Ready to run your first Alongsiders Camp?

An Alongsiders Camp is a very special time. It is an opportunity for each of your Alongsiders to spend a lot of time with their little brother or sister over 2 or 3 days. The purposes of the camp are as follows:

  1. Distribute the certificates

  2. Celebrate the completion of the 9 comics and 9 DTM lessons

  3. Provide an opportunity for the Alongsiders to bond more deeply with their LBS

  4. Worship, pray, teach and fellowship together as a movement

  5. Motivate and encourage the Alongsiders and their LBS

Who CAN ATTEND?

Alongsiders camps are for Alongsiders to attend together with their LBS as a pair. LBS and other children must not attend without their Alongsider. Alongsiders should not attend without their LBS. Other volunteers and church leaders who attend to help, should be carefully screened so that there is no possibility of any harm coming to the children.

Camps are like a graduation, so they should be for those who have completed the curriculum for the year (all 9 lessons). We ask that 80% or more of the camp attendees are eligible to receive a certificate.

How to Organize

Alongsiders camps are held once a year only. They will usually be held at the end of the year (but some movements will prefer to hold their camps mid-year instead).

Belonging

One of the most important parts of the camp is the opportunity for the Alongsiders to bond with their LBS. Your role is to remind them to be together whenever possible - at meals, during worship, during games. Be careful that the youth do not begin congregating together and ignoring their LBS. For LBS this special time with their Alongsider will be deeply special and valued.

Mastery

You may wish to include some training at the camp. This may be the one time when you want to have the Alongsiders separate from the LBS - in different workshops. This is because they have different needs for training and teaching. For example, the LBS may do a craft together with a special gospel lesson. While the Alongsiders may do a workshop where they are learning something important.

Ownership

At Alongsiders Camps, the Alongsiders youth themselves always contribute something financially to the camp - which is like sponsoring their LBS to attend. This takes faith and will be a challenge for some of them. Even though it is difficult, it consistently one of the things that helps the Alongsiders to really value the camp and take it seriously.

Purpose

Don’t forget to cast the vision of discipleship and caring for children at the camp - this is your chance to light the fire again!

Funding

Alongsiders International is able to subsidize a small amount per Alongsider pair ($10 for overnight camps, $5 for day-time camps). To apply for camp funding fill in the application form on the Alongsiders Dashboard.

After the camp you must send two things:

  1. Clear receipts for the camp that are equal to the amount of funding provided by Alongsiders International.

  2. A camp attendance name list signed or fingerprinted by each Alongsider who attended the camp.

Child Protection

Camps are a wonderful time, but also a time where we need to ensure that all children are safe….