It’s Friday night at Bible camp. Campers and staff are gathered on blankets around a campfire, surrounded by trees and facing the lake. Campers reflect on the week of camp, sharing decisions made for Christ and ways they have grown. Some share the friends and activities they will miss in the coming weeks. As the sun sets over Lake Waubesa, the white dome of the capitol building becomes visible against the darkening night sky.
This is Lake Waubesa Bible Camp, tucked between
Kregness and his wife, Dawn, have taken advantage of the camp’s proximity to the city. They started a Day Camp ministry to give local kids an opportunity to experience nature and learn about God without committing to staying overnight. More than 120 local kids participated in the Day Camp program this summer.
Camps farther from the city may dwarf LWBC in size, but Kregness sees an advantages in the way that the staff is able to reach out to each camper.
“We try to emphasize our size in such a way that we are a family-oriented, relationship-oriented camp, in such a way that larger camps find more difficult to do. The relationship with campers is how we do ministry.”
These relationships are established through the counselors, who are selected for their energy, creativity and desire to serve God. Although campers enjoy catching turtles in the marsh, playing “Bible Smugglers,” and singing camp songs, Kregness says the counselors are what kids like most about camp.
At LWBC every counselor seeks an intentional, personal relationship with each of his or her campers. On average during overnight camp, there is a ratio of just one staff person to every three campers.
In this way, counselors are instrumental in reaching the goal of Lake Waubesa Bible Camp: for campers to experience growth wherever they are in a relationship with Jesus Christ, introducing them to Christ or giving them tools to grow in their walk.
The hope is that campers will return to their families eager to share the excitement of what they have learned at camp. Entire families have come to faith as a result of the life-changing camp experience of a child.
Although LWBC is focused primarily on spiritual growth for each child, fun follows close behind. Activities such as tubing, speedboat rides, and hill climbing have been added to classic favorites like the waterslide, kayaking, and the craft cabin.
LWBC may have limited space in its setting, but there is no limit to the creativity the Kregnesses and camp staff put into developing new activities and improving the old. A favorite late night game requires campers to dress in dark clothing and try to “smuggle” bibles to pastors in “North Korea” and “Saudi Arabia” while hiding from the police.
In another example of Dawn Kregness’ creativity, this summer’s theme was “AmazinGrace:” a combination of God’s Amazing Grace and the theme of world travel from the TV show, “The Amazing Race.” Each day campers visited a different “country,” playing games and eating foods that followed the theme for that day.
The fun activities and creative games keep kids coming back each summer, and bringing siblings and friends. According to Kregness, in general camper registration has been increasing 5-10% each year.
He reports that the majority of campers come from Dane County, but 40% come from outside, whether Illinois or other areas of Wisconsin.
LWBC is nondenominational, which can hinder camp publicity because the support of a specific denomination isn’t encouraging kids to attend camp. As an alternative, LWBC relies on historical ties to various churches that have supported or used the camp.
Nondenominational status can also be positive because it allows the camp greater freedom to serve church groups. For example, during the off-season, LWBC hosts a variety of retreat groups.
“We aren’t tied down to serving one specific denomination. We are able to set our own goals and be more cross denominational to serve people from a wider spectrum,” says Kregness.
Before LWBC was an independent, non-profit organization, it was the outreach of the Madison Bible Fellowship Church. Pastor Chuck Polley founded the camp in 1945 after relocating from northern Wisconsin, where he had been involved in establishing several other camps.
In the early days, buses drove throughout Madison inviting kids to attend camp. Financial affordability was an emphasis of the camp’s founders. They wanted to provide a fun summer activity for kids who couldn’t normally afford such things.
Forty-three years later, the Kregnesses began serving at LWBC. Throughout their 18-year ministry God has worked in amazing ways; specifically, by meeting financial needs. According to Kregness, whenever there is a need for supplies or finances, God provides.
Kregness also is amazed at the work God has done in the lives of campers and staff over the years.
“Many kids come to camp and make a decision to give their lives to Christ, and then (we hear) stories later on of those kids who have given their lives at camp going back and changing their families and their friends. Those are always awesome stories.”
Katrina Rust is a sophomore at UW-Madison who has been a camper, high school staffer, and summer staffer at Lake Waubesa Bible Camp. She attends Door Creek Church.