We want to share some updates and changes coming to our camping program with you, so you can plan well for the campers and leaders your church sends to camp.

Registration Opening Soon!

Registration will open February 2nd. All information about camp prices and dates can be found at okcamps.org/campbook. We hope to have downloadable PDFs up soon so that you can print information to share with your campers!

Most of our camps offer Early Bird rates, which can be found on our website. These rates run through April 15th, with payment expected by April 30th to hold those spots.

Scholarships

Over the past two years, we’ve taken a close look at how our scholarships are serving campers and churches. While programs like First Time Free were designed to invite new campers into the camping ministry, data showed that fewer than half of those campers returned. At the same time, requests for needs-based support have increased. This has led us to want to make the following changes to how these scholarships are utilized. 

What’s changing:

• We are discontinuing First Time Free and church-based scholarships.
• Those funds will be redirected toward expanded needs-based scholarships.
• Churches may submit needs-based requests on behalf of families or campers through the same scholarship form.
• Adult Leader scholarships will continue, with clearer limits to ensure camps remain balanced and camper-focused. Scholarships will cover deans, program leaders, and nurses (at designated ratios), and adult coverage will follow an adjusted Safe Sanctuary ratio. Shepherds will not be covered under this model.

Scholarships will continue to be available to United Methodist campers and adults. These changes allow us to focus our scholarship resources where they are making the greatest difference: helping campers and families who would not otherwise be able to attend. Links and information on all scholarships, ours and district offerings, will be available on our website at okcamps.org/scholarships starting February 1st.

Ecumenical Camps

We have decided to remove the distinction of “ecumenical camps.” All of our camps will be open to all campers and all Adult Leaders, regardless of church affiliation. In practice, this returns us to pre-2024 guidelines that leave Adult Leader approvals in the hands of our deans based on needs and campers attending.  

Church Codes and Online Church Access

We are still utilizing church transfer codes for this coming season. This code will allow campers to indicate they are paying through your church and will help your church easily identify who is registered, the specific camp they will be attending, and what your church’s balance is. You will also still have access to view who uses this code online at www.okcamps.org/orgaccess.

If you have forgotten your code or your information for online access, please reach out to us at wcoder@okumc.org. We will only give access to this information to staff members or designated volunteers; your church has full purview over who receives the code. 

We know this is a lot! Please let us know if there is anything that requires further clarification. We are here to make sure that this is a great camping season for all our churches and campers!