In this video Ashley Paige Kiley, Camp Programs Director, provides an overview of HoneyRock's newest camper program: Catalyst
What is Catalyst?
The Catalyst program is designed to serve as a catalytic moment, encouraging you to further cultivate your commitment to Jesus Christ, to others, and to your callings. Catalyst is designed to be a two-year leadership development program for high school campers (rising 11th and 12th graders).
11-12
Grades
2
year progression
5-8
week sessions
Participating in vocational service areas, living life in community, and purposefully engaging in sacred rhythms, such as morning watch, worship, and bible studies, Catalyst is designed to be a training ground for launching your camper into life after high school.
Through personalized coaching and our disciple-making leadership model, campers will further develop a grounded identity in Christ, an awareness of personal strengths, weaknesses, and giftings, and a character marked by resilience and integrity.
During Catalyst, campers will have the opportunity to participate in activity areas, plan and lead wilderness trips, and develop life-long friendships within their community of peers.
We pray this program will serve as the catalyst for your son or daughter to make the commitment to walk as faithful influences, equipped and ready to navigate the complex world today.
Catalyst Reference & Additional Questions Form
Coming to Catalyst 1 or Catalyst 2 this summer? You'll need to complete the Catalyst Reference and Additional Questions Form as you prepare for your summer at HoneyRock.
Catalyst 1 exists to discover students' passions, giftings, and calling in order to form them into wholistic disciples of the gospel. Disciples who are marked with a unique passion to serve.
They will gain exposure to a variety of vocational areas through two-week service rotations giving them the opportunity to learn lifelong skills alongside HoneyRock’s professional and summer staff. These service areas include the kitchen, guest services (housekeeping), grounds work, auto shop, construction, trip locker management, equestrian center, and facilitating Day Camp. Campers serve and learn in these areas Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
As we strive to carry on the experiences our campers already have and further develop them into the next generation of leaders, Wednesdays are set aside to intentionally dive deep into the topic of leadership by way of reflecting on experience and engaging in discussion. A foundational part of the leadership development that occurs in Catalyst 1 is the spiritual formation rhythms and processes. Spiritual formation takes form through...
One-on-one discipleship
Engaging in cabin Bible studies
Exploring and reading Scripture
Implementing different spiritual disciplines
Participating in student-led worship
And more!
We aim to create the conditions for our Catalyst 1 campers to have transformative experiences so that they return home with a confidence in Christ that allows them live with a grounded identity and heart for service in their ever-changing world.
Catalyst Year 2 exists to prepare our students to launch forward into their future by giving them opportunities to be equipped by developing their gifts. Through leadership experiences in a communal environment, they are supported in the process of becoming disciple-making leaders.
Those leadership experiences allow them to step into the roles of cabin leading, facilitating in an activity area, and serving in our vocational/operations areas. While spending time in those places and on those teams, the Catalyst 2 community will also join together for spiritual formation and one-on-one mentorship. Catalyst 2 is focused on honing each camper's specific God-given skills and interests.
We aim to create the conditions for our Catalyst 2 campers to have transformative experiences so that they return home with a confidence in Christ that allows them to live with a grounded identity and heart for service in their ever-changing world.
The Catalyst Year 1 and Year 2 programs are so much more than just the service areas and work experience.
Yes, for one portion of the program campers are serving in different operational areas around HoneyRock. However, these areas (or tracks) are not designed for the efficiency of service to Honeyrock. Rather this core element of the program is purposely designed and planned out for the continued faith and character formation of our Catalyst campers.
While we can't guarantee placement in any one track (a track is a work area), Catalyst participants will designate which track(s) they are most interested in exploring. Participants can designate an interest in pursuing one track or multiple tracks throughout the summer.
Once you have designated interest in a track for the upcoming two weeks, you cannot change your mind. When the next selection period comes up (at the end of the current two-week work rotation) you can designate your interest in switching to another track. Why is this? Once you're assigned a track, your supervisor will be counting on you to lead in the work area!
Completing Catalyst 1 is recommended before doing Catalyst 2. However, if you're interested in Catalyst 2, reach out to honeyrock.register@wheaton.edu and they will connect you with the Catalyst 2 Coordinator to talk and determine what program is the best fit.
What does a day in the life of Catalyst look like?
6:45
Morning Watch
7:30
Breakfast
8:00
Staff Devotionals
8:30
Service Areas or Day Camp Counseling
12:15
Lunch
1:00
Service Areas or Day Camp Counseling
5:15
Dinner
6:00
Free/Chill Time
7:00
Beehive Open
7:30
Bible Study or Evening Activity
9:30
Cabin Time and Reflection
10:30
Lights Out
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays are days for Day Camp counseling, vocational exploration through work, and service.
Wednesdays are unique and set aside to focus on Catalyst 1 programming.
See the weekend drop down option to learn more about what weekends are like in Catalyst 1!
8:00
Staff Devotionals
8:30
Morning Watch
9:15
Varies Weekend by Weekend*
12:15
Lunch
1:00
Rest Hour
2:00
Varies Weekend by Weekend*
4:00
Vespers
5:15
Dinner
6:00
Beehive Open
6:30
Evening Event
9:30
Cabin Time & Reflection
11:00
Lights Out
Week
Focus
1
Community Formation, Wilderness Trip, & Service Area Orientation
2
Service Area 1
3
Service Area 1
4
Service Area 2
5
Service Area 2 *5-Week Catalyst 1 Departs
6
Service Area 3
7
Service Area 3
Week
Focus
1
Training and Community Formation
2
Training in Res Camp, Activities, and Service Areas
3
Track 1
4
5
Track 2
6
7
Track 3
8
If you're in the Residential Camp track (counseling Residential Camp campers) this is what your schedule will look like on an average day.
Time
Event
6:00
Solid Rock (Optional)
7:00
Staff Meeting
7:45
Zacco
8:00
Breakfast
8:45
Morning Watch
9:10
Lead Bible Study
10:15
Camper Worship
10:45
Activity Period 1
12:50
Zacco
1:00
Lunch
1:35
Rest Hour
2:45
Activity Period 2
4:30
OPA - Optional Play Activity
5:50
Zacco
6:00
Dinner
7:00
Evening Cabin Activity
9:00
Cabin Reflection
9:30
Lights Out
If you're in the Activity Staff track this is what your schedule will look like on an average day.
Time
Event
6:00
First Word
6:30
Morning Watch (all)
7:00
Morning Meeting
7:15
Breakfast
8:15
Activity Period 1 (leading Advance Campers)
10:45
Activity Period 2 (leading Res Campers)
12:40
Lunch
1:00
Activity Period 3 (leading Advance Campers)
2:45
Activity Period 4 (leading Res Campers)
5:15
Dinner
6:00
Free Time
7:00
Community Time / Unit Spiritual Formation Time
8:30
Cabin Reflection
9:45
Lights Out
If you're in the Service Area track this is what your schedule will look like on an average day.
The biggest area that I grew in while at HoneyRock, was in how I act as a servant leader. I learned how to trust in God’s providence and faithfulness even if I did not see the exact ways he was moving at the moment. My faith took leaps and bounds forward while participating in Catalyst.
— Taylor Chiles
He now looks for opportunities to serve others back at home!
The most meaningful part of my son’s summer in Catalyst was serving in the Service Areas. He loved getting to work alongside the Operations Staff and develop a heart for serving others and working hard. He now looks for opportunities to serve others back at home!
— 2021 Camper Parent
Considering a Gap Year?
Are you considering a gap year after high school? If so, explore Vanguard—the gap year of Wheaton College at HoneyRock!
