Camp GuilRock

My name is Mark Christy, and I serve as the Executive Director at Camp GuilRock. I am a consecrated diaconal minister in the Western North Carolina Conference and have been involved in youth ministry in the WNC Conference for over 25 years. My family and I have lived at Camp GuilRock for the past 9 years.

Camp GuilRock is the 200 plus acre camp shared by the Greensboro and Northeast Districts. Our camp has been incorporated and in operation in this part of the Western North Carolina Conference since 1970. It is run by a Board of Directors, made up of clergy and laity from both the Greensboro and Northeast Districts. These “directors” serve three year terms and attend a monthly board meeting. Camp GuilRock operates from a set of by laws recently updated/adopted in the year 2006. The camp budget is raised from the support of churches in both districts, and through the generosity of individuals and groups interested in Christian outdoor education. Our yearly budget averages around $110,000.00. Monthly receipts of revenues and disbursements are made available to our board of directors, and may be obtained by calling the camp office.

Our camp offers opportunities and facilities for camping, day camping, hiking, swimming, canoeing, picnics, family and church gatherings, reunions, and recreation. We have a swimming pool, two picnic shelters with adjacent bath room facilities, a 10 acre fishing lake, a big ball field, basketball and volleyball courts, and plenty of tent camping areas. Indoor and overnight stays are available throughout the year using the winterized/air-conditioned Asbury and Kingswood Lodges. In the year 2008, we had over 6000 visitors to our campus. Our “busiest” season is summer, where we average over 3000 campers/guests. Many of our groups include youth groups from a variety of denominations, scout groups, family reunions, child care groups, United Methodist Men, United Methodist Women, social clubs, and social service agencies.

One of our proudest accomplishments over the past three summers has been the creation of a GuilRock sponsored “day camp” for neighborhood children surrounding our camp and ESL students from Greensboro. These students come for a week of day camp, free of charge to them, and with the help of many individuals and churches in both our sponsoring districts, have the day camp experience of a life time! In 2008, we sponsored over 60 children, provided breakfast and lunch for these children each day, allowed them opportunities for swimming, canoeing, hiking, cooking over a open fire, plant/tree identification, visitation of a working petting zoo, multiple games and outdoor recreation, and gift presentation(s) for every child. We received a $12,000.00 grant for this program in 2007, and will use this money again in the summer 2009 to assist in running this day camp. Center UMC in Greensboro donated a bus to Camp GuilRock in 2008, so we provide transportation for these students as well.

Along with this day camp, Camp GuilRock provides “GuilRock Days” for our community, where families in our community are invited to our campus (at various times during the year) for a free day of camp activities (swimming, canoeing, hiking, etc) and a cook out. Camp GuilRock, along with Fairgrove UMC, participates in a weekly ministry (throughout the academic school year) to the children and families who live within a few miles of the camp. The camp bus has been a great asset to this after school program. We want to be perceived as not simply a “destination” for groups, but more importantly, a “working Christian ministry” in our community.

We are in the process of completely renovating our swimming pool, and when the 2009 season opens, we will essentially have a “new” pool. We are excited about this pool, and have been blessed by the generosity of individuals and churches in our districts! This renovation project will cost over $38,000.00, and half of that cost has already been offset by the gifts of United Methodists and friends of GuilRock in both our supporting districts! We give God the glory for this!

A big plan for 2009 is to enclose and renovate our Wesley Pavilion on the south side of our campus. We have plans to create a new dining hall, add bath rooms and a big kitchen, and make this facility able to accommodate groups year round. All members of our supporting districts are invited to prayerfully support, and if possible, financially support this project. We believe this project will cost a little over $100,000.00. Our camp Board of Directors is excited about this project and has worked hard to make this happen!

Again, we want to stress the fact that Camp GuilRock is YOUR district camp!! The United Methodist Church has a “gem” in southern Rockingham County, and we want to do our very best to preserve the beauty of this natural habitat as we keep focused on where God is leading us in ministry to our community. We perceive our ministry at GuilRock to be an extension of the Christian education that happens at the local church level; therefore, we are all connected!

We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in 2009! Questions? You may call our office at (336) 342-1951; Fax - (336) 342-1991; email -mcmarathon@aol.com; website - campguilrock.org.

Your prayers are appreciated and needed as we pursue effective outdoor Christian education in this part of God’s world!

Blessings,
Mark Christy