Teen Retreats

At the Camp Arcadia teen weeks, our ministry goal is to assist, encourage, and challenge teens – to live and grow as God’s people – in a Christian community. Camp Arcadia has two teen weeks each year.  The first week is for those finishing either 8th or 9th grade.  The second week is for those finishing 9th through 11th grade.

“As parents our prayer was that this week would be a week of deep spiritual growth for our son. It truly was that and so much more than we imagined.” – parent of teen week guest


View a video about the theme of the 2010 teen weeks.

This is what teens can expect

While there will be between 120 to 160 other teens at Arcadia, you will spend a lot of your week in a group of 10 other teens and one adult counselor. This group will pretty much be your family. You will eat, play, learn and worship together for the week. The counselor will be totally devoted to your group. He or she will:

  1. Love the Lord,
  2. Love to hang out with teens,
  3. Love to make a fool of themselves, and
  4. Love to listen and learn from you.

You can count on the staff at Arcadia to be committed to serving you, too. Each of them from your dining room server, to your program staff, to your ice cream scoopers will be there to make sure you have a blast! And don’t forget about the fact that you will be with 120 to 160 other teens at camp.

“I loved our dining room server. The whole staff has an awesome sense of humor and is so nice to everyone.”

Deans for the Teen Retreats

8th & 9th Grade Retreat: Dean Travis Hartjen Austin, TX

Mr. Travis Hartjen is currently serving as a Director of Christian Education at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Austin, TX. Travis was on staff at RKD the summers of ’93-’95 where he worked in the kitchen and on the program staff. He has had the opportunity to speak at teen weekends and camps in the Texas area for the past few years and looks forward to coming back home to Camp Arcadia. He is married and has two young daughters. Listen to 2009 podcast of evening vespers with T. Hartjen.

Listen to a 2009 vespers message from Travis Hartjen

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9th – 11th Grade Retreat: Dean Rev. Bill Yonker Dundee, IL

Bill Yonker is pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church. Each year he speaks to thousands of teens in various youth gatherings across the country, and has an active schedule speaking on college campuses. Pastor Yonker is married, and besides speaking and spending time with his wife, Joanne, and three children, you can usually find Pastor Yonker reading or writing, which are his other passions. Listen to 2009 podcast of evening vespers with Bill Yonker.

Listen to a 2009 vespers message from Bill Yonker

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“I had a lot of fun at Bible study because we got to do a lot of skits, which turned out to be very funny. My favorite part about Camp has to be Vespers!!! I got to sing with a lot of other people who enjoyed singing too.”

Frequently Asked Questions:

What will I do during the week?

If you want to have fun, make new friends, and grow in your faith, then Camp Arcadia is the place for you. Along with your group counselor, you and your group of 10 other teens will hang out, eat, play, learn and worship together under the direction of the Camp Arcadia staff. In addition, you’ll spend time with the other 100 – 140 teens during community events and free time.

You will spend a lot of time outdoors engaged in activities such as the Challenge Course, The Climbing Wall, volleyball, basketball, ultimate frisbee, canoeing, and archery.

In addition to group activities, you will have the opportunity to create projects in the Craft Shop, eat ice cream in the Trading Post, play ping-pong in the Wigwam, shoot hoops on the basketball court, and play tennis. You will even have a chance to share your talents by playing your instrument, singing a song or performing a skit at our open mic night at our week’s end.

Bible studies at Camp Arcadia are incredible! Travis Hartjen, DCE, Pastor Yonker, and the counseling staff make them fun, interactive, and memorable. Everyone looks forward to vespers in the evening when we sing, pray, ask questions, and hear stories of faith. Everything we do at Camp Arcadia is designed to help, encourage, and challenge you to live and grow as God’s people. back to FAQ

“The square dance at Arcadia is WAY better than the square dance in gym class!”

Where will I sleep?

You and your roommates will stay in our 40-room Inn or dorm area (counselors sleep in the same areas). Each room has a sink, and bathrooms are located down the hallway. Rooms have double beds or bunk beds and are furnished with a dresser and space for hanging clothes. Girls are in rooms with anywhere from 2 – 5 girls and the boys are either in rooms of 2 – 5 guys or in the dorm area with 8 – 14 guys per dorm. back to FAQ

How do you assign roommates and groups?

On the registration form there is space to put down who you would like to room with – make sure you and your friend(s) put each other down on the form. We try to room kids together with their friends, but split them up into different groups so that they have the opportunities to make new friends. back to FAQ

What is the food like?

Great! The Camp menu (see a sample teen menu here) includes all kinds of homemade foods and desserts.  Food at Arcadia is made from scratch and is a highlight for many guests.  We are sorry, but we cannot accommodate special dietary needs (e.g., peanut allergies, gluten intollerence, etc.)  Throughout the week, you will eat with your group Inn dining room. back to FAQ

“The best camp food ever!!”

Who can come for the weeks?

Any teen may attend these retreats, regardless of whether he or she has attended an Arcadia retreat before. While the program is strongly Lutheran, students who do not belong to churches are very welcome. Use the grade that the student is finishing to determine which retreat is the one to attend. Those finishing the ninth grade may attend either the 8th & 9th Grade Retreat or the 9th – 11th Grade Retreat. There is more availability in the 8th & 9th Grade Retreat.back to FAQ

Does space fill up quickly?

If you are interested in attending the 9 – 11th Grade Retreat, please return your completed registration form and deposit postmarked by the PRIORITY DATE of January 11, 2010. Forms that are postmarked on or before this priority date will be handled before those received afterward. Space fills quickly for this retreat.

The 8th & 9th Grade Retreat does not fill up as quickly; forms do not need to be sent to camp before the priority date for this retreat. back to FAQ

Where is it located?

Camp Arcadia is located in northwest Michigan right on the shores of Lake Michigan. About an hour south of Traverse City; 15 minutes south of Frankfort; a half an hour north of Manistee.

Directions to Camp Arcadia back to FAQ

When does the retreat start and end?

It starts on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm and goes until the following Saturday morning, pickup by 10:00 am. back to FAQ

How many teens attend?

About 120 – 160 teens attend the week. They are assigned to groups of 8 – 12 with an adult counselor. back to FAQ

What is a typical day like?

They are in their groups for all of the activities and meals. This is their family for the week. In the morning we have Bible study lead by the speaker for the week and some physical activities like archery, ultimate Frisbee, volleyball and some crafts as well.

After lunch, we either have a camp-wide activity like the beach carnival or we split the groups into three sections. Each section rotates each day between going canoeing, the challenge course & climbing wall, and a field activity like capture the flag.

Each evening we have a campus wide activity like square dancing (sounds corny, but it is really popular), staff talent show, open mic night for the kids, and a communion service to end the week. After some free time at the ice cream shop, we end each night with a vespers service – a lot of singing and also a time to hear the speaker for the week – we call him the Dean – to answer your questions about your faith and to listen to stories.

As you can see, you will be very active during your week. You have a great opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. For many campers, this week is a mountain-top experience – they grow in their faith and often feel closer to God during this week than maybe they have their whole life. back to FAQ

Can I come if I am not Lutheran?

Yes, anyone is welcome to attend, but please know that the theology taught will be Lutheran. You don’t have to be Lutheran to come to camp, but you better like them, because most of the campers, counselors and staff come from Lutheran backgrounds. back to FAQ

Who are the counselors?

We hire adult counselors (19 and older). They come from various professional backgrounds – teachers, lawyers, professors, college students, engineers, business professionals. Counselors are required to be at Camp a day before the campers arrive for an afternoon of training. They are responsible for their group of 8 – 12 campers all day long. They eat with them, lead them through activities (program staff lead the activities, the counselor participates in the activities and encourages her group to join in.) They are housed in their own room or near the dorm area with the campers and are responsible for supervision at night. back to FAQ

  • “My counselor was very nice and talked to us and he LISTENED.”
  • “He wasn’t just a counselor, he was a friend.”
  • “She’s so kind, thoughtful, creative and considerate.”
  • “She’s the bomb!! She is the best counselor in the world. She’s the perfect mom crossed with your best friend.”

How much does it cost?

The cost is $295 which includes all the meals for the week, the canoe trip and the challenge course & climbing wall. A little extra spending money is needed for the ice cream shop or for a t-shirt/sweatshirt from the camp gift shop. A minimum $95 non-refundable deposit is required with your registration (any deposit money paid in addition to the minimum deposit is fully refundable). back to FAQ

Is there scholarship money available?

You can request a scholarship form on the registration form or you can download and print one here. We do offer assistance – the most you can receive is half of the cost of attendance. You still need to pay the $95 deposit. back to FAQ

Is Camp Arcadia affiliated with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS)?

While we are registered service organization (RSO) of the LCMS, Camp Arcadia is an independent Lutheran camp. This means that we are not officially connected to any church body – the people that come to Camp are able to join the Lutheran Camp Association – which owns and operates Camp Arcadia. We have strong ties to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, both of our teen retreat speakers are with the LCMS. back to FAQ

How do I register?

To register for a teen week, visit this page. Get a 2010 Registration Form here back to FAQ

I’m already registered for a teen week, how do I get my health and payment forms?

This is what you need: Teen Week Forms (due to camp by May 15) back to FAQ