About
Rock River Bible Camp offers games and activities, outdoor games, and adventurous hikes, along with canoeing on the river and other outdoor adventures. Campers take part in campfires and moments by the campfire, as well as worship, Bible teaching, Bible studies, and small-group time.
• Ages: 6–18 years old
• Price: In 1958, the registration fee was $15.50.
Rock River Bible Camp opened its doors in 1958 after the leadership of the Western Conference of the Evangelical Congregational Church envisioned a camp dedicated to discipling future generations in 1946. The first Evangelical Congregational camps connected to this vision were held at Beulah Beach in Ohio from 1946 to 1950, and by 1950 a second camp was organized on the south shore of Lake Geneva in Illinois. By 1962, Rock River Bible Camp had grown to six weeks of programming, offering camps for kids as young as eight through adults and hosting 240 campers, and in 1977 it expanded to include additional retreats and family camps.
The camp describes itself as a Christ-centered camp that has been helping kids and teens grow in faith and friendship through outdoor adventures since 1956 and states that it exists “to know Christ and make Him known.” Its mission statement explains that it aims to reach people with the good news that Jesus has brought the Kingdom of God into the world and, through His death and resurrection, has provided salvation from sin and life in His eternal Kingdom, and that it focuses on introducing others to the value of knowing Jesus or reinforcing and strengthening their continuing relationship with Him. The mission further states that the camp strives to teach campers to not just know information about Jesus, but to know Him intimately through forming campers as Christ’s disciples, with the work of the camp described as raising up healthy followers of Jesus who will take His light into their circles of influence, and that everything the camp does is with an aim to partner with what God is already doing in its corner of the world through His people.
All volunteers at Rock River Bible Camp go through vigorous background checks and are DCFS mandated reporters. The camp has a camp nurse during each camp session who is equipped to handle minor injuries, illnesses, and health concerns, and OSF Hospital in Dixon, Illinois, is within a close distance for more serious medical needs. The camp states that campers are safely sheltered onsite in case of severe weather or emergency.
Rock River Bible Camp is powered entirely by volunteers, and its camps are fully run by volunteer counselors and leaders. The camp notes that it is affordable for all due to donations and volunteers keeping costs low. The camp number is only available while camps are in session in June and July, and the facilities are available year-round for churches, ministries, and family groups. The camp facilities are also available for rent for events including weddings, reunions, conferences, and special celebrations.
The leadership team includes Kenny Paoli (Board President), Gary Brown (Camp Director), and Lewie Frye (Project Manager). Zach and Kelsey Van Dyke serve as Board Vice President and Registrar, respectively, and Merle Saunders is Treasurer. Rhonda Giedd is Secretary and Cedarville Representative, and the pastoral and representative team includes Mark DeWall (Pastor: Park Hills Winnebago), Craig Conner (Pastor: Cedarville EC), Nathan Kennedy (Pastor: Dixon Bethel EC), Robert Dunbar (Pastor: Afolkey Grace EC), Casie Carr (Afolkey Representative), and Josie Hussey (Dixon Representative).
Rock River Bible Camp is connected with churches, including churches in Illinois that may apply to have members on the Camp Board of Directors. The camp hosts church retreats and offers a destination for church retreats, and it connects campers to a local church and reminds them that the walk with Christ continues throughout the rest of the year.
Last updated January 9, 2026.
• Ages: 6–18 years old
• Price: In 1958, the registration fee was $15.50.
Rock River Bible Camp opened its doors in 1958 after the leadership of the Western Conference of the Evangelical Congregational Church envisioned a camp dedicated to discipling future generations in 1946. The first Evangelical Congregational camps connected to this vision were held at Beulah Beach in Ohio from 1946 to 1950, and by 1950 a second camp was organized on the south shore of Lake Geneva in Illinois. By 1962, Rock River Bible Camp had grown to six weeks of programming, offering camps for kids as young as eight through adults and hosting 240 campers, and in 1977 it expanded to include additional retreats and family camps.
The camp describes itself as a Christ-centered camp that has been helping kids and teens grow in faith and friendship through outdoor adventures since 1956 and states that it exists “to know Christ and make Him known.” Its mission statement explains that it aims to reach people with the good news that Jesus has brought the Kingdom of God into the world and, through His death and resurrection, has provided salvation from sin and life in His eternal Kingdom, and that it focuses on introducing others to the value of knowing Jesus or reinforcing and strengthening their continuing relationship with Him. The mission further states that the camp strives to teach campers to not just know information about Jesus, but to know Him intimately through forming campers as Christ’s disciples, with the work of the camp described as raising up healthy followers of Jesus who will take His light into their circles of influence, and that everything the camp does is with an aim to partner with what God is already doing in its corner of the world through His people.
All volunteers at Rock River Bible Camp go through vigorous background checks and are DCFS mandated reporters. The camp has a camp nurse during each camp session who is equipped to handle minor injuries, illnesses, and health concerns, and OSF Hospital in Dixon, Illinois, is within a close distance for more serious medical needs. The camp states that campers are safely sheltered onsite in case of severe weather or emergency.
Rock River Bible Camp is powered entirely by volunteers, and its camps are fully run by volunteer counselors and leaders. The camp notes that it is affordable for all due to donations and volunteers keeping costs low. The camp number is only available while camps are in session in June and July, and the facilities are available year-round for churches, ministries, and family groups. The camp facilities are also available for rent for events including weddings, reunions, conferences, and special celebrations.
The leadership team includes Kenny Paoli (Board President), Gary Brown (Camp Director), and Lewie Frye (Project Manager). Zach and Kelsey Van Dyke serve as Board Vice President and Registrar, respectively, and Merle Saunders is Treasurer. Rhonda Giedd is Secretary and Cedarville Representative, and the pastoral and representative team includes Mark DeWall (Pastor: Park Hills Winnebago), Craig Conner (Pastor: Cedarville EC), Nathan Kennedy (Pastor: Dixon Bethel EC), Robert Dunbar (Pastor: Afolkey Grace EC), Casie Carr (Afolkey Representative), and Josie Hussey (Dixon Representative).
Rock River Bible Camp is connected with churches, including churches in Illinois that may apply to have members on the Camp Board of Directors. The camp hosts church retreats and offers a destination for church retreats, and it connects campers to a local church and reminds them that the walk with Christ continues throughout the rest of the year.
Last updated January 9, 2026.
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