Student Life at the Smokies includes engaging worship from experienced worship leaders, learning through sound Biblical teaching and Bible study, community in Life Groups, and free time to explore the area. It’s a week of focused learning, heartfelt praise, dramas, community building, and most importantly, God’s Word on center stage.

Program Only: The cost per person includes all programming in the worship center, a camp t-shirt, Bible study material and free parking at the convention center. Program Only groups will arrange and manage their own housing accommodations separate from Student Life. Meal Plans can be added for an additional cost. 

Staying on-site with Student Life: The cost per person includes all programming in the worship center, a camp t-shirt, Bible study material, free parking at the convention center, and 4 nights lodging (max occupancy). Meal Plans can be added for an additional cost. See “How will my group be housed?” for more information about Student Life housing accommodations at the Smokies.  

Student Life does not organize a specified time or location for Life Groups during Student Life Camp at the Smokies. However, we will provide the curriculum and videos to help leaders prepare ahead of time. You have the flexibility to decide when and where your Life Groups will take place.

Student Life is designed for Student Pastors to be free of a lot of responsibility. This is so they can be available to spend time building relationships with their students. Each evening there will be a Student Pastor Gathering before the worship service for prayer and fellowship.

Your adult leaders will be the all-stars of camp. They will disciple your students during Life Group, pray with your students, ride the waterslides, help enforce lights out so you’re all ready to go for the next day and more! 

For groups staying on-site through Student Life, rooms will be assigned based on the rooming list that you submit 35 days prior to arrival and based on max occupancy in each room. The need for additional rooms for any purpose (i.e., Safe Sanctuary, storage, family, etc.) is subject to availability and there will be an additional charge. Please contact our office for rates.  

The cost per person is based on max occupancy in each room. We account for two people in the following bed types: king, queen, full and sleeper sofa beds. For example, a hotel room with two double beds will sleep four people. A room with 2 queen beds and a sleeper sofa will sleep six people. Discounts are not given to individuals using rollaways, cots, or air-mattresses. 

Program Only groups will arrange their own housing accommodations, giving more freedom and control over the number of rooms you may need for your group.  
 

**Property selection cannot change after your 35 days out deadline. Groups that have not paid their deposit by Jan 31st and/or final balance 35 days prior may be moved to a Program Only registration. 

If someone in your group needs a handicap accessible room, let us know as soon as possible so we can make a request with the hotel. Please contact our office if you have questions.

At the Smokies, you have the option of adding a meal plan. More details can be found (and will be updated) on the Event Details for each location. If you sign up for a meal plan, everyone in your group will need to participate in the plan.

We have numerous goals for our events, but ultimately, our goals involve life change happening in students, adults, and in us. In Scripture, every time someone spent time with Jesus, he or she went away changed. We hope each person leaves this experience changed. Not because of technical effects, engaging content, or even meeting new people, but because we have been with Jesus.

Student Life is a multi-denominational, evangelical ministry serving the local church and we invite like-minded gospel-centered churches to join us at camp. We suggest that all churches review Our Beliefs so they can best determine if Student Life is a good fit for their group.

We believe it’s important for adults from the local church to be involved in what happens at camp. After all, they go home with the students.

A Life Group is about 8-12 students coming together under the leadership of adult leaders from your church. A Life Group’s purpose is to learn about Jesus through Bible study, prayer and group-bonding activities so they can continue to disciple and invest in your students’ spiritual growth back home.

Our programming is designed for students who have completed 6th-12th grade. If your group is younger, you may want to check out Student Life Kids Camp. 

We request you bring one adult for every five students at all of our camp styles: Rec, Mission, Beach, and Smokies.

If you have students who will be on medication prescribed by a doctor while they are at camp, we highly encourage the group leader or an adult from the group to be the one to carry and administer that medication to the student.

Any over-the-counter medications should also be carried and administered by the group leader or an adult in the group.

For any questions or accommodations that need to be met in regards to medication at camp, please reach out to [email protected]

•  A $125-per-person non-refundable deposit ($50 for Beach Camps and Program Only at Smokies) is required to be paid on or before January 31st. Any new or additional reservations made after this date will require an immediate $125 non-refundable deposit per person. All deposits are non-refundable and non-transferrable after this date. 

• January 31: Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferrable for drops made after January 31. Any new or additional reservations made after this date will require an immediate $125 non-refundable deposit per person. ($50 for Beach Camps and Program Only at Smokies)
• May 1: An additional $75 drop fee will be incurred for each decreased person after May 1. ($50 for Beach Camps and Program Only at Smokies) When you decrease your registration, previous deposit payments made cannot be applied or transferred toward your final balance due. 
• 14 Days Out: An official registration number will be established for your group 14 days before Student Life Camp begins (35 days for Smokies). We will use your official registration number to calculate your final balance because of our commitment to camp locations. 
• If you decrease your number or cancel inside 14 days before your event begins (35 days for Smokies), you will be responsible for the full balance. All FINAL BALANCE money is non-refundable and non-transferable inside 14 days of the event (35 days for Smokies). We regret that we cannot refund or transfer your payment after this time. 

• Your Final Balance is due in the Student Life office no later than 14 days before your camp begins (35 days for Smokies). 
• An official registration number will be established for your group 14 days before your camp begins (35 days for Smokies). We will use your official registration number to make commitments to the camp locations and to calculate your final balance. 
• If the final balance due is not paid by 14 days before camp (35 days for Smokies), your group will be charged a one-time $75 late fee. 
• All FINAL BALANCE money is non-refundable and non-transferable after 14 days before camp (35 days for Smokies). We regret that we cannot refund or transfer your payment after this time. 

We are always committed to hosting planned camps and events as scheduled. Simultaneously, your group’s safety is our priority. If circumstances beyond the control of either party including dangerous weather conditions or national disaster make hosting a planned event illegal, impossible, or irresponsible and we cancel the event, we will refund your deposits and final balance, if they have been paid. If you cancel your registration on your own, we will not be able to refund your deposits. 

Lifeway is required to collect sales tax for events held in Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky and Virginia. The sales tax charge will be added to the final balance on your camp confirmation statement. For churches traveling from out of state, you must send Lifeway a sales tax exemption for the state in which the event is held to have these taxes removed. Churches may obtain the proper documentation from the state’s Department of Taxation or Department of Revenue where available (Arkansas does not provide churches with exemption status). State tax exemption forms are to be scanned and emailed to [email protected].

Some locations have rooms with queen, king, double beds, and/or sleeper sofas. At these locations, we book these rooms to max occupancy to keep the cost per person as low as possible, which means each pillow gets assigned to a person. A room with 2 queen beds sleeps 4 people. A room with 2 queen beds and a sleeper sofa sleeps 6 people. 

At our locations that have large bunk house accommodations, depending on the size of your group, you will likely share a cabin with other groups. 

Click HERE to find your camp location details and review the SLEEP section of your camp location for more information.