Although we would truly like to accommodate all dining needs, with the amount of campers we feed, it’s not possible to fully exclude common items such as gluten or dairy from our menu. We try our best to keep high allergy items like peanuts out of our kitchen; unfortunately, there are some instances where manufacturers don’t list all food ingredients on our packaging.  With this in mind, you are more than welcome to send alternative food with your camper if you wish. Guests with food allergies will have access to a refrigerator/freezer and microwave in the kitchen area. All food should be stored in a bag/container and labeled with your child’s name and program (e.g. Katie Kamper, Camp 45-1). If your child has food allergies or other dietary restrictions, there will be a place to indicate those on the registration form.

If you would like to speak with us about any concerns you have, please email Melissa, our head cook, at retreats@highhillcamp.org 

So glad you asked!  Our camps are set up for campers to attend the session that corresponds to the grade they will be entering this coming fall.  Our camp’s policy is that a camper my move DOWN one grade, but not up.  The reason behind this is because the majority of campers can easily grasp concepts that they’ve moved past, but can sometimes find it difficult to understand things that are meant for older campers.

Here are a few examples of how our policy works:

SCENARIO 1: Your camper is going into 6th grade but wants to attend Camp 45 with his friends who are only going into 5th grade. Since our policy is moving down is okay, this fits within our criteria and is acceptable.

SCENARIO 2: Your camper is going into 7th grade, but you want him to attend Camp 45 with his little brother who is going into 5th. Because that would mean moving down TWO grade levels, this is outside of our policy, and would not be acceptable.

SCENARIO 3: Your camper is going into 5th grade, but all his friends are going into 6th grade and are attending Junior High Camp.  Your camper’s friends are welcome to move down to Camp 45, but your camper may not move UP to Junior High Camp.

If you still aren’t sure about your situation or you have more questions, please feel free to email us at office@highhillcamp.org and we would be more than happy to help!

Absolutely! We love for our campers to come to camp with friends. There is a space on the registration form for you to request a friend (and an alternate choice) for your camper to be housed with.

(Please note: some of our churches assign housing by their established small groups, so you may not see a space for requesting a bunkmate for those churches.)

 

On a limited basis, yes.  Scholarships will be given as funds are available.  Additionally, we will only award scholarships to one camper per family and only once every other year to allow as many families as possible to receive scholarship funds.

CLICK HERE to fill out an application.

High Hill Christian Camp is owned and supported by roughly 30 Missouri churches (see list), which we refer to as “Member Churches.”  Because these churches support the camp financially to help offset the cost of camp, upkeep, insurance, and other expenses, we are able to extend a tuition discount to their campers.  If the church you attend is not on our dropdown list, but you know they are a supporting church, please feel free to reach out to us so that we can assist you.

Availability for some of our camp sessions will fill up.  When that happens, “join waitlist” appears on the registration form.  This means that all the available spots for your camper’s particular grade, gender, or member status have been filled.  That doesn’t mean that there’s no hope for your camper to attend, it just means that they will be added to our alternate list that will be admitted as space allows.

When you join the waitlist, you will fill out a registration as normal, but you will not be charged any fees until and unless space becomes available for your camper.

We will contact you by email first and if we don’t hear back from within 48 hours, we will call and/or text you.

There are no fees for being on the waitlist. We will let you know roughly one week before the session starts the likelihood of your camper getting in (their position on our waitlist).  If camp begins and your camper hasn’t been accepted to attend, we will simply remove them from the list and no charges will be made.

Of course! Just complete the process for any session that you’d like to have your camper waitlisted for.

Please note: For a quicker check-in experience, we ask that all payments to be made at least 48 hours in advance. You will receive an email prior to camp letting you know your remaining balance due along with your personalize payment link and how to add funds to your camper’s canteen account.

When you arrive at camp, you’ll be directed where to park and then you will proceed to the Camp Ministry Center parking lot where you will see large “Check-In” flags. You will proceed through our check in process in that building.

This is also where you will see the nurse to check in any medications (NOTE: please remember that ALL medications must be in their original containers) or express any health concerns that we may need to be aware of. Then you will have a chance to talk with our head cook if you have dietary questions.

Finally, you’ll make your way to your camper’s cabin/dorm. Please remember, only parents of the same gender as the camper may enter their housing quarters. Due to limited parking, we ask that you please say your goodbyes and head out as quickly as possible after you get your camper moved in.

You will receive an email during your camper’s session with this information tailored to your specific pick-up times and information.

Our pick-up process is super easy and is being refined every summer to make things even easier and smoother for your camper’s departure.  Please note, these instructions are current as of this FAQ posting, but as summer approaches, some things may be changed or adjusted to improve our system even more.

• When you first arrive, you will pull down to the Camp Ministry Center (where we did check-in) and give our staff your camper’s name. 
• This is where we will check your ID and verify that you are either the camper’s parent or on the camper’s authorized pick-up list. Please have your ID out and ready for us.
• If two parents/households are coming together to pick up two campers, please have both IDs ready for us. 
• If you need to make us aware of any reason a parent may NOT pick up a camper, please contact us.  
• You will proceed to drive your car IN FRONT of the CMC where we will have you pull up into our covered porch area.
• We will double check your camper’s name and officially check them out to you.
• We will ask you to “pop” your trunk and our staff will load your camper’s belongings into your vehicle – no need to get out into the heat, we will do all the work for you! (Please note: if you feel the need to get out and hug your kiddo, that’s perfectly fine, but please just keep it brief so that we don’t hinder the cars waiting behind you. If you’d like to pull off and park to check bags or get a longer hug, that’s fine too – but we just ask that you park to the east of the CMC in the parking lot as to not impede traffic.)
• IF YOUR CHILD HAS MEDICATION: We have lists with our campers who have medication highlighted, so we should be grabbing that for you, but please make sure that we hand that to you before you pull out.
• As soon as your camper is fully loaded into your vehicle, you’re free to go.
• Please be aware of narrow places on our driveway and considerate of oncoming traffic.  

Absolutely!  We STRONGLY encourage campers to be here for the entire session, but we know things happen.  For late check-ins, make sure to contact the office at least 24 hours in advance so that we have you on our late check-in list.  If you arrive late, you will check in with Lori at the camp office located in Nebel Hall.   Late check-in will only be available until 11 pm.  Anything later than that will need to wait until the next morning (as early as 7 am).  

Early check-out requests will also need to be given with as much advance notice as is possible.  We will have your camper and their things ready for you to check them out from the camp office located in Nebel Hall.  PLEASE NOTE: due to programming, we are unable to release campers within 2 hours of check-out.  For example, if camp ends at 11:00 am, the latest “early” check-out we can do is 9:00 am.  

Late check-ins and/or early departures will not receive any discounted/refunded rates unless the departure is due to illness or injury.

Absolutely!  We love carpooling campers – it makes it easier on our limited amount of parking spaces.

For check-in: If a camper is being dropped off by someone other than their legal/custodial guardian, a few things must be assured:

• The camper’s registration must be paid in full prior to arrival.
• The person dropping them off must be able to verify emergency contact information
• If the camper has medicine they will be turning in, our medical forms must be filled out in advance.
• If the camper has known life threatening allergies, our medical forms must be filled out in advance.

For pick-up: We will ask on the registration form and verify at check-in who will be picking up your camper.  Anyone on that list is able to check out your camper from the camp and this list can be altered at check-in or during the camp session.  If someone NOT on the list shows up to check out your camper, we will contact the primary emergency contact on the camper’s registration to verify if this an authorized person for your camper to leave with.

BEGINNING IN 2025, WE WILL BE IMPLEMENTING A NO CELL PHONE POLICY.
We ask that your camper leave their cell phone at home. We know this isn’t easy, but it will enhance the camp experience for your child. Cell phones have become a huge distraction for kids of all ages, and we would love for camp to be a place to escape some of that. We understand that many older kids and teens use their phones for Bible access, so we ask that you send an actual paper Bible instead (we will also have some available for use at camp).  If you need to contact your child while at camp, you may call us at 636-585-2262, and we will relay the message and, if necessary, have them call you back on the camp phone.

Please note that we WILL BE enforcing this policy as a camp.  We have your child’s best interest in mind and ask for no phones because we do believe it’s the most effective way for them to escape the world for a week.  If you have specific questions or concerns about this topic, please feel free to contact us.

Absolutely! We love for our campers to come to camp with friends. There is a space on the registration form for you to request a friend (and an alternate choice) for your camper to be housed with.

 

(Please note: some of our churches assign housing by their established small groups, so you may not see a space for requesting a bunkmate for those churches.)

So glad you asked!  Our camps are set up for campers to attend the session that corresponds to the grade they will be entering this coming fall.  Our camp’s policy is that a camper my move DOWN one grade, but not up.  The reason behind this is because the majority of campers can easily grasp concepts that they’ve moved past, but can sometimes find it difficult to understand things that are meant for older campers.

Here are a few examples of how our policy works:

SCENARIO 1: Your camper is going into 6th grade but wants to attend Camp 45 with his friends who are only going into 5th grade. Since our policy is moving down is okay, this fits within our criteria and is acceptable.

SCENARIO 2: Your camper is going into 7th grade, but you want him to attend Camp 45 with his little brother who is going into 5th. Because that would mean moving down TWO grade levels, this is outside of our policy, and would not be acceptable.

SCENARIO 3: Your camper is going into 5th grade, but all his friends are going into 6th grade and are attending Junior High Camp.  Your camper’s friends are welcome to move down to Camp 45, but your camper may not move UP to Junior High Camp.

If you still aren’t sure about your situation or you have more questions, please feel free to email us at office@highhillcamp.org and we would be more than happy to help!

First, thank you for considering to help out at camp this summer.  Whether you’re a parent, a church volunteer, or a sponsor for your church, you’re needed.  Please be aware that you will need to contact the dean of the session before being able to complete an application.  Our deans are ultimately in charge of determining the amount of volunteers needed for the session and acceptance will be based on his/her needs. ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST BE ABLE TO CONFIRM OUR STATEMENT OF BELIEFS and agree to lead, teach, and counsel campers within these bounds.

Please use the following to contact the dean for the session(s) at which you are desiring to serve:

Day Camp || TBD || office@highhillcamp.org 
First Chance Camp || Tonya Kennard || tonyakennard@gmail.com 
Kick Start  Camp || Tonya Kennard || tonyakennard@gmail.com
Camp 23 || Rochelle Gerdts || rochelle@forumchristian.org
Camp 45-1 || Rachel Borcherding || rachel@fccwashington.org
Camp 45-2 || Christin Merz || christin@whiteflag.church
Junior High 1 || Jeremy Keeler || jeremy@wentzvillecc.org
Junior High 2 || Ben Harris || bharris@greentreerolla.org
High School Camp || Jeremiah Howze || jeremiah@gccstl.org
Any Other Camps || Lori Hancock || office@highhillcamp.org

Adults (anyone over 18) who wish to apply to be a volunteer at High Hill this summer must complete a Volunteer Staff Form and consent to a background check in order to be considered for volunteer staff at High Hill. There is a $25 fee for adult volunteers to cover your background check – but you also will receive a free t-shirt!  Check with your church before submitting the form – many of our churches have a volunteer code that they use to pay your fee for you.

For student volunteers who are under 18, they must complete a STUDENT Volunteer Staff Form. All students must complete this form in order to be considered for volunteer staff at High Hill. In order to serve in our KS, 23, or 45 camp programs, you must be entering 8th grade or above, To serve at a Junior High session, you must be entering 10th or above.  If you are over 18 or will be 18 before June 1st, you will need to fill out an Adult Volunteer Staff form.

Our dress code is fairly simple and straight forward—modesty will prevail in all matters. Girls must wear one piece swimsuits OR wear a dark t-shirt over a two piece (tankinis that fully cover the midriff are considered a one piece). All sleeveless shirts must be at least three fingers wide at the shoulders. No bare midriffs or slouching shorts. Guys must wear a tank top under any sleeveless t-shirt with expanded arm holes. Shorts should be finger length. If you have specific questions about an item of clothing, feel free to contact us.

We have two fantastic ways for you to contact your camper!

1) Bunk1 (www.bunk1.com)
Our camp has a partnership with an online contact company called Bunk1. They are specifically geared toward communication with campers/parents while at camp. You have the option to set up an account, add your campers, and then purchase credits that allow you to send “bunk notes” from your camper.  Bunk notes are delivered at every meal.  Our campers have come to love bunk mail!

2) Traditional Mail
If you would like to send your camper a letter or a package while they are here, that’s GREAT!  Please make sure to allow adequate time for mail to arrive (we suggest sending a week early) as late mail will not be returned.  Additionally, Fed-Ex and UPS make deliveries here daily, so many of our parents have begun to take advantage of a trackable Amazon Prime delivery.  We think that’s genius.

Here’s where to send mail:
High Hill Christian Camp
Camper’s Name / Week of Camp
20 Camp Lane
High Hill, MO 63350

We deal with homesickness on a case-by-case basis since no two campers are exactly alike.  Our schedule is designed in such a way that the kids stay busy to ward off homesickness.  We try to limit calls to and from home because we’ve found sometimes calling home can make them homesick even when they’re doing alright. If a child is upset/homesick and can’t be easily distracted, we will usually call you and let you talk to them. Or, if you or your child feels like being able to talk to you will make them less homesick, we are certainly open to setting up a time for them to call home.

We allow visitors on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you plan to visit camp so that we can let you know the best time to come and how to check in appropriately when you arrive.

 

That said, we discourage visitors to camp during our shorter camp sessions. Parents stopping by to check on their campers can be a disruptive influence on not only their camper’s time at camp, but also on the camp as a whole. Simply put, campers who are not homesick often become so when their parents or family members visit them at camp and homesickness can be contagious. We ask parents who need to drop something off for their camper that they may have forgotten to schedule that drop off time with our office.

Guests under 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

Experience has shown us that allowing campers to have phone contact with friends or family outside of camp detracts from the camp experience, disrupts our ability to build relationships at camp, and often breeds homesickness.  A mildly homesick camper usually becomes a very homesick camper after a phone conversation, and campers who have no homesickness often suddenly develop it when they become aware that their friend has been able to call home.

Please know that if a situation involving your camper arises that warrants parental involvement, we will contact you. If you have an emergency and you need to contact your camper, please call our office at (636) 585-2262.

BEGINNING IN 2025, WE WILL BE IMPLEMENTING A NO CELL PHONE POLICY.

We ask that your camper leave their cell phone at home. We know this isn’t easy, but it will enhance the camp experience for your child. Cell phones have become a huge distraction for kids of all ages, and we would love for camp to be a place to escape some of that. We understand that many older kids and teens use their phones for Bible access, so we ask that you send an actual paper Bible instead (we will also have some available for use at camp).  If you need to contact your child while at camp, you may call us at 636-585-2262, and we will relay the message and, if necessary, have them call you back on the camp phone.

Please note that we WILL BE enforcing this policy as a camp.  We have your child’s best interest in mind and ask for no phones because we do believe it’s the most effective way for them to escape the world for a week.  If you have specific questions or concerns about this topic, please feel free to contact us.