Big or Small, ALL Groups Welcome!
“This entire program [at Carolina Cross Connection] is great. It gives young people…the chance to really see, comprehend, and worship God…It blocks out all negative distractions and is just a big Christian community.” – 16 year old camper from Charlotte, NC
“Our youth group had been struggling for a while, but CCC sparked a flame within that group of 14 youth and 5 adults…and as the fire continues to burn brightly, they are encouraging and inviting others.” – adult camper and youth counselor from Lexington, NC
Carolina Cross Connection can radically change lives and strengthen youth groups. Youth and adult campers often return home with a renewed passion for Jesus, a strong sense of community, and a drive to lovingly serve their neighbors. This is truly exciting to us, and begs the question: what if even more people and even more churches experienced CCC and caught hold of this vision?
As we look to 2010 and beyond, we want to provide the CCC experience to as many as possible, both campers and the needy families they serve. We also want to remove as many obstacles as possible, to ensure that any person and any church can, as Mother Theresa once said, “come and see.” Come and see the needs that exist here in North Carolina and how you can be answer to someone’s prayers. Come and see what God can do with a community of people who dedicate their lives to worship and service. Come and see how much God loves us and wants us to love others.
It’s also our mission to meet the needs of the poor, the elderly, and the disabled of North Carolina. And in these tough economic times, the need is great. People in our communities have been hit hard. Families’ resources have been drained, forcing them to shift more of their money toward food and medical attention. Meanwhile, things like much-needed wheelchair ramps, painting and sealing, weatherizing, and safe floor structures simply cannot be afforded. People experience an emotional and spiritual toll. Hope is lost, and fear sets in.
Families need home repairs, a listening and compassionate ear, and the love and hope of Jesus. Youth and adults need to know the love of Christ, and in turn, to show it.
These are things that Carolina Cross Connection can do something about! So what do we do now?
For starters, effective 2010, we’re going to try something new. CCC has more flexibility than we have ever had, and we want to make it easier for groups of any size to attend and carry out even further the mission God has called us to. We want to ensure that we are inclusive all church groups, no matter how big or how small.
To these ends, we are modifying our group capacity requirement. Carolina Cross Connection now accepts groups of any size, up to 80 participants!
This is a fairly significant change in the history of Carolina Cross Connection, and we are aware that there may be questions that arise. We will do our best to address some of those here and help you to understand what we are working towards. So here are some “FAQ’S” regarding this new change…
Q: CCC has traditionally been geared toward small groups, and during a camp week, there would be 60-80 campers representing 4-6 different churches. I always appreciated the value of this experience, keeping group and camp size small, bringing strangers together to build a tight-knit Christian community, mixing people up in work teams, etc. Does this change mean that CCC is abandoning these traditions?
A: Absolutely not. We do continue to see great value in the model we have used for many years, and it is a model we will continue to strive for. But we do look forward to introducing some new, different kinds of camp experiences as well, in addition to the traditional model. Rest assured that CCC’s programming will look very much like it always has, and things like Christian community, breaking up cliques, meeting new friends, and forming work teams that are diversity-rich are values that we still hold dear and help make CCC such a powerful experience.
We are also excited about the possibilities of new camp experiences, and the value of an entire camp being filled with one or two large groups. We believe this will help strengthen those church communities, deepen the relationships between friends, and give those folks the opportunity to serve together and learn how they take it back home as well. What a radical difference it would make for a youth group, 40 or 50 people strong, to have their lives changed at CCC, and how it would impact their home church and community!
Q: We want to come to CCC, and our youth group is HUGE. If we were to register, is it possible we would be the only group in camp?
A: It depends on how big your group is, and what the current camp space availability is. If you were to bring more than 50 folks from the same church, then yes, it is very likely that yours will be the only group in camp. If you were to bring between 25 and 50 folks, you will likely be in camp with one or two other larger groups. In any case, our staff will create a program which emphasizes the same values described above, no matter what the camp make-up.
As always, groups must provide a ratio of 1 driving adult for every 5 youth, no matter the group’s size. Camp space is limited and filled first-come, first-served.
Q: Our youth group is REALLY HUGE. Can you accomodate more than 80 people?
A: Possibly, but we do have limits to our camp capacities. Please call 704-735-4257 to inquire before registering.
Q: May we request that ours be the only church group in camp?
A: Yes you can, but there is no guarantee. At the very least, you must register more than 50 people, keeping an adult-to-student ratio of 1:5, to be considered for a “one-church-only” camp week. Again, if this is your desire, please call first to discuss feasibility.
Q: Our group is very small, and we wouldn’t want to be assigned to a camp with just one, huge group from another church. Could we be assured of this?
A: You have nothing to worry about. We don’t want any small groups to feel overwhelmed or “dwarfed” by other larger groups. We will always work to ensure that your small group is assigned to a camp balanced with several other small to medium-sized groups, as we believe this will provide the best experience for all.
If you have any other questions about this change in group size requirements, please call 704-735-4257. The original registration brochure can be downloaded here. We look forward to 2010 and the opportunities for even more lives to be touched through Carolina Cross Connection.