Day Camp

What Makes This Camp Special

Day Camp brings all the smiles, energy, and faith-filled fun of summer camp into a daytime adventure! Campers jump into exciting activities, connect with caring counselors, and experience the heart of Joy El — then head home at the end of the day full of stories to share.

This summer, campers will head into The Wild Frontier, discovering what it means to follow Christ with courage and confidence as they explore new challenges and grow in their faith. It’s the perfect way to experience camp in a format that works best for your family.

The Experience

During the summer camp season, we offer eight weeks of engaging Day Camp for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Each week combines high-energy activities, meaningful friendships, and intentional faith formation in a safe, supportive environment where campers are encouraged to grow, both personally and spiritually.

Day Camp groups are led by caring adult, young adult, or college-age counselors, maintaining a small group ratio of 6 campers to 1 counselor. This allows counselors to build strong relationships with campers while guiding them through daily activities, conversations, and faith-centered moments.

This year, we are excited to offer two age-specific Day Camp tracks to better meet the needs and interests of our campers:

• Grades K–2 will enjoy experiences designed especially for younger campers, with age-appropriate structure and support, as well as fun activities and experiences that introduce faith concepts through play, stories, music, and hands-on activities.

• Grades 3–5 will participate in programming tailored to older elementary students that encourages deeper friendships, growing independence, teamwork, and meaningful discussions about faith and life.

Throughout the week, campers take part in chapel time, small group discussions, and interactive lessons that help them explore God’s love in ways that are engaging and accessible. These faith-building moments are woven naturally into the camp day, alongside games, creative activities, and outdoor fun, so learning and laughter go hand in hand.

For campers attending multiple weeks of Day Camp, our weekly theme expands to include new lessons and different scripture memory verses each week, ensuring a fresh experience for returning campers. Campers are grouped thoughtfully, and returning campers are given new opportunities to grow, lead, and connect.

Families can also take advantage of our multi-week discount, making it easy to enjoy more time at camp. And when you bring a friend, you’ll receive a $10 camp store gift certificate—because camp is even better when shared with friends!

Camper Schedule
Day campers start their day at 8:45 am and end around 4:30 pm, Monday – Friday.
Lunch is provided at no additional cost for Day Campers attending summer camp at Joy El.

Transportation

We provide bus transportation to and from six different communities in the area. Daily bus runs take place for all eight weeks of camp from Greencastle, Chambersburg, Waynesboro, Shippensburg and two locations in Hagerstown. During week 5 of the season, there are also bus routes from Mercersburg and McConnellsburg.

Dates & Rates

Registration Hours: 8:45 am – 9:05 am on Mondays
Length of Stay: 8:45 am, Monday- 4:00pm, Friday
Cost: $201 per student per week.
Financial aid is available. Learn More

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