Camp Blessing- Special Needs Camp (formerly Camp Barnabas Texas)

Congratulations! You've taken the first step in providing a mission camp experience for your team like no other. We want to encourage you to complete the application and return it at your earliest convenience. Teams are selected on a first come, first serve basis provided your team qualifies for camp. We anticipate turning teams away this year so we encourage you to put this application in your" today" file rather than your "this-can-wait" file. Once we've received your initial application, you will be notified with any questions we might have.

A week at Camp Blessing will be life changing but at the same time it is not a week in which just anybody can succeed. It requires the right frame of mind and heart from the very beginning. For this reason we ask that you review this entire packet before deciding if this is right for your team.

Your team will be campers in a different sense. As volunteers, they will come to serve and MUST be prepared to do just that. A week at Camp Blessing will spiritually, emotionally and physically stretch your group - perhaps more than they have ever been stretched before. They will get tired and they will get hot. At the same time, the heart of a special child will transform them. This requires preparation on your part. It also requires screening the right teenagers and young adults for this unique mission trip.

We are asking you to choose students who you would consider leaders in your ministry. Choose those who are mature and are willing to serve in any capacity - even if that means bathing a camper, changing a diaper, or even cleaning a toilet. We ask you to choose those who are willing to give up their needs for a week and put the campers' needs above their own. This is also true for your adult leaders.

Choose adults who know they will be expected to serve right out there with their youth. Although they may not all be one-on-one with a camper, they will be expected to be examples for your youth. If they have bad attitudes, so will your youth. Make sure they know the importance of flexibility, especially at camp! Schedules change, positions sometimes need to be changed and so on. On the individual applications they will have the opportunity to select the position in which they would most like to serve. We encourage you as the leader to fill out this portion and have your other adults do so as well. We will do our best to accommodate, but again please be flexible.

Please also note that due to limited bed space we need to limit the adults over the age of 30 to two per ten team members. We need to also ask you to keep your male/female ratio equal. We know that for some groups this is difficult but due to bed space it is a MUST. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, otherwise we look forward to serving with you!

In general, what do volunteers do? You will be in constant action all week long, putting all your needs aside and serving those around you while showing God's love through all you do. Although it is hard work, it is extremely rewarding.

Is there a deadline for my initial application? There is no deadline however; we will place teams as the initial application comes in. The sooner you return your application, the better chance you have of getting your team’s first choice for dates.

What is the next step once I turn in my initial application? Your application will be reviewed and you will be contacted if we have any questions. Once the decision has been made that your team qualifies we will look at the choices you have listed for dates to serve and place you at your first available choice. We will then mail out a packet including the dates we are expecting you along with the numbers of each position we are holding for you… THEN, download the individual volunteer application and make copies for each team member to fill out. These applications will be due three weeks after your team has been accepted. Individuals will not be permitted to take part in the ministry of Camp Blessing without a completed application.

Why are the applications due so early? Because our volunteers work so closely with our campers we want to work at getting each volunteer placed in the best position for successful ministry. As you can imagine this process is very time consuming and must be completed well before the summer begins.

What if a team member cancels? While exceptions will be made for family emergencies or extreme situations, please don’t cancel once you’ve applied and been accepted! It is quite a burden to find volunteer replacements at the last minute and the campers are the ones “short changed.”

What is the cost? The opportunity to participate as a Camp Blessing volunteer is one of the most life changing endeavors you will ever experience. As a missionary we ask you to raise $75 support for your time of service at CBTX. Raising additional support to help cover the $180 food and lodging cost for each volunteer can be a meaningful part of the mission experience. Ideas and materials are available to assist you in raising support. Whatever amount you can raise, no matter how small, will be greatly valued!

What is the Camper Scholarship Challenge? One way that volunteers make the most of the experience is to raise funds for camp. By raising $450, you will provide the cost for a camper to attend! While fundraising may be an uncomfortable area for many, you will find the experience of being a missionary volunteer will be greatly enhanced by your involvement financially. Your experience begins when you start praying for the campers and the work you will do while at camp. As you raise funds, you get to share the story of Camp Blessing with others and you realize that this mission opportunity is much more than a one week experience. You actually give others the opportunity to be involved in the ministry by giving to the program. This is a great opportunity to participate in a mission trip that will change your life, enhance your walk with Christ and help you grow as a Christian. You’ll realize how to put your own needs aside and minister to another person. For fundraising ideas, materials and assistance, please contact us. (Provide checks with names & addresses of donors so that we can provide them with receipts for their tax deductible gifts.)

Is transportation provided? It is your responsibility to provide transportation. We provide parking on site for the week should you drive. If you choose to fly there are two airports we recommend. The closest is Bush Intercontinental airport which is about 45 minutes from camp. Houston Hobby airport is about one hour from camp. We can provide van/suburban shuttle transportation for small groups of 5-10persons provided we have at least two weeks advanced notice. Otherwise, we would be happy to provide you with information to contact local charter bus and rental car companies.