Work Camp
Cost: $150

Dates: July 20 - 25, 2009  

Work Camp is a mission project for CYF and Chi-Rho groups. Each summer, Christmount invites groups wishing to help us get ready for the summer and maintain the grounds to come and join us in trail clearing, litter pick-up, raking, working on the children’s playground, creek clearing, light construction, painting, and other work as needed. No skills are required: all that is needed is an attitude of helping and working together.

Why come to Christmount to work? Christmount Christian Assembly is the conference center for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). One of its advantages, thanks to funding through contributors and usage fees, is that we can offer camp to children who could not otherwise afford it. These campers include at-risk children, low-income youth, abused children, and mentally-challenged adults; we also offer a program of housing to people in transition who are temporarily homeless and need a place to be for a short time. These programs are expensive; when your group comes to help maintain the grounds and buildings, it cuts down on our cost for maintenance so that we can give attention to the ministries to the "least of these." Your group directly influences our ministry for and with the church to these less fortunate people who need the respite of a beautiful place in the midst of the ugliness and hardship of their lives.

The program includes: work on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, and Wednesday afternoons; program, recreation, and worship by the Christmount Camp Staff each evening; and a trip tubing on Deep Creek in Bryson City all day Thursday.

Arrive: between 3 and 5:30 P.M. on Monday.                                    Depart: around 9:30 A.M. Saturday. .

BRING: work gloves; shoes to work in; shoes for the time they are not working (no barefooting!); comfortable and appropriate clothing for work and play; bedding (twin sheets and blankets or sleeping bags, pillows); toiletry items; towels; swim suits; insect repellent; flashlight; Bible; small composition book, pen, and money: for snacks (vending machines), tubing (approximately $5, plus lunch on Thursday, as well as any spending money for the trip.

Tubing: Tubing is a fun activity that we have enjoyed for years with work camps on Thursdays.   It takes about 1.25 hours to reach the Deep Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We try to leave Chrsitmount at 9. It is helpful if vans/cars are full of gas by Wednesday night. Campers need to bring: a change of clothing, towel, shoes that stay on feet (strap-on water sandals, like Tevas, or water shoes, or old sneakers: flip-flops do not work!!!!); girls will want to wear shorts over their bathing suit bottoms; people wearing glasses will need to secure them (we supply string to tie glasses on); money for lunch. Tubing costs about $5 per person.

DO NOT BRING: firearms, fireworks, alcohol and/or drugs, hunting knives, cellular phones, pagers, large stereo systems (walkmans can only be used during free time and if the adults leaders allow it!).

Adult leaders with youth groups are expected to help with work and supervision. We have learned that if adults are not willing to work, the youth will not work. Adult leaders may not just dump campers and leave.

Everyone works! We are able to offer the reduced price of a week at camp (regularly $185) because groups are here to work. It is not helpful to the morale of youth if adults come only for the trip. Some exceptions are necessary, like those who come to baby sit with young children, but this is not a vacation week for adults or youth.

Things to do during free time: swimming; hiking; sightseeing along the Blue Ridge Parkway; visiting the Asheville Mall; putt-putt golfing; gem mining. On Thursday, we will travel to Bryson City to tube at Deep Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains (cost: $5 per person, plus the cost of your lunch).

Basic Rules: everyone works; everyone participates in camp activities; afternoons (except Wednesday) are free; do not litter; recycle cans; do not smoke in buildings; campers under 18 may not smoke; quiet hours are from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (lower the noise level); look after each other and get along with members of one’s own and the other youth groups present; return equipment to the agreed-upon place at the end of each work; work in rain as well as sun, unless the rain is really pouring down; respect the presence of the other groups using Christmount; see the rules pertaining to what not to bring, above. Review these with your group.

Your group should be prepared to lead worship or a part of worship one evening.

Adults will meet during the first night of camp.

An alternate Work Camp experience for CYF groups: each summer, Christmount has a camp for mentally handicapped adults. We are always looking for folks who could help us with this by staying in cabins with the campers and participating in the camp during the day. This is a different type of work experience, but would make a great mission project for your group. Camp Sunshine, as it is called, takes only high-functioning campers who are able to see to their personal needs, such as going to the restroom, dressing, showering, etc. No experience is necessary except for being patient and willing to work with a special population. This is a great mission project for your youth.

Camp Sunshine 2009: June 29 - July 3   Cost: $130 per camper helping out

To register for any of these Work Camp experiences, call or e-mail Jamie Brame, 828-669-8970, jamiebrame@yahoo.com

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