Being a part of the staff at Camp Alta is a unique experience. Yes it is a job. Yes there are a lot of tasks to do. But we’ll do our best to invest in you while you invest in serving our guests. We are a family seeking to share Christ’s love through boundless hospitality. Trust us… We like to find joy in what we do. Who know’s, if you join our team we might even let you paint your face!
Please see the Job Description & download a Camp Alta Application below
Happy New Year and Happy New Site! We are ringing in 2015 with an all new website.
Camp Alta primarily serves as a retreat center for various youth groups, men’s or women’s ministries, and other para-church related organizations throughout the year. Each summer though we host our own version of a program camp we call, kids camp. This camp has a storied history that reflects the heartbeat of our ministry as a whole. Meaning it holds a special place in our heart and the hearts of hundreds of kids who have grown up spending a week in God’s creation at camp. Our desire as a ministry, regardless of whether it is our own program camp or a guest group that is running their own program, is that people leave Camp Alta with a desire to live differently in their neighborhoods, schools, or even their own family. Our hope is that as God breaths life into you here; that you flourish and share the love of the Father in these settings. As the kids camp committee started exploring that thought of flourishing and equipping we kept coming back to our call to be a light in the world. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus shares with his disciples that not only is He light, but that his presence in our hearts leads us to be the light of the world on His behalf. This process birthed kids camp’s “GLOW” theme for 2014.
GLOW = to shine with a steady light
Are you afraid of the dark? It’s okay if you are. We won’t tell anyone. If you aren’t afraid of the dark we still want you to picture this. Imagine a life full of LIGHT! Where the presence of shadows and darkness struggle to breakthrough because they are overwhelmed by a steady light. The presence of light has the ability to transform life. And when that process unfolds onlookers are usually in awe of what their eyes are seeing. This is because the warmth and the beauty that comes from being in the light is inspiring.
This summer our kids camp theme is GLOW. Our desire is to dive deep into the pages of God’s word as we try to bring to life the flare of some unknown Bible characters. Each of us, much like the characters we will explore, get to embrace the GLOW that shines from within. Every aspect of camp will challenge students to see the light and how it exists in them. We are light. We are a consistent glow that brings warmth to the world.
Ephesians 5:8-9 For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true).
This summer, Camp Alta will host our second iFit summer camp. It is with great anticipation that we welcome back junior high and middle school students from Reno to San Francisco, to a sports based bible camp that seeks to develop foundational fitness for body and soul. As we bring back talented coach’s, speakers, and musicians, it is our hope that you or your students will learn how to train in sport and their faith.
Dates: July 7th-10th Cost: $175 Registration Deadline: June 14th
Every year hundreds of kids from all over the Northern California flock to the 20 acres, on the Western slope of the Sierra’s, known as Camp Alta. These kids come to be free, to have fun and learn about the God who created this beautiful place. They come to this special corner of God’s kingdom to experience something we call kids camp. As the kids camp committee started brainstorming ideas for this years theme we kept coming back to the majesty that is God’s kingdom and awe these kids experience when they are in His presence here. And with that “epic kingdom” was born.
From the Creator of the trees and the clouds; in partnership with Camp Alta, kids camp invites you and your church on an epic adventure into an epic land. This summer we will seek to reveal a world unlike any other! kids camp 2013 is going to tell the story of an unbelievable Creator and His “Epic Kingdom,” filled with grace. As we guide your students, to see the unseen and to touch the untouchable we will reveal the survival tools needed to understand God’s grace. Prepare for a summer in God’s creation. Prepare for wet, wild, and crazy rides as well as eye-popping experiences. Prepare for an “epic kingdom!”
Students will face obstacles and challenges like never before, but will they be able to find the root of what is right, what is good, what is Holy. The focus this summer is on helping the kids understand that His kingdom is an amazing place to be and that receiving His grace is really the key.
If you would like to register please download the registration packet below…
Kids Camp 2013 Registration Packet
iFIT: Learning the basics of fitness for body and soul. Camp Alta is offering a recreational based winter retreat that will seek to explore the concept of Fit (faith in training). What does it mean to be fit in today’s world? How does your junior higher fit in? Where is their fitness at? We will spend the better part of the weekend helping your student understand how to be both spiritually and physically fit. In just a few days at Camp Alta students will gain a foundational understanding of how God is their strength, while establishing a yearning desire to play in the great outdoors. Students will have the opportunity to play broom-ball, go sledding or ice skating, and even snowshoe on our trails. Not to mention a winter fitness obstacle course for all to try!
As a result of the nearby fires in Colfax and Foresthill there have been many emails and calls regarding the status of “kids camp” this coming week. We at Camp Alta want to take a moment to express our understanding for your concern. You and your child’s safety are of the upmost importance to us here at camp. We would not proceed if we believed that there was any danger. With that said… At this point in time, with the fire 20 miles away, we are moving forward; while closely monitoring the ongoing status and movement of this fire. A 7yr old camper that is currently here with a guest group from Sacramento, summed it up best at breakfast this morning when asked the question, “How are you doing?” His response, “God is keeping us safe and allowing us to be with Him.” We will proceed with caution and post any major updates on our website www.campalta.org and here on our Facebook page. Please share this! And please continue to pray for the firefighters who are continuing to battle this blaze.
Just last week we had a foot of snow covering the entire camp! It looked something like this…
Although it was a gorgeous answer to prayer in the midst of a mild winter it did not stay long. Today, as we try to embrace the waffling weather of spring, our staff at camp is eagerly awaiting summer.
The anticipation for summer though has little to do with the weather and a whole lot more to do with you! We are energized at the thought of so many of you coming back to camp to reconnect with the Father! We are also really excited to share the latest on our program camps. This summer we will host our first official iFit Summer camp (July 8-11). iFit is set up to help 6th, 7th or 8th graders learn the basics of fitness for both body and soul. This unique camp seeks to explore the concept of Fit (faith in training).
And what would summer at Camp Alta be without kids camp (July 15-18 for 4th-6th graders & July 19-21 for 1st-3rd graders). This years kids camp theme explores The Mystery of Who? We will be taking kids on a whimsical journey through the exploration of who. Who is God? Our time on the grounds of “Camp Whoville” will reveal that life in God’s creation can be filled with fun and laughter, awe and wonder. It can be a place where traditions are continued and new memories are made. It is going to be an amazing journey.
Our prayer is that you meet, taste, and experience God in some tangible ways this summer. If it happens to be here at Camp Alta, then we will praise God for that. If you are interested in one of our program camps you can download a registration packet here. iFit Summer 2012 or kids camp 2012
At Camp Alta it is our desire to partner well with the groups that come to use our facility throughout the year. We believe that this partnership happens by extending the arm of boundless hospitality to all our guests. Recently we decided as a staff here at camp that we wanted to create an event that would enable us to do this within our community here in Alta too. The result of that dialogue is our upcoming Turkey Trot… An event for families to explore recreational fun with one another.
We will host our 1st Annual 5K Walk/Run and Kids Fun Run on Saturday November 19th. The race will begin @ 8:30am. All proceeds will go to benefit our iFit Junior High Sports Camp. iFit is a camp that encourages kids to explore the basics of fitness for body and soul. The 5k will start and finish here at Camp Alta. The course (elevation 3,700 ft) is primarily made up of rolling hills that will take runners and walkers out on the beautiful trails of Camp Alta and then through the heart of town.
We do want to take a moment to thank our sponsors active.com and RoadID for helping us launch this family friendly event.
Hope to see you there!
On Tuesday morning, as I prepared to depart for a run with my daughter Sadie, I waited patiently for her to climb into her Bob stroller. In that moment my eyes began to wonder across our yard, towards the entrance to Camp Alta. A smile came to my face as I proudly looked over at a newly painted sign (with a helpful new directional arrow). Delbert Grey, our facility manager, had finally gotten a moment as summer concluded to give the sign a much needed face lift a couple of days earlier. I was proud to see an improvement to something that has become such a simple connection point for so many of our guests.
At this point Sadie was prepared for takeoff. Her little voice repeated over and over again… “Dadda, Dadda, DADDA?” Almost annoyed by my lack of ability to recognize that she had been ready to go for a few long seconds now, I asked if she was ready? After a quick, “yes dadda,” off we went for a run we both have become quite familiar with through the town of Alta.
We start out by simply running down to the end of Alta Power House Road, which is about 7 tenths of a mile from the entrance to camp, past PG&E, Sierra First Baptist Church, the new Sugar Pine Deli, the fire station and over the train tracks. We did not get too far before Sadie was saying hello to Ron, a neighbor friend of ours often seen watering his plants on our road. As I laughed at Sadie’s engagement with our neighbor I was struck by the first of two distinct thoughts that would would fill my head throughout the duration of our run. Thanks to her first full summer at camp, my little girl has become a friendly, loving, welcoming, extrovert! I began to reflect the growth I have seen God develop in this little child of His. I wondered how her desire to know people reflected Christ’s desires? Don’t we all long to be loved and known? Sadie had come to know and love so many of you over the summer and I felt blessed to watch and to be a part of that. What a gift!
My next thought, of bursting into song, seemed only fitting. By the way singing is one of the few ways to help pass time with a 2 ½ yr old on a long run in a stroller. I started singing the children’s tune “Jesus Loves The Little Children,” not a regular, but a song my wife Lana and I sing with Sadie from time to time. It was not the best time to start the tune though as we were just cresting the hill right by PG&E. At 3,600 feet, running uphill, pushing a stroller, and singing a song does not mix well. As I struggled for breath and clarity of thought Sadie asked, actually told me to keep singing.
“Jesus loves the little children… All the children of the world. Red and yellow black and white they’re all precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.”
I don’t know if it was the thin air or a another captivating thought that caused me to forget all the other words, but it didn’t matter as I just kept singing along with only the words from the chorus that I could remember. Probably not the best performance for Sadie, but I don’t think she cared all that much. What struck me in this moment though was the image this song brought to mind of our last few weeks at camp. God had brought many of His children, to Camp Alta to experience His presence in both creation and people. He had brought different generations, ethnicity, and denominations; people from varying geographic locations, economic standing, and cultural background. And throughout this time, He kept showing up to meet them all. The Spirit moved; and our staff, along with a variety of guests were able to get a good taste of the Kingdom.
According to Jesus, the Kingdom of God is in (or among) people. Luke 17:20-21. I think I speak on behalf of our staff when I say, “we experienced His Kingdom this summer.” Furthermore, if we were not cognitive of it throughout the summer, we sure were reminded of it loud and clear over Labor Day weekend. Our guests were from Berkley Chinese Baptist Church. One community comprised of two different speaking services that used camp in some unique ways. As our time concluded on Monday afternoon, I was informed that this church we had grown very fond of, over just a couple of days, wanted to thank me and our staff. As I wondered what that would look like… I had no idea what God was about to allow us all to experience. We desired to thank them for embodying Jesus collectively and loving us well. They wanted to thank us for sharing Christ’s love and boundless hospitality. This culminated with our staff being showered with a bilingual singing of, “God is so Good.” Our staff joined in, tears fell on both sides, and the Spirit was present. It tasted so good!
Why don’t we search for moments like this more? I know that we aren’t the creators of times like these, but there is a way of living, a posture, and an understanding, that allows us to experience it with others. And we can do so through relationships.
I know for Sadie and I as we sang and ran together along Ridge Road, in God’s beautiful country of the Sierra’s we felt blessed, reflecting on God’s Kingdom present at Camp Alta this summer.
Thank you all for your continued partnership in the ministry God is doing in and through Camp Alta.