Home

Schedule

Coordinators

Registration

Stories

Nuts & Bolts

Forms

Workcamps are short-term mission trips that seek to provide an experience that connects service, faith, and spiritual growth. While the service we offer does improve the quality of life for others, it is equally important as a time to reflect on our own lives. The significance of what we do is more than social charity, it is an encounter with real people in the real world. Workcamps go beyond the familiar road of commercial society, taking us outside of our comfort zone so that we can spend a week in someone else's shoes. By working with people in various walks of life, we learn to recognize the commonality we all share. We realize that our lives are interconnected and that our stories have common threads. We hope that by serving others you will discover yourself and better understand your own blessings, values, and responsibilities as a child of God.

Workcamps exemplify the Brethren philosophy of simple living, and often cross the line to "extreme" simple living. During one workcamp in Puerto Rico the water system did not work correctly until the end of the week, and the workcampers were only able to shower once. On all the evaluations, they rated shower conditions with a ten and said it was the best shower they'd ever had! While most workcamps are not this extreme, positive attitudes, flexibility, and an openness to new experiences are essential for every workcamp. The groups who have the best time at workcamps are those who can most successfully adapt to their surroundings. Although the projects and living conditions are different for each workcamp, they all share some basic universals. You can expect to eat, to sleep, to shower (at least once!), to work hard, to play, and most importantly, to examine your faith and values! While at the workcamp, you'll get to meet and work with lots of people from all over the country and cultivate friendships that last much longer than just one week. All the details for the individual workcamps will be provided in the letters your directors and coordinators send you during the spring. These letters contain important information, so PLEASE READ THEM!

Registration for a workcamp covers food, housing, on-site transportation, recreation, a T-shirt, and materials for the project. Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from the workcamp and usually one meal during the workcamp week. Typically, the first day of the workcamp begins late in the afternoon and the last day ends around lunchtime. Workcamps have a small, secondary health insurance policy supplementary to that of the participant.

Registrations will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis starting January 3, 2008. Participants must register on the workcamp web page at www.brethrenworkcamps.org. A $100 non-refundable deposit is due seven days after your on-line registration confirmation is sent to hold your workcamp location “spot” and the full balance of the registration fee is due by April 1, 2008. Make checks payable to "Church of the Brethren General Board." Please send checks to Church of the Brethren General Board, c/o 2008 Workcamp Coordinators, 1451 Dundee Ave. Elgin, IL 60120.

Since workcamp budgets are based on the number of registrations, there will be no refunds for cancellations after April 1, 2008 (Deposits or Balances). Please keep in mind that your registration holds a spot that could be filled by another participant, and late cancellations prevent other people from being able to experience workcamps.

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Flaten, Jerry O’Donnell, or Jeanne Davies at 1-800-323-8039 or cobworkcamps_gb@brethren.org