Camp Rivervale

09/01/2026

Finding Footing

Jenny came to Epworth Forest Conference Center as a volunteer with one goal: to be present for others. As a group leader, she was ready to encourage campers, listen when they needed someone to talk to, and pray with anyone who was looking for support. She knew that some teens and leaders would need extra time to process their thoughts and emotions, and she wanted to be a trusted guide they could turn to for encouragement and support.

At the beginning of the week, many of the campers seemed uncertain. Many were still figuring out where they stood in their relationship with God and weren't comfortable sharing their questions or struggles. Some wondered how to grow closer to God, while others simply needed a place where they could be honest about what they were thinking and feeling. The conversations were tentative, and many campers were still finding their footing.

As the week unfolded, that began to change. Through the daily rhythm of camp, time spent together in small life groups, and opportunities to ask questions and reflect, campers gradually became more open with one another. Jenny had the privilege of walking alongside them, offering a listening ear and encouragement whenever it was needed. She watched as trust grew within the groups, allowing conversations to become more meaningful and authentic.

By the end of the week, the difference was unmistakable. Campers were talking with greater confidence about who God is and who they are in His eyes. The uncertainty that marked the beginning of the week had given way to deeper faith and stronger connections with one another. Jenny witnessed a genuine sense of spiritual growth as campers became more willing to share, learn, and encourage each other.

Looking back, Jenny is reminded that meaningful growth often begins with simply providing a safe place where teens have the time, support, and encouragement to open up. Given that opportunity, she saw just how much can change in only a few days.

We are grateful for Jenny and all of our volunteers and donors for giving kids the space they need to grow closer to Christ.

08/31/2026

🛶 LIFE JACKET DONATION REQUEST! 🛶

We are looking for donations of life jackets for canoeing! Safety is so important as we create fun, memorable adventures on the water. 💙

We are currently in need of:
🛟 8 Child Life Jackets – 50–90 lbs
🛟 8 Adult Medium
🛟 8 Adult Large
🛟 8 Adult XL
🛟 5 Adult 2XL

Your donation will help ensure everyone can safely enjoy canoeing and create unforgettable memories. We found these life jackets on clearance at Sam’s Club and Walmart. 🛶☀️

Please comment or message us if you would like to donate. Thank you for helping keep our adventures safe! ❤️

08/04/2026

Linked Arms

When Oliver reflects on what makes Camp Adventure different from home, his answer is simple: “It’s more about being outdoors.” Last summer, that change of scenery gave him the chance to step outside his comfort zone, build stronger friendships, and deepen his faith.

Camp offered Oliver something he didn't experience at home - days spent outdoors, trying new activities, and sharing life and faith with friends. From the beginning, he found that some of his favorite moments weren't tied to a single event but to simply spending time with the people around him. The friendships he built at camp quickly became one of the most meaningful parts of his week.

During worship, Oliver experienced a powerful sense of unity as everyone linked arms. “It's like we were all together as one, worshiping God,” he says. In that moment, he felt especially close to God and experienced the joy of praising the Lord in community.

That same sense of encouragement carried into his camp activities. When Oliver faced the challenge of the high ropes course, he wasn't alone. His friends cheered him on every step of the way. Their support gave him confidence and turned a difficult challenge into a rewarding experience he’ll remember forever.

Most importantly, Oliver returned home with a renewed perspective on his faith. Reflecting on what he learned about God during the week, he shared, “I learned that He should mean everything to us. Like, He should be the one that we always are thinking about.”

For Oliver, Camp Adventure wasn't simply a change of scenery. It became a place where friendships grew stronger, new challenges were met with encouragement, and his understanding of God's place in his life became deeper and more personal.

Oliver's experience—and so many others—are made possible by our generous donors. Thank you!

07/07/2026

Doubting Dad

When Tristan first arrived at Royal Family Kids Camp as a counselor three years ago, he carried with him a quiet uncertainty. At home, a three-month-old baby waited — and with that new role came a question he hadn't yet answered: What kind of father would he be?

Camp Rivervale, it turned out, would help him find out.

Royal Family Kids Camp is a Christian organization offering camp to children in foster care. Each event is sponsored and supported by multiple churches partnering together.

The children who arrive at Royal Family Kids Camp on day one don't look like who they'll be by the end of the week. These kids — all in foster care — come in carrying more uncertainty than most. Tristan describes the transformation simply, "It’s the difference between a caterpillar and a butterfly." They come in unsure of everything. By the end, coaxed open by trust and routine and someone who shows up for them, they emerge. You see, as Tristan puts it, how beautiful they are.

He comes to camp on his own time and his own dollar. He gives away his energy and his emotions. And in the small moments — a child quietly filling everyone's water cup during a break, two nine-year-olds who still believe in cooties reaching up to hold his hand on the walk back from the cabins — he sees that something is actually taking root.

Perhaps nothing captures it more than the swim test. For kids in foster care who don't always have freedom to move about in life, passing that test and earning the run of the pool means something more than just swimming. It means you can do this. It means the world gets a little bigger.

On the last day, in the last minutes, when everything else falls away, the kids want only one thing: to hug goodbye and say I love you. And then the car pulls away, and there are tears — from the campers, and from Tristan, too.

He came to Camp Rivervale wondering about his future as a father. What he found was a preview, and he liked what he saw. "I think I like the way the future looks," he said.

Three years later, he keeps coming back. Not just for the kids but because of what camp does to him. "It's not just campers who leave camp as better people."

Scholarship donations for RFKC help make events like this possible. Thank you.

(Photo is Tristan, pictured with his wife, Chelsea.)

06/11/2026

Summer Camp is in full swing.

06/09/2026

Camp is in full swing and you can still sign up!

Click here to find your camp and event > https://bit.ly/4pTRP7i

06/09/2026

06/02/2026

Ivy grew up at Camp Lakewood, but her ability to be there began with the generosity of others. As a child, she attended camp with scholarship assistance from her local church and support from Impact 2818’s scholarship fund through the Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church. Without that support, camp would not have been accessible for her.

From her earliest years as a camper, Lakewood became a place where faith felt real, personal, and alive. The counselors who poured into her left a lasting imprint. They helped her begin to understand who God is and how deeply He cares.

Without Camp Lakewood, Ivy feels her faith would be missing. Camp is where her heart was first drawn fully toward Jesus, where her love for God took root and grew.

Impact 2818, along with Ivy’s local church, made that experience possible. Through scholarship support, financial barriers were removed, allowing Ivy not only to attend but to return year after year.

Over time, Ivy felt a growing desire to come back, not just as a camper but to serve. The example set by her counselors stayed with her. She remembers by name many of the people who shaped her faith and showed her what it looks like to live it out.

Camp didn’t just teach Ivy about faith; it helped anchor her heart and inspired her to serve in that same role for others.

Today, Ivy volunteers as a counselor at Camp Lakewood, stepping into the same role once filled by the people who impacted her life.

“Serving at camp has transformed me in new ways,” Ivy shares. “I’ve watched God work through children in moments both small and powerful.” Watching children step forward bravely, trusting God in ways that inspire even the adults around them, “It’s beautiful to see.”

She has also seen remarkable changes over the course of a single week. Campers often arrive uncertain whether they have come to camp for the activities, the friendships, or for God at all. But by the end of the week, something changes. During worship, Ivy watches campers jump, sing, and shout the words with joy. “You can just see it in their hearts,” she says. “I love camp.”

Ivy’s story reflects the lasting impact of a single opportunity made possible again and again through the generosity of donors, an opportunity that continues to shape lives, now through her.

06/01/2026