Independence Day Family Camp
About Independence Day Family Camp – July 2-6, 2025
Independence Day Family Camp is packed full of activities and excitement. Bring the whole family and enjoy dynamic speakers and powerful worship, along with some great activities including the Elbow Lake swim, decathlon, parade, pine car derby, zip lines, hiking, swimming, and so much more! Don’t miss out on our famous beef and salmon BBQs or the pancake breakfast cookout either. This weekend definitely has something for everyone!
Speaker | Grace Shim
Grace Shim is the Executive Minister of Serve Globally, the global mission arm of the Evangelical Covenant Church. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor and former Executive Director of Cornerstone Counseling in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Grace, her husband, and her family served as missionaries for 19 years in Kyrgyzstan and Thailand in mental health and medical care. Her passion is to see God’s wholeness and reconciliation not only in what we do but also in who we are as we minister in the world. They have three adult children, and she loves to travel and explore new cultures and enjoys meaningful conversation over coffee with friends.
morning Bible Study | Tip-arpha & Patrick Boonrang
Tip’s dream job was to be a journalist but God called her to read the Good News under the trees with young people on campuses for 14 years. She was a director of the Great Commission Training Center, whose goal was to win souls and make and deepen disciples. She finished a leadership-building program in Manila. Later, She led dynamic small groups and started a House Church in Chiang Mai. She enjoys answering those who ask why she became a Christian everywhere she goes. She opens her ears to listen and is learning to be an effective listener who helps people find rest in Jesus. Currently, Tip is an assistant of the Asia Regional Coordinator of Serve Globally/ECC alongside Patrick, her husband. She has no children and enjoys raising the 3 lovely strayed cats.
Worship | Brian Borin
Making connections is something that Brian is passionate about, whether helping facilitate connections with other people, with new ideas or experiences, or with God. Currently in a second career teaching music in Oregon public schools, Brian has spent most of his adult life as a pastor, serving in various roles in Covenant and American Baptist congregations, having been ordained in the ECC. Brian currently lives in Happy Valley, just outside of Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Heather, his daughter Kenna who is a sophomore, and when he’s from college, son CJ who is just finishing his first year at Oregon State University. He loves to see live music with family and friends, travel, and stamp McMenamins passports. He’s excited to be leading worship with a team of friends that he brought together from various places he’s served at different times.
Our Family Camp Programs
Every family camp program at Cascades has its own distinct atmosphere and design. Memorial Day Family Camp is the most affordable and least structured so you can experience Cascades at your own pace. Independence Day Family Camp is the biggest event of the summer, packed with exciting activities, fun fellowship, dynamic speakers, and amazing worship. Labor Day Family Camp provides a laid-back program, designed to wrap up the summer with all of your favorite parts of camp and some great worship gatherings.
Sign-Up Activities
Sign-ups for Activities will no longer be standing in line after breakfast. Signing up for Adventure Activities is going online and will open a few days in advance of the start of family camp.
We have listened to your feedback about the challenges in the process of signing up for Adventure Activities during family camp. It is our hope and desire to make your experience around activities smooth and enjoyable from beginning to end. This means that we are trying a new process for Adventure Activities sign-ups which will be a change from in-person lines to an online form that will open in advance of the start of camp.
You must be registered for family camp. You will receive instructions via email about a week before camp is scheduled to begin. Please note that filling out the form does not guarantee a slot and that we will do our best to accommodate your interests given the space available. The Adventure Activities are popular attractions at Cascades which means that the spots for each option will fill up.
We are hopeful that this new online system will give opportunity to more campers, be equitable, and remove unnecessary frustrations.
We appreciate your patience and understanding with us as we launch this new system for activities.
Dates and pricing
TIERED PRICING MODEL
We say it often, but it deserves to be repeated: we want every individual to have the opportunity to come to Cascades, regardless of their financial situation. This pricing model makes programs at Cascades accessible to families that may not otherwise be able to attend camp. We’re grateful to those who can afford the unsubsidized “true” cost for supporting this effort to broaden our reach as we seek to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Tier #1 | The unsubsidized “true” cost of camp for families who can afford it.
Tier #2 | A subsidized option (15% off the Tier #1 price) for families who need extra financial assistance to be able to experience Cascades programs.
To apply the Tier #2 option to your registration, use the discount code “tier2fc” for each person you are registering. For families that need additional support, we offer a need-based sponsorship program with an online application process.
| Independence Day Family Camp | July 2-6, 2025 | Status | Tier #1 Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Tent Site | $115 | |
| RV Site | $170 | |
| Timberidge Lodge | $325 | |
| Boxcar Cabin, Log Cabin, Lakeside Lodge, Madrona Lodge | $485 | |
| Program Fee & All Meals (12 yrs-Adult) | $300 | |
| Program Fee & All Meals (Child 1-11yrs) | $155 | |
| Program Fee & Dinners (12 yrs-Adult) | $205 | |
| Program Fee & Dinners (Child 1-11yrs) | $105 | |
| Program Fee & BBQs (12yrs-Adult) | $115 | |
| Program Fee & BBQs (Child 1-11yrs) | $55 | |
| Infant (0-11 months) | $0 | |
| Day Guest Fee (per person) | $15 |
