What We Believe
Girls are worth more than what the world tells them.
The media tells them that their worth comes from an endless checklist of Instagram likes, clothes, jean size, good grades, popularity, and success in sports. The world tells them that they must hustle for acceptance, but at Greystone, we encourage them to find rest.
Here they are freed to see themselves as daughters of the King, “fearfully and wonderfully made” of infinite value just the way they are. Here they can leave the makeup and fancy clothes behind and revel in a community that celebrates inner beauty. Every girl is perfectly lovely and perfectly loved by their Maker who made them just the way they are. This belief underlies everything we do at camp.
Camp provides the perfect setting for deep and lasting friendships. We encourage everyone at camp to let down their guard and simply be themselves– to live together without self consciousness. Here they experience total love and acceptance, enabling every person to look past themselves and reach out to others. This is how we make lasting friendships at camp.
DMC: Deep Meaningful Conversations
The DMC is a treasured hallmark of the Greystone relationship. The phrase was coined a few years ago by campers, and it has stuck, because it’s something we practice and preach. We long for meaningful relationships – friends that both know us to the core and accept us unconditionally. As we nourish friendships, we find ourselves opening our hearts to others in a very natural and genuine way. In the “Bubble” of camp, meaningful conversations become the best, most anticipated part of the day.
For our younger campers, a DMC is as simple as seesawing with a friend or giggling forehead to forehead about a funny Evening Program. As they get older, the conversations become deeper, and for our older girls, DMCs are a way of life at camp. Girls love sitting with a friend to talk through their struggles, successes, and signs of growth.
“Greystone is such a great camp. It lets me feel the real me.” Caroline / Camper
Deep and meaningful conversations enrich our lives at camp exponentially. By transparently revealing our thoughts and feelings to a trusted friend, we drop the pretense of perfection and find ourselves living lives marked by sincerity and truth. Girls leave a DMC glowing with the love that stems from mutual vulnerability and acceptance. A community defined by the DMC trusts each other and grows more confident in the beauty of their individual uniqueness.
Freedom
Freedom is a buzzword for this generation, but freedom to what end? The world tells us that freedom means doing whatever I want whenever I want to do it. At Greystone we believe that God gives us a different kind of freedom. We celebrate life lived abundantly and find joy in simply living in a community where we are free to be unique and awesome. We confidently reach out to those who are different than us and enjoy trying new things. Every challenge becomes an opportunity for growth, an integral part of God’s perfect plan for our lives.
Girls love the freedom they experience at Greystone. They choose their own schedule, make their own friends, and learn to live in harmony with a large group of people who are different from themselves. They set goals, express themselves, and take ownership of their faith. Greystone provides a supportive environment for girls to rejoice in their freedom, for it is good. Over the weeks they are here, campers grow in self-confidence as they master skills, navigate the campus, and chat with girls they just met. Girls leave our gates equipped with the assurance of a newfound independence and secure in a personal identity in Christ, making them better equipped to overcome the negative messages of the world.