Making Room For More at Camp Wapo
Now is the time to invest in Camp Wapo’s future. As our programs and year round usage continues to grow, we’re seeing an increasing demand for space that supports faith formation and community building. With more families, retreat groups, and individuals seeking a place to unplug from the world and deepen their faith, expanding our facilities is crucial to ensuring that we can continue to offer meaningful, life-changing experiences. More accessible, flexible, and comfortable spaces will allow us to serve people of all ages, throughout the year, creating lasting impact for years to come.
In 2025, the ELCA released a strategic recommendations report that emphasizes the importance of investing in camps like ours as key places for nurturing the next generation of the church. Research from Sacred Playgrounds and Rhythms of Faith affirms the transformative role camps play in the lives of young people. According to Sacred Playgrounds, camp is a place where children, youth, and adults can experience “next-level fun” and unplug from the distractions of daily life, creating opportunities to grow in faith, character, and relationships. Rhythms of Faith research shows that 98% of parents believe camp is an essential experience for their children’s spiritual development. As these numbers continue to grow, we must invest in our facilities to keep up with demand and ensure that we can continue to offer these life-changing experiences.
The evidence is clear…now is the time reach our $6 million goal to make Room for More!
“If there’s going to be a future for this church, it’s going to be the young people, and we better invest in what it takes to give life shaping experiences to young people.”
Creating Space for Growth: Meeting the Needs of Expanding Community
Through the work of our strategic initiative, we have identified several areas we must address in order for effective ministry to thrive at Camp Wapo. Camper and retreat numbers continue to climb back to pre-pandemic capacity, and we celebrate the current situation:
- The dining hall was designed to seat 184 people. Currently, we serve up to 400 people per meal, which requires us to double shift every summer and most retreat meals.
- We host large retreat groups and special events that don’t comfortably fit into our dining space.
- We could welcome even more retreat groups if we had additional indoor, flexible meeting space.
- Our kitchen is bursting at the seams, lacking adequate food storage and prep areas and needing updated equipment.
“Help us make an impact on kids like me who have been impacted by camp.”
