Outside Let the In Walcamp Offers Outdoor Activities for the Community

By: Kelley White

Walcamp Outdoor Ministries and Retreat Center is a haven for community members to find peace in nature. As this camp continues to grow, their focus remains steadfast on strong values centered around the guiding light nature affords. Executive Director Bill Indelli has a passion for the outdoors and sharing WalCamp’s fulfilling programs with folks from every walk of life and age group.

“We were founded in 1963 by a group of teenagers that were part of the Walther League, which was a Lutheran youth group,” says Indelli. “They wanted to have a Lutheran camp in the Northern Illinois District, and they got together and raised the money on their own for the down payment.”

The Walther League was named after renowned Lutheran youth ministry leader C.F.W. Walther and is also where WalCamp got its name. Now, WalCamp continues to drive the teenagers’ passion for outdoor camaraderie on a larger scale. “Our mission statement is about providing outdoor ministry where creation is explored, Christ is exalted, and Christians are equipped for service back home and beyond,” says Indelli. “All of our programs are pretty much set around being outside, exploring creation and being outdoors. Even climbing a wall – it’s all outside with the purpose to challenge people.”

WalCamp welcomes everyone, and guests by no means have to be Lutheran to attend. Their camp is rooted in the Lutheran faith but those who choose to practice their faith at the camp do so with discretion and respect toward others. “When we do nonfaith-based experiences, we don’t force the issue,” says Indelli. “All of our summer camps are faith-based so we pray before all the meals. But we have a non-faith-based group here, so we’re not going to community pray. Our staff will still pray in our own little group but we’re not going to force that on anyone either.”

Their campus is well maintained and diversified for year-round necessities. “We have lodging, and we can host 162 campers overnight,” says Indelli. “We have multiple buildings and multiple different styles of housing, and we do things with retreat groups as well.”

Outdoor programming and opportunities are vast and span from activities for anywhere from 5–90-year-olds. “We have a campground, and, on the campground, we have activities all weekend long so it’s not odd for an entire family unit to rent out the entirety of the six cabins out there for their whole family,” says Indelli. “And when someone comes out for that, every weekend from Memorial Day through the first week in August, we have programming all weekend long like archery, kayaking, canoeing, river floats and hayrides. These programs are also open to the public all the way through to October 31.”

Generally, WalCamp runs at 60-70 percent capacity throughout the summertime and they also include a seasonal section for the colder months on their property. “We have a north loop and south loop,” says Indelli. “On the south loop we have folks who come every weekend from April to October and keep their campers here over the winter, so it’s like a seasonal rate.”

Outdoor education takes center stage most of the year at WalCamp, featuring overnight experiences and indoor activities when the weather is bad. “The kids come out anywhere from one overnight to four overnights and just spend time experiencing learning outside,” says Indelli. “All the learning we do is hands-on experiential learning.”

As an outdoor youth camp rooted in faith, it’s only natural that WalCamp is involved in serving the community and helping youth experience their camp in any way possible. “Our day camp program is one of the biggest ways we serve the community,” says Indelli. “It’s affordable and we offer some camperships. Last year we had between 30-45 kids a day in our day camp program. It helps the parents, it gives everyone a safe space to interact, the kids are outside, and we work on STEM as well.”

WalCamp also hosts special needs houses and participates in day events with them. “For example, this week we’re doing musical instruments,” says Indelli. “We call our special needs program Camp Agape. We also have an Advent and an Easter retreat and are pretty actively involved in the community. In Genoa, we participate in a lot of community events. We keep humming all year round.”

In recent months, WalCamp installed a brand-new climbing wall and zipline, affording the outdoor recreational center a host of new opportunities for their guests. “When we had the training for the climbing wall, we had some members of the staff of Adventure Works here to train alongside us, and maybe we can do some partnership using that wall in their mission,” says Indelli. “We have paintball and archery tag, which you play with arrows that have big foam heads on them. The idea is to get the kids out of their comfort zone.”

Donations funded the construction of both the zipline and the climbing wall which took about a year to complete. “We started looking to build it last year in September and we actually had a grand opening this year in September,” says Indelli. “It takes camp to a different level and a lot of people will be pushing their fears. It’s all built around safety. It kind of helps to show them they can do things that are really pushing them but with that safety net.”

Perhaps one of the best characteristics of the new activities is their accessibility. “We’re really excited about using the zipline especially since one side of it is handicap accessible,” says

Indelli. “It has what’s called a davit arm, which has a special chair that if someone were immobile in a wheelchair, they’d be able to get transferred from that to this chair. They can pull themselves up the wall, or we can pull them up, and they will still be able to go out on the zipline. It’s universal accessibility and that’s going to set us apart from a lot of different camps.” The zipline and climbing wall will be open to the public starting next summer and WalCamp encourages guests to come out and climb or zipline whenever they’d like. Truly, WalCamp just encourages and helps guests foster a love and connection with the outdoors.

As an organization, WalCamp operates under a full value contract with their attendees. “The first thing is safety first, then the second thing is to choose your challenge,” says Indelli. “We will never force you to do something. We will encourage you to do what you can, and we can show you how safe it is, but you will not get to the point where you are being pushed to do something you don’t want to.”

These values lay the foundation for the camp as a whole and Indelli reiterates their importance in all of WalCamp’s programming. “You have to respect yourself and others – and you’re going to give your 100%,” says Indelli. “Lasty, have fun. That’s how we operate inside of all our programs, and we run on donations, program fees, and grants.”

In the near future, WalCamp seeks to include programming for guests who are looking for a quieter experience. “Right now, what we’re looking at is maybe having a weekend where people can just kind of come out and hang, and basically it’s just to get away,” says Indelli. “One night we’ll have a trivia contest or something – not structured but some planned activities if they want to. We’re also looking at a camp ‘inside out’ which will be almost more of a journalling, low key hangout but it’ll still have some of the main traditions of summer camp.”

WalCamp is perfect for unadulterated youthful fun, and a great escape for anyone willing to let the outside in.