Gilmont Summer Camp is more than a week away from home. It is where campers laugh a little louder, stand up a little straighter, and grow a little braver. During a week of Overnight or Day Camp, campers grow closer to God, creation, and each other.
Nestled in the piney woods of East Texas, Gilmont welcomed hundreds of campers this summer for a season full of splashing at the pool, getting covered in mud at Jodi’s Jungle, roasting s’mores around the campfire, and singing countless silly songs on the hikes between activities. This is where the kind of friendships that last long after the Pavilion Party form.
As we look back on our 2026 Summer Camp season, we’re overjoyed to share the moments, milestones, and meaningful impact that made this year one to remember. To view this information as an easy-to-share, one-page report, click here. You are invited to download that report and share it with families, friends, and church members.
A Season of Growth
Enrollment across Gilmont’s Summer Camp programs increased this past summer! We welcomed:
- 10 families to Family Camp
- 38 individual people
- 59 Day Campers
- 24 returning; 35 new
- Operated at 92% capacity
- 305 Overnight Campers
- 191 returning; 114 new
- Operated at 79% capacity
“Gilmont is so fun. Everyone is loving and caring, and you get to learn so much about God! It is a fun way to meet other people and get away from electronics. And you enjoy every second of it.”
97% of campers reported enjoying camp activities
Gilmont offers a rare chance in today’s world for children and youth to step away from technology and form genuine connections. Through outdoor play, campers dream, strategize, and implement their visions of fun with peers.
From problem-solving on the low-ropes course and cooperating with peers at canoes to designing friendship bracelets or melty beads and stepping into their stretch zone on the zipline or at crate stacking, campers develop essential skills that last far beyond the gates of camp. Enjoying camp activities is the first step in transforming whole lives.
To read more about how camp activities foster essential social skills and help prepare children and youth for future success, click here for “Camp = A Playground for Building Social Skills”.
We believe every child deserves the impact a week at Gilmont Summer Camp offers. This past season, Gilmont provided $65,775 in scholarship and subsidies to help families say yes to camp. 69% of Overnight Campers and 61% of Day Campers received financial assistance to attend camp. We are committed to providing opportunities for all children and youth to grow in character, community, and God’s love.
THANK YOU to the many organizations, churches, foundations, and individual donors who helped give the gift of camp.
A Season of Friendship
93% of campers reported that they made friends and connected well with others
"The best thing about Gilmont is all the loving people. I made lots of friends and learned more about my faith in God."
“My son came back with a group chat. He has never had a group chat before or talked with friends on the phone on a daily basis like he has after camp.”
97% of campers agreed that their counselors were nice, caring, and fun
For the 2026 Summer Camp season, Gilmont hired 28 young adults: 3 Coordinators (Overnight Camp Coordinator, Day Camp Coordinator, and Support Staff Coordinator), 17 Counselors, 2 Media Support Staff, and 6 Support Staff.
3 fun facts about Gilmont Summer Staff:
- 13 Summer Staff members from last summer returned in 2026 for another year of working at camp.
- 15 Summer Staff members grew up coming to Gilmont Summer Camp as campers.
- The top five words Gilmont Summer Staff used to describe this past summer are: community, connections, rewarding, love, and joy.
"Working at Gilmont like a paid internship with the added bonus of spiritual transformation and a healthy, fun community. My time here has taught me so many lessons and completely changed my life in the best possible way. This is a place where I had the opportunity to be my authentic self - be challenged, have fun, laugh, and grow!"
A Season of Faith
94% of campers agreed that they learned more about God and grew in faith
The 2026 Summer Camp theme – Walking in the Wilderness – invited campers to step into something wild and beautiful, where they discovered the sacred within each person and in God’s creation.
Throughout scripture and the Christian tradition, people have entered the wilderness when they feel lost or lonely, seek God’s wisdom and peace, or prepare for something new.
Wilderness is both a metaphor and a lived experience of the sacred spaces where God’s presence is revealed amid uncertainty, awe, and discovery.
Together, we discerned God’s guidance and recognized the Spirit’s work empowering us for the challenges and possibilities that lie ahead.
God welcomes us in the wilderness – revealing our strengths, growing edges, and potential as God equips us for the unknown still to come. God walks with us, and we walk with each other.
Take a look at the daily Walking in the Wilderness Curriculum Below!
Opening Ceremony
The camp week kicks off with an evening Vespers service, where camp staff lead several worship songs, and the Spiritual Advisor introduces themselves, presents the Walking in the Wilderness theme, and provides a brief overview of what campers should expect during their time at camp.
THANK YOU to the 2026 Spiritual Advisors:
- Scott Leslie, retired PCUSA minister
- Rev. Jacob Snowden, Gethsemane Presbyterian Church
- Rev. Dr. Jen Bluestein, Grace Presbytery
- Rev. JP Marshall, First Presbyterian Church Rockwall
Theme: Wilderness Changes
Scripture: Exodus 13:17-22
Story: Pillars of Fire & Smoke
Daily Goals:
- Consider our own individual and collective wilderness experiences
- Be assured God is with us in our wildernesses
- Explore signs of God’s guidance and provision around us
Monday’s Bible Study welcomed campers into the wilderness of camp. It introduced wilderness as a literal place, where the Israelites traveled after escaping enslavement in Egypt. It also introduced wilderness as a metaphor for seasons of change, transition, and the unknown. Wilderness is an in-between space where growth happens, but where God can feel distant as life feels chaotic. The good news is: God doesn’t abandon us in the wilderness. The path through the wilderness may not be obvious, but God acts as a guide on our journey. We can find our way through hardship into hopeful futures.
Sample discussion questions:
- What are some signs of God’s presence with God’s people throughout the Bible?
- What are the signs we see today that God is present with God’s people?
- Where do people/you see or wish for God’s presence?
- What has helped you find your way through your own wilderness experiences?
Theme: Wilderness Frightens
Scripture: Matthew 14:22-30
Story: Peter Walks on Water
Daily Goals:
- Honor the tradition of Jesus entering the wilderness to reconnect, refuel, and be renewed
- Hold safe space to acknowledge that wilderness may be disorienting or even frightening
- Explore what it means to take bold steps, facing our fears and doing awesome things through God
- Affirm that no matter what our wilderness moments may bring, God is always with us
Tuesday’s journey into the wilderness took us to a terrifying storm on the Sea of Galilee, where Peter’s faith takes him onto the water. Our faith does not make scary or overwhelming things in our lives go away, but it does equip us and strengthen us to navigate them. The unknown can cause us distress and fear, but by connecting back to God and God’s creation, we can find guidance. Even when we are afraid, God is with us, giving meaning to chaos.
Sample Discussion Questions:
- Why might Jesus call Peter out of the boat? Why would Peter hesitate?
- What would stepping out in faith look like this week, this year, or even today?
- How do we know if it is Jesus calling us out of the boat?
- Who/what are our “lifelines” – the people or moments that help us strengthen our faith?
Theme: Wilderness Unites
Scripture: Esther 4:12-17
Story: Help in Such a Time as This
Daily Goals:
- Assure one another that we are not alone
- Bravely share our hopes, dreams, and fears
- Listen for God’s voice through the wisdom of those who have been or are in the wilderness
- Imagine ways to connect with our communities for help and support
During Wednesday’s Bible Study, we met Queen Esther, who was brave and stood up for the Jewish community as they faced yet another wilderness moment. Esther called upon the community to support her through prayer and fasting as she gathered the courage to speak up for justice. Esther’s story reminded us that even in times of struggle, God calls us to be brave and use our abilities to help those in need. God will be with us in the power and strength of community.
Sample discussion questions:
- What is important to remember when we are afraid?
- Where does God call us to be brave?
- Where might we be called to act on behalf of others who are afraid?
- How can we help others be brave?
Theme: Wilderness Awaits
Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11-14
Story: A Future with Hope
Daily Goals:
- Affirm that we are equipped to face wilderness moments
- Remind each other to seek God, who is always accessible and present
- Commission one another to pursue mountain top experiences awaiting us in our wildernessess
On this last day of Bible Study, we begin to look forward and find hope in the words of Jeremiah in the wilderness. We remember that our faith does not make the wilderness experiences of our lives go away, but it reminds us that we are not alone, that we are equipped to navigate them, and that it provides the hope we need to move forward as God’s people. Wilderness is not the end of our story. God is present and working in our lives for peace, justice, and flourishing.
Sample discussion questions:
- Where in your life do you think it would be comforting and helpful to hear the words of Jeremiah 29:11-14?
- What does God promise us?
- How do we respond to God’s promises?
Closing Worship
On Friday Afternoon, the last all-camp activity is camper-led worship. In preparation, Day Campers and Overnight Campers work in small groups to write liturgy and prayers – such as the Call to Worship, Affirmation of Faith, and Prayers of the People- to lead during this worship.
Many of these prayers reflected what campers learned about during the camp week. They contained themes from the Walking in the Wilderness curriculum, including that God is always with each of us even in the wilderness, that our faith equips us to be brave, and that even with an uncertain future, God has plans full of hope for each of us.
Enter the Next Season
With Gilmont Summer Camp officially wrapped up, we are entering a new season. As campers return to school this fall, Gilmont is preparing to welcome hundreds of guests to the piney woods of northeast Texas during retreat season – all while continuing to reflect on this past season of camp and look towards the 2027 Summer Camp Season. We hope that everyone who called Gilmont home this past summer returns for another week of play, discovery, and connection next year. And we hope to see each of you much sooner. Consider joining us for Winter Retreat – a weekend retreat in December for children and youth.
This place, this ministry, and this community is not just for kids. Throughout the year, Gilmont programs Adults-only weekend retreats. Think of it as an all-inclusive vacation in northeast Texas. From Silent Retreats, Craft Retreats, Tabletop Role Play Retreats, Men’s Retreats, and Women’s Retreats, we believe everyone can find a weekend that best serves them.
Parents, caregivers, grandparents, church members, and mentors, we hope that Gilmont will also be a safe, sacred space where you can step away from the busyness of life to receive and connect to God, creation, others, and yourself. Take a look at Gilmont’s Retreats and find your place today.