As winter begins to loosen its grip, it is only natural to start dreaming about summer at Pecometh. The days grow a little longer, the air begins to shift, and thoughts turn to the kind of memories that are made best at camp.
For many campers, some of the most meaningful moments of the week happen in the cabins. These are the places where friendships begin, laughter echoes late into the evening, and campers who arrive as strangers often leave feeling like family. From bunk beds and whispered conversations to warm afternoons with fans humming in the background, cabins are more than just a place to sleep. They are where camp community comes alive.
At Pecometh Camp and Retreat Ministries, those summer memories are supported by a tradition rooted in faith, service, and connection: the Cabin Adoption Program.
A Meaningful Tradition of Care
The Cabin Adoption Program gives churches a special way to support the ministry of Pecometh. In addition to sending children to camp, churches can adopt a cabin, often one that bears the name of their church, and help care for it year after year.
This tradition offers a practical and personal way for congregations to invest in the camp experience. By caring for a cabin, churches help create a space that is safe, welcoming, and ready for campers and counselors each summer.
What Cabin Adoption Looks Like
Every church participates in its own way, but the heart behind the program remains the same. Volunteers gather to prepare cabins for the busy summer season by taking on projects such as painting, cleaning, replacing boards, hanging clotheslines, patching roofs, and handling other needed repairs.
Much of this work happens during Pecometh’s Spring Volunteer Day, which takes place this year on Saturday, April 18. For many churches, however, cabin care continues throughout the year as an ongoing expression of support and stewardship.
What may look like simple maintenance is often something much deeper. It becomes a shared act of service, fellowship, and ministry.
As Raymond Harrison of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church shared:
We come to fix up the cabin. But in reality, we love being here and the fellowship of being together to help our church and Pecometh. Our cabin is something we take pride in caring for.
His words reflect what many volunteers discover. Caring for a cabin is not only about the work itself. It is also about the joy of serving together and supporting a place that has shaped lives for generations.
Supporting Pecometh in Different Ways
Not every church is able to provide hands-on volunteers, but that does not mean they cannot be part of the Cabin Adoption Program.
Some congregations choose to support their adopted cabin financially. These gifts help cover the cost of supplies, repairs, and needed improvements, while Pecometh’s maintenance staff completes the work. Whether through volunteer labor or financial support, the result is the same: cabins that are thoughtfully prepared for the young people and leaders who will soon fill them.
Being the Hands and Feet of Christ
The spirit of the Cabin Adoption Program is best understood through the people who give their time and energy to it.
Tom Barwick, who has played an important role in caring for cabins and supporting other projects around Pecometh, described it this way:
What can four old guys with time on their hands and very little construction knowledge between them do to help our young campers have a clean, safe and enjoyable summer experience? … You do need a willing heart and the mindset that, YES, I am the hands and feet of Christ and I CAN make a difference.
His reflection is a reminder that cabin adoption is not about having perfect skills or extensive experience. It is about showing up with a willing heart and a desire to serve. That kind of faithfulness makes a lasting difference.
A Blessing for Churches and Campers Alike
The impact of the Cabin Adoption Program extends far beyond the buildings themselves.
Pastor Blair Hall of Salem Church recently shared his enthusiasm for moving forward with cabin adoption, noting the two-fold blessing it can bring. On one hand, it offers an opportunity for members of his church to come together around a shared purpose and strengthen their ministry through service. On the other, it allows them to support a place that has faithfully ministered to children, counselors, and families for many years.
As he put it, Pecometh provides worthwhile ministries, and this is a good way for us to help.
That is the beauty of cabin adoption. Campers are welcomed into spaces that feel cared for and prepared. Counselors are supported as they lead and serve. Churches grow in fellowship as they work side by side. And Pecometh continues to be a sacred place where lives are transformed through Christian community and outdoor ministry.
One Cabin at a Time
The Cabin Adoption Program is a simple but powerful expression of what it means to care for a ministry together. One cabin, one workday, and one willing heart at a time, churches help make summer at Pecometh possible.
Before the first camper arrives, before the first song is sung, and before the first friendship begins, these acts of service help prepare the way.
To learn more about the Cabin Adoption Program, contact Phil Rekitzke at philr@pecometh.org.