Camp Bethel is the outdoor ministry of the Virlina District Church of the Brethren. Our mission is to foster and build relationships with God, with each other, and with all of God’s Creation—together. We live out this ministry through our summer camps, year-round programming, and the hospitality of our facilities, which are open to people of all denominations and backgrounds. Our purpose is simple yet profound: to be living examples of Jesus’ ministry of life, hope, and unconditional love.

While we utilize emails and social media posts as a form of communication, Camp Bethel remains committed to print and direct mail. We see printed materials as essential tools for personal connection, community engagement, and ministry outreach. This helps us build and sustain relationships with campers, families, churches, donors and guests. Using both print and digital communication aligns with our approach to the Marketing Rule of 7. We believe that reaching our churches, families, and potential supporters multiple times throughout the year keeps them involved and informed, resulting in repeat attendance for summer camps and events during the year, and support for fundraising opportunities.

Types of Print and Mail Communications Event Postcards: We use our event postcards to promote our summer camps, educate about retreats, and market our community events. These serve as invitations and reminders, inspiring recipients to connect with camp life in various ways.

Summer Staff Postcards: At college job fairs, these postcards are often the first introduction to our camp that a potential staff member will see. Therefore, they play a large part in drawing interest. We want prospective staff to see engaging information about meaningful work. Printed resources, paired with in-person conversations at recruitment events, will often lead to excited applicants.

Save-the-Date Postcards: These postcards are mailed to all of our neighbors and supporters each fall to showcase all of our upcoming events. Hundreds of people attend Camp Bethel’s Heritage Day fall festival, the family Halloween Trek-or-Treat event, volunteer workdays and our annual Christmas banquet–much because of this friendly reminder that lands in their mailbox.

Birthday Cards for Campers and Staff: Our campers and staff members are integral parts of Camp Bethel’s mission–relationships. These simple, joyful cards remind recipients that they are lifelong members of the Camp Bethel family. Having these small touch points year-round extend our care and connection beyond the summer season.

Posters and Banners: Our posters are designed to communicate who we are and to share our mission at career fairs and outreach events. They serve as welcoming introductions to Camp Bethel, helping us reach new families and participants. Our event banners are customized for each occasion, displaying key event information, celebrating our sponsors, and reinforcing the message of community and connection that defines our ministry.

Receiving a grant from Conquest Graphics would significantly reduce the financial burden of our printing and mailing expenses. This would allow us to redirect more of our budget toward areas such as general camp operations and camper scholarships. In addition, grant support would help us extend our communication materials to families and church congregations not yet connected to our ministry. This increased reach helps us grow our community, share our mission more widely, and continue building meaningful connections throughout the year.