Summer camp in 2024! The Sonlight Leadership Team strives to keep camp relevant to our campers and camp families through the seasons and through the years. Participant feedback, professional trainings and intentional connections with camp colleagues contribute to what we know about camp. Cultural changes, pandemic, camp families having a different lens on faith communities – this all provides insight on how we view camp and the value we offer to our campers and their families.
We know that Sonlight Camp continues to provide experiences and relationships that contribute to the well-being of campers and staff. Return rates are high across all age levels. Parents articule specific positives that their camper brings home after a week at camp. Sometimes as simple as “my child had a great time and made new friends.” And sometimes the experiences are more life changing: “my child came home with a whole new confidence in who they are. Thank you.”
The Sonlight Board of Directors and Advisors evaluates the direction and mission of Sonlight Camp regularly, through conversations with camp staff, camp families and our guest groups. The Sonlight Board and Advisors also acknowledges the challenges of operating a camp today. Increasing regulation leads to additional expense and workload across everything we do (programming, facilities, water/waste-water/foodservice and business operations.) Sonlight continues to work through the challenges of moving from founders to the next generation of leadership. 45 years is a long time for founders to lead an organization, and the organizational changes needed to move forward in a post-pandemic/ changing world are real.
Sonlight is an independent not-for-profit organization, governed by a Board of Directors and Advisors. The group met in March for 2 days of strategy as we continue the conversations about the road ahead. In 2024 Sonlight will move forward with hiring a Hospitality Director. This person will work alongside the Program Director and Property Steward, all 3 under the Executive Director. A shift in the organizational structure of Sonlight Camp, will provide new perspective on how the ministry stays solid and sustainable.
The Sonlight leadership team appreciates the affirmation and feedback from camp families, guest groups and the Sonlight community as we continue the journey together.