General Questions
What is the mission of Camp BarnabasTexas?
When is Camp?
Where is Camp?
Camper Questions
Who can be a camper?
What kind of medical care is provided?
What activities do campers do?
What is the ratio of volunteer & staff to campers?
What kind of training do the volunteers and staff receive?
Are special diets available?
What are the camper fees?
Are scholarships available?
Is CBTX accredited by the ACA?
How do I get a camper application?
When are applications due?
Volunteer (CIA) Questions (see Volunteer-CIA page)
Who can volunteer & for what positions?
What kind of training is provided?
When does training take place?
Is there a cost to volunteer?
Staff Questions (see Staff page)
When is staff training?
How can I help with camp preparations?
Supporter Questions
Is Camp Barnabas Texas (CBTX) an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization?
Who are the leaders of CBTX?
What has CBTX achieved in the past?
What is unique about the work of CBTX?
What are the future plans of CBTX?
What are specific financial needs of CBTX?
Does CBTX accept online donations?
Does CBTX accept gifts of securities/stocks?
Does CBTX have an endowment?
Are CBTX Tax Forms and financial statements available?
General Questions
What is the mission of Camp BarnabasTexas? …to share the love of Christ with kids/adults with special needs as well as their siblings in a fun, fully accessible camp setting.
When is Camp? The first three weeks of June. (See calendar page for specific dates)
Where is Camp? Currently, camp takes place at a beautiful retreat center between Tomball and Magnolia. (See Map to Camp page)
Camper Questions
Who can be a camper? Campers should be over seven years old. There is NO upper age limit. Camp BarnabasTexas serves campers who need one-on-one counselors. Our amazing campers are challenged by physical or mental disabilities. Common diagnoses include autism, Down’s syndrome, CP, etc.
What kind of medical care is provided? Dr Chuck Ferguson is our medical director and is present 24x7 along with wonderful nurses. Routine medications are managed along with routine trach care, tube feedings, etc. TomballRegionalHospital is within 30 minutes of camp.
What activities do campers do? Activities you’d expect to do at summer camp- swimming, horse riding, archery, arts & crafts, fishing, canoeing, rock-wall climbing, drama, etc. All activities are adapted to ensure that every camper experiences success in any activity he/she wants to do.
What is the ratio of volunteer & staff to campers? Within each cabin there is a ratio of 1.5 volunteer & staff
to each camper. On the camp property the campers are outnumbered 3 to 1.
What kind of training do the volunteers and staff receive? Training covers topics such as personal care, safety, behavior management and diagnosis specific care. Volunteers receive 24hrs and the staff receives 72hrs of training before any campers arrive.
Are special diets available? Yes. Special diets such as GFCF are available as needed.
What are the camper fees? For 2008, Terms 1 & 2 are $256 each while Term 3 (a day longer) is $320. Our generous supporters should be recognized for providing lower camper fees. The actual cost of providing camp is near $500 per camper which is what other special needs camps charge.
Are scholarships available? Yes. Partial and whole scholarships are available upon request through the generosity of our wonderful supporters.
Is CBTX accredited by the ACA? No. As we do not have our own property, we can not be ACA certified. However, we are members of the Christian Camp & Conference Association.
How do I get a camper application? Camper applications are sent out by email in January of each year. Send us your email address if you’d like to receive one.
When are applications due? New campers are accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis when their completed applications are received. New camper slots are extremely limited.
Volunteer (CIA) Questions (see Volunteer-CIA page)
Who can volunteer & for what positions? CIAs age 13-14 yo are Barnstormers- serve in the dinning hall, assist with theme parties and help keep camp clean. CIAs age 15-16 yo are Junior Counselors- assist with campers. CIAs 17-29 yo are Counselors- paired one-on-one with an amazing camper. CIAs 30 yo and over serve as Cook Assistant or Cabin Mom/Dad- provide a cabin of campers with encouragement & a helping hand. (NOTE: these ages are flexible & our CIAs should be flexible)
What kind of training is provided? No experience is needed; only the heart to serve! Training covers topics such as personal care, safety, behavior management and diagnosis specific care. Volunteers receive 24hrs of training before campers arrive.
When does training take place? CIA training takes place during the 24hours prior to camper arrival.
Is there a cost to volunteer? No. However, CIAs are encouraged to raise support for this “mission trip.” Support raised will offset the cost of room & board as well as assist with camper scholarships. Ask Chuck & Jodi for brochures, videos and ideas for raising support.
Staff Questions (see Staff page)
When is staff training? 2008 staff training takes place May 30-31st and June 20th. Training will take place at CircleLakeRetreatCenter.
How can I help with camp preparations? This biggest challenge is recruiting energetic Christian volunteers. The most effective way to reach new volunteers is by word of mouth. Please share your excitement about CBTX with others. Contact Chuck & Jodi if you’d like brochures, videos or ideas for recruiting. Also, we would be happy to present camp opportunities in person to your Christian group.
Supporter Questions
Is Camp Barnabas Texas (CBTX) an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization? Yes. A copy of our official letter is available upon request.
Who are the leaders of CBTX? (See Meet the Fergusons page) Chuck & Jodi Ferguson are the founders and volunteer directors of CBTX. They have attended CampBarnabas in Missouri since 2002 and have modeled CBTX after it. They are the proud parents of three children; one with autism. The Fergusons are joined by volunteer leaders, Glen & Laura Elder, who also have years of camp experience as well as five children (two with special needs.)
What has CBTX achieved in the past? In 2006 we served our first 17 campers and in 2007 we served 50 more.
For Campers: Camp and special needs research shows the improved “life satisfaction” campers experience socially, physically, and in their health. Unlike many other camps, CBTX also succeeds in meeting our campers’ spiritual needs.
For Camper Families: CBTX has a specific program for the siblings of our special needs campers. These siblings get the attention they sometimes lack. The often exhausted parents & caregivers of our campers receive rare and valuable respite. One parent remarked, “I remembered that we were married!”
For Volunteers: Many who serve at CBTX have no previous experience with special needs persons. Volunteers invariably report how they came to “give” to our campers but find that they have also “received” from the campers.
What is unique about the work of CBTX? Few summer camps specifically serve special needs campers. Even fewer provide distinctly Christian programming. Proven success- CBTX is modeled after our 10+ yr old sister camp in Missouri.
What are the future plans of CBTX? Our future is dependent on obtaining and developing our own camp property. For each camper who enjoys CBTX, two or three others remain on our wait list. We are limited in the number of campers we can serve because we only have a rented retreat center for a few weeks each summer. Imagine the hundreds of special needs individuals who could be served at a fully accessible year round camp/retreat center! If you, or someone you know, can help us obtain such a property please contact Chuck & Jodi.
What are specific financial needs of CBTX? Popular gifts are for camper scholarships, $300 each; or, a cabin sponsorship of $1200. Another unique gift is to cover the cost of our Carnival Night (inflatables, climbing wall, dunk tank, cotton candy machine)- $1200 each Term.
Does CBTX accept online donations? Yes. This secure option can be deducted from your bank account or credit card. (Managed by PayPal; see donation page)
Does CBTX accept gifts of securities/stocks? Yes. Contact Chuck Ferguson for details.
Does CBTX have an endowment? No. We would happily recognize a supporter who would like to start a CBTX endowment fund.
Are CBTX Tax Forms and financial statements available? Yes. IRS Form 990 and Financial Statements are available upon request.
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