WELCOME
We are a camp completely on water. Put students, leaders, and Sonshine volunteers on a houseboat with skiing, wakeboarding, banana boating, swimming, and floaties galore; add Bible study, worship, sharing and you come up with one of the best weeks of your life! Sonshine staff work with your leadership to custom tailor the most incredible week on your ministry calendar. The combination of your leadership, our equipment and staff, along with the incredible power of God’s Spirit makes it happen year after year. Sonshine Ministries is so much more than just a summer camp. Sonshine Ministries is the leading organization and experience in discipleship and leadership for Jesus Christ. Let us share our ministry with you. Focus on evangelism, discipleship, leadership development, or just a fun time in the sun with your students, whatever the trip purpose Sonshine Ministries can accommodate and enhance your efforts and goals. The reason why Sonshine Ministries is so unique is that we do not dictate your group's spiritual emphasis. Sonshine provides all the equipment and logistics while the church brings the spiritual guidance; however our staff are always standing by ready to assist or lead your group in worship, small groups, or give a message if need be. We will do as little or as much as you need. Small group or large, when you partner with Sonshine Ministries our experience, knowledge base, and camping model will bring you greater congruency, focus, and clarity to the personal and professional roles to which God has called you.
We are a non-profit / non-denominational Christian resource ministry for churches. We offer a variety of unique houseboating experiences for middle school, high school, and college age groups on the Sacramento River Delta and Lake Shasta located in Northern California. We provide all the resources and coordinate the logistics so that you may participate with your students and model to your staff your unique philosophy of ministry. Our staff will befriend your group with the love of Christ, encourage a biblical self-awarness in your students, model a Christ centered lifestyle, and challenge them to a deeper Christian commitment. There is no other camp, ministry, or mission experience that will better train, equip, develop, and provide an opportunity for your students to grow in service, leadership, and maturity. Sonshine began in 1975 when a group of people had the desire to help churches equip their people for ministry. Since then, we’ve seen the Lord use our ministry to draw thousands of young lives to Himself. To know more about our equipping ministry contact our office.
39 years ago I attended my first trip on houseboats as an incoming 7th Grader. Today as a husband and father of three kids, I can look back and see how my experience on houseboats shaped my person during my teenage years to not only participate more in the local youth group but to also participate more in our family back then.
Our mission at Sonshine is to help youth pastors with their ministries by serving them an incredible recreational experience on houseboats. Our mission is also to help families have healthier homes. Our expectation is that your child will come back from houseboats with a greater joy for being an active participant in your family.
Sonshine for the Family
Sonshine Specialized Camping Ministries P.O. Box 1527 Woodbridge Ca. 95258 209-367-0212 (ph) 209-391-0042 (fax)
About Us
"Sonshine Ministries is one of the most remarkable experiences I've ever seen for kids. It's much more than a Houseboat camp, it's a life changing adventure that gives students one of the best times of their life with an authentic Christian message."
- Jim Burns (Founder of Sonshine Specialized Camping Ministries)Jim Burns, Ph.D., is President of HomeWord. Each weekday in cities across America, over a million people hear Jim through his radio ministry to families. His passion is communicating to adults and young people practical truths to help them live out their Christian lives. Jim is a three time Gold Medallion Award winning author. He speaks in-person to thousands of people each year around the world with a message of hope for families. Learn more about HomeWord at www.homeword.com
SUMMER 2024...
Be sure to contact our office for information regarding the status of Houseboats for summer 2024. This is our 48th year in ministry and we praise God for how He continues to use Sonshine to reach students and support youth leaders. Youth Leaders for years have been asking us for help in planning and executing their trips. So a few years ago we introduced the HOUSEBOAT PREPARATION SCHEDULE. The following is just a suggestion; however, those who followed it saw tremendous growth in all aspects of their ministry. Please read through the entire HOUSEBOAT PREPARATION SCHEDULE first before starting it. You will need to calendar and plan accordingly. If you would like a custom tailored plan to fit your group please contact our office.
This file is for you to download. Enjoy! Group Welcome & Houseboat Preparation Schedule
We're excited for another amazing summer on the water that serves youth pastors and their students. We also hope that as a parent you see positive growth in your family from your child's participation in Sonshine's houseboat experience.
Steve Mann
President
