Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Will we have our own unit at Mount Carmel? There are a variety of housing units that we will be using at Mount Carmel. Every family will have their own bedroom and bathroom. Many units also have a kitchenette and some units have air conditioning.
Is Family Fest associated with any particular church? Family Fest is a multi-denominational ministry. Families and individuals who come to our retreats and programs come from a variety of Christian churches and denominations. The past few years families have come from over 80 different churches. We have tried to be very intentional in designing a ministry where all Christian denominations would feel comfortable as we focus on the things that unite us in Christ. For more information check out our Values and Faith Statement.
What are “KCs” and how does that program work? The letters KC stand for Kids Counselors. Prior to each family camp we will recruit and train around 40 high school and college age students as well as some adults to lead programs for our newborns through 9th grade. Students interested in being a KC will fill out an application online. Priority for selection will go to applicants who have family coming to either Winter Weekend or Summer Splash. Click the link for more information on the KC Program.
Can we move our child into another program? Unfortunately this is something that we cannot do. We tried to accommodate this in the past and it became a huge mess. We had 4 year-olds wanting to move up to the 5-6 year-old group. 3rd graders wanting to be in the 4-6 group. 6th grade wanting to be in with the 7-9’s etc. Some people simply just brought their kids to another group and suddenly we didn’t know who was going where. We ended up having to move KCs out of one group and into another in the middle of the weekend to help cover the extra kids. We finally decided that we needed to keep kids in the age group that they are in. We are willing to move someone down an age group. For instance, if a 5 year-old wanted to be moved to the 3-4 group, we could do that (because it rarely happens). We understand that is not always ideal for the individual families, but it is necessary for camps to function as a whole. Thanks for your understanding.
We have a child that goes to bed before the program ends at night. How can we handle this? We know that when there are around 50 families coming to Summer Splash, the program schedule is not going to match individual family schedules. This may throw off a child’s schedule for a few days. The evening program will be going until about 8:30pm. Some families in the past have found it helpful to adjust their child’s sleep schedule a few days before to help ease them into this. The afternoons are free so this can be a great time for an extended nap. The Children’s Program also can put the child in a Pack ‘N Play and try to get them to sleep if you would like. You could also send one parent back to put the child to bed, but it would be sad that they would then miss that evening program.
Can my child bring a friend? Occasionally families like to invite a child from another family to join them at either Winter Weekend or Summer Splash. While it is preferable that children come with their own families, we will try to make room when we can. Since we do not always know how many families will be coming to a particular camp, we won’t be able to confirm availability until closer to camp. Note that the cost for a guest child is different from that of a family who is registered to come to camp and more accurately reflects the true cost of attendance. Please contact the Family Fest Ministries office by email (amy@familyfestministries.org) or call 952-881-0939 if you are interested in bringing a guest child to camp.
Do you have scholarships available? It is our goal that all families who desire to come to camp do so, regardless of their financial situation. Unlike many camp scholarships, we do not ask for you to provide family financial information. We simply ask that you look at the criteria that we recommend and decide if you are a match. Our aim is to help as many families as possible with the limited funds available.