Building Something Bigger Than Camp

This past year at Camp Rippling Brook was a season of growth.

We welcomed more campers than ever before, with 74% of our campers from new families trusting us for the very first time. With that came new energy, new relationships, and a renewed responsibility to show families exactly who we are and what we value. Growth stretched us, but it also affirmed that what we’re building matters.

This summer was filled with firsts. We hired Junior Counselors, welcomed volunteers, changed to a new location, and grew our staff into a larger, more dynamic team. We expanded our age range to include Little Campers, learning quickly how to best support them by creating a schedule, structure, and  an experiences, such as our Mini Camp Cup, designed just for their stage of development.

As we grew, we listened. We made thoughtful adjustments that strengthened our program, from introducing an Activity Fair for our Junior and Senior Campers to reimagining our Closing Show so families could better experience a week of camp through their child’s eyes. Each change was rooted in feedback, reflection, and our commitment to continual improvement.

Community remained at the center of everything we did. We reached out to new families with welcome calls, sent daily email updates during camp, shared hundreds of pictures every day through our secure portal, posted on social media daily to show the fun we had, delivered special camper gifts, sent birthday and holiday cards, hosted Camp Open Houses, and showed up at local events and camp fairs. These moments, big and small, helped turn a growing camp into a connected one.

Behind the scenes, we continue to grow too. We’ve refreshed our website for 2026, evaluated our systems, and made the intentional decision to return to our original home at Ashton United Methodist Church this upcoming summer. Each step was taken with care and with the future in mind.

This year taught us that growth isn’t just about numbers. It’s about people, relationships, learning, and the willingness to evolve. We are incredibly proud of how far Camp Rippling Brook has come and deeply grateful for the families who trusted us along the way.

We’re carrying those lessons forward with excitement and intention as we look ahead to 2026.