry potential.
• Delap Lodge received a beautiful remodel.
• Ross Lodge saw major improvements.
• And across both properties: new lighting, replaced fencing, upgraded windows and doors, and innumerable behind-the-scenes enhancements that make our grounds safer, clearer, and more secure for every guest. 

These improvements aren't about buildings... they're about the lives that will be shaped inside them. 

We're grateful for every donor, every volunteer, every staff member, and every prayer that helped bring these projects to life. But most of all, we thank the Lord, who continues to provide exactly what we need, exactly when we need it. 

A Thanksgiving Invitation 

As we gather around tables this month (some of them in dining halls, some in cabins, some at home) we invite you to join us in giving thanks. 

Give thanks for the staff who serve faithfully. 

Give thanks for the campers who are hearing and responding to the Gospel. 

Give thanks for the churches who partner with us in the mission. 

Give thanks for safety given by the hand of God. 

Give thanks for every building, every improvement, every space that helps us proclaim Christ. 

And give thanks for the ways God has been faithful in your life this year. 

We certainly are. 

From all of us at Lake Geneva Ministries, Happy Thanksgiving! 

May your turkey be tender, your fellowship sweet, and your gratitude deep.