Frequently Asked Questions
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How do I get detailed driving directions to Camp Joy?
What do I need to bring to Camp?
What do I need to leave at home?
What time does camp begin and end?
What if I forget a necessity such as a toothbrush, soap, etc.?
Does Camp Joy have a dress code?
Will I need spending money while at camp?
What if I get hurt?
What if I take prescription medications?
Can I bring non-prescription medications?
Will I be able to use a phone or e-mail while at camp?
What are the buildings like where I will be staying?
Can I choose a roommate?
Can my parents or friends visit me while I'm at camp?
Do you allow sponsors to come with the young people?
Where do sponsors stay?
What do the sponsors do while the campers are at camp?
What do sponsors pay?
Can sponsors bring their children to camp with them?
Where does Camp Joy obtain their counselors?
What about swim time safety? Is there a lifeguard? What if my child cannot swim?
Q. How do I get detailed driving directions to Camp Joy?
A. Click here for our location and driving directions.
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Q. What do I need to bring to camp?
A. For adults coming to one of the retreats throughout the year:
If you have registered for Standard (Dorm) housing, you will need to bring twin-size bedding or sleeping bag, pillow, towels, toiletries, Bible, pencil, and paper.
If you have registered for Deluxe Room housing, linens and towels are provided for the first two occupants. For details concerning your specific Deluxe Room regarding extra linens and towels for additional occupants, please contact us. You will need to bring toiletries, Bible, pencil, and paper.
For young people (4th – 12th grades) attending one of the retreats (not in the summer):
You will need to bring your Bible, twin-size bedding or sleeping bag, pillow, towels, toiletries, pencil, paper, and spending money.
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Q. What do I need to leave at home?
A. For adults coming to one of the retreats throughout the year or attending a summer camp as a sponsor:
Please do not bring radios, tape or CD players, playing cards, video games, magazines, TV’s, tobacco, alcoholic beverages, or drugs.
We would also like to encourage the minimal use of cell phones, pagers, PDA’s, or laptops as they can be distractions to you while you are here. Because of the location of the campgrounds in the hills of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, cell phones do not get very good reception.
For young people (4th – 12th grades) attending one of the retreats (not in the summer):
Please do not bring radios, tape or CD players, cell phones, pagers, PDA’s, playing cards, video games, magazines, TV’s, tobacco, alcoholic beverages, or drugs.
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Q. What time does camp begin and end?
Choose the camp or retreat of interest from the Camps page for specific start and end times or feel free to contact us for additional information.
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Q. What if I forget a necessity such as a toothbrush, soap, etc?
A. A few items are available for sale at the bookstore. Other things could be ordered through a town run to the local WAL-MART.
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Q. Does Camp Joy have a dress code?
A. Yes, the following dress code is followed for the safety of the campers and the testimony of the camp and campers.
Ladies: Bring dresses or skirts for services and loose-fitting slacks or culottes for activities. Dresses, skirts, and culottes should be long enough to cover the knee. Slits in skirts should be below the knee. Ladies will not be permitted to wear shorts. Swim wear should be one piece.
Girls will need to be modestly covered to go back and forth to the lake front. During specified camp weeks, no pants are allowed and only culottes or dresses are permitted, even for activities.
Men: Bring collared shirts (polo or sport shirts are great) and nice pants (Dockers, Bugle Boys, etc.) for services. Shorts are permitted only for teen sports competitions and swimming. Sweats should be brought to wear back and forth to the sports events and to the lake front.
All: Please avoid clothing with inappropriate advertising.
Leadership, Music and Speech campers: Bring Sunday morning clothes for the Friday night service. Guys – a dark suit, tie, dark shoes. Girls – a dress that does not have a low neckline and is not sleeveless and that covers the knees when standing or sitting.
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Q. Will I need spending money while at camp?
A. Yes. We have listed some of the items and activities that are available and their costs.
- Camp offering (taken during one service)
- Snack Shops, Coffee Shop, Bookstore, Cowboy Town (souvenirs, toys, etc.)
- Camp T-shirts, approximately $11 each
- Camp shirts (polo-style or collared), ranging from $20-$30
- Craft Shop, ranging from $1 - $10
- Tapes or CD's of services, $2 - $3 each message
- Week-in-Review Videos or DVD's, $8 each (Available only during Summer Camps)
- Screenhouse, $1 (available only during Summer Camps) (Campers sleep out in one of our wood-frame, screened-in cabins on our property for a night. There is a special marshmallow cookout and a devotional that night as well.)
- BB Gun Range, $1
- Grill, items ranging from $1 - $4 (pizza, hamburgers, fries, etc)
For Junior Camps (Summer) Only:
- Cabin Pictures, $.50 each
For Teen Camps (Summer) Only:
- Rifle Range, $2
- Paintball, $15 (to rent equipment: semi-automatic rifle, mask, CO2, and 100 rounds); $5 for additional 100 rounds. Campers must use the paint provided by Camp Joy.
Q. What if I get hurt?
A. There is at least one nurse on the grounds during each Junior and Teen week. If the injury is minor, the nurse will do appropriate first aid.
If the injury warrants, the camper will be taken to the closest medical facility. During business hours, there is a clinic within 10 minutes of the grounds. For emergencies, there are three hospitals approximately 30 minutes away. If the nature of the injury allows and parents can be reached, they will be consulted before going to the doctor. They will also be consulted after seeing the doctor if the doctor's office has not already contacted the parents.
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Q. What if I take prescription medications?
A. All prescription medications should be brought to the camp in the original bottle with the correct doctor's orders. If there is a change in dosage or time, there should be written instructions from the doctor. All medications are turned over to the nurse who will distribute them according to doctor's directions. We suggest that you send only the week's worth of medication plus one or two extra and keep the rest of the medication at home (campers have left their medications here.)
Campers with severe asthma may be allowed to keep their atomizer. The nurse will evaluate whether or not the camper should keep the atomizer.
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Q. Can I bring non-prescription medications?
A. All medications, even non-prescription medications, are to be turned in to the nurse during registration. Written directions should be sent by the parents for any regularly-taken non-prescription medications. These items should be in the original container and include dosage, frequency of dosage, and reason for medication.
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Q. Will I be able to use a phone or e-mail while at camp?
A. For adults coming to one of the retreats throughout the year or attending a summer camp as a sponsor:
We prefer that adult campers who attend a retreat not use the phones during the retreat, as that can be a distraction to them. However, if there is a need to make a phone call, they will need to be made by calling collect or with a calling card.
For young people (4th-12th grades) attending any retreat or summer camp:
We prefer campers not to use the phones while at camp. They are not near a phone most of the time and they don’t like to be pulled away from activities. If they need to make phone calls, they should call collect or with a calling card.
Out-going e-mail is not available for campers. Incoming e-mail can be directed to campers by using our Telegram Service or by e-mailing them at staff@campjoy.org. Emails are printed to be distributed at the evening meals. Campers receiving three or more pieces of actual mail or a package get to “sing” at dinner time.
We also discourage incoming phone calls for the campers. The only times when the campers are consistently near the phone are during meal times. The meal times vary depending on the retreat or summer camp week. There are also times when the meal is served picnic-style and the campers are not in the dining hall at all.
If there is an emergency, we will gladly take a message and have the camper contact the parents as soon as they can be brought to a phone. Since campers can be out in a boat, hiking on a trail, or at other activities, it may take several minutes for the camper to get to a phone.
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Q. What are the buildings like where I will be staying?
A. All areas have electricity and carpeting. Beds are bunk beds with three high bunks. The counselor stays in the room/cabin with their campers.
Girls will stay in the Lodge dorm rooms. On very full weeks up to 11 other girls may be in the room. (The average is 8 to a counselor.)
There is a bathroom and shower area on each hallway. The Dining Room is also in the Lodge.
Boys are housed in the cabin area with up to 11 other guys in their room. Their bathroom is in a central bathhouse and they go out of their cabin to the bathhouse. The boy's cabin area is about a half block from the Lodge, Dining Room and Chapel. View our accommodations page.
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Q. Can I choose a roommate?
A. Campers may choose one or two other people to stay with. The campers should list each other on the roommate request line of the registration form.
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Q. Can my parents and friends visit me while I'm at camp?
A. Yes, but we do not encourage this with younger campers, because it occasionally makes them homesick. Parents are the best judge as to whether of not this would be a problem. We often find that the parents are more homesick for their children than the campers are for home because the campers are having so much fun.
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Q. Do you allow sponsors to come with the young people?
A. Camp Joy recruits and trains counselors for each cabin so no adults are required to stay with the young people. Sponsors are welcomed and encouraged to come with their group.
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Q. Where do sponsors stay?
A. We have motel-type rooms available that are reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis. Reservations cannot be confirmed or guaranteed without advance registration.
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Q. What do sponsors do while the campers are at camp?
A. Sponsors have no direct responsibilities while at camp. They are welcome to attend the services and may counsel at invitations if they desire. We understand some sponsors are willing bus drivers but do not feel able to counsel. We always appreciate the sponsor's help and influence for crowd control.
During teen camps they can be the coach for a sports team. There are also special times each day for sponsors to participate in prayer meetings for the campers.
We also plan some special activities for sponsors during teen camps such as men's golf outing, ladies morning out, special boating/ski times and sponsor fellowships.
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Q. What do sponsors pay?
A. Sponsors pay the same rate as a camper.
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Q. Can sponsors bring their children to camp with them?
A. The children of sponsors are welcome. The charge for children 4-12 years of age is one-half the cost of a sponsor. There is no charge for those under 4 years old.
Please note we do have a few high chairs for the dining room but do not have cribs for sleeping.
There is no baby sitting service supplied.
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Q. Where does Camp Joy obtain their counselors?
A. Our counselors are Bible college students from fundamental Bible colleges. We recruit at several colleges and through local churches. Many are former campers who desire to give back to the Lord.
Counselors go through a week of intensive training to learn their responsibilities and our camp's procedures. We also instruct them on how to counsel using God's Word.
Campers are assigned to their counselor at the beginning of the week and stay with that counselor all week. The counselor stays in the room with the campers. All meals are together as a cabin and they all sit together in the chapel.
For juniors and primary campers, all activities are together as a cabin. Teen campers also have some activities as a church or with their friends.
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Q. What about swim time safety? Is there a lifeguard? What if my child cannot swim?
A. There is a certified lifeguard on duty during all swim times.
Most of the counselors are also at the lakefront to provide direction and safety.
Any camper wanting to participate in the swim times must pass a swimming test to be allowed out of the wading area. We follow the buddy-system for waterfront safety.
Anyone riding in a boat must wear a life vest in accordance with Wisconsin laws.
Campers who do not want to swim may stay in the fireside room for activities during swim time.
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