Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center

What Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center does

Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Christian camp and retreat facility operating since 1948 on a 1,150-acre campus on the Tennessee River in Eva, Tennessee. The organization operates as a ministry of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church, offering overnight summer camps for youth ages 5-18 (elementary, junior high, senior high, wilderness, special needs, and family programs), year-round programmed retreats for churches (Confirmation, Jr./Sr High, Older Elementary, Counselor Training), adult programs (Scrapbook Retreats), specialized at-risk youth programming (Camp Hope series), and event rentals for weddings, corporate retreats, and family reunions.

The physical product comprises diverse lodging (Heritage Cabins, lodges, hotel-style rooms, luxury cottage, tiny cabins, platform tents, RV hookups), waterfront access on Kentucky Lake, a Challenge Course with high and low ropes elements (climbing tower, giant swing, zipline), meeting spaces (Conference Center with 200-person capacity, Tabernacle, Administration Building), dining services, and recreational facilities. Programming is facilitated by trained counselors under a counselor certification requirement (mandatory since 1995) using a "Challenge By Choice" philosophy.

The business model combines fee-for-service camp registration (tiered at three pricing levels from a subsidized historical rate up to true cost, $260-$612 per camper-week), facility rental income from retreats and events, and tax-deductible donations including an annual fund, capital/growth fund, campership fund (over $100K in annual scholarship need), and the Cabin 17 monthly giving program. Go-to-market is community-led through church networks, supplemented by a website with CampBrain online registration, social media, and the DayShore channel partnership with 16+ churches that brought camp programming directly to local communities serving 802 campers by 2022. Day-to-day operations are led by a small year-round staff of approximately 6, supplemented by seasonal summer counselors and volunteers.

Name

Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center

Legal name

Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center

Website

https://lakeshorecamp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Christian camp on a 1,150-acre Tennessee River campus, operating since 1948 as a United Methodist ministry offering summer camps, youth/family retreats, at-risk youth programs, and event rentals across West Tennessee and Western Kentucky.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Camp & Retreat Services

NAICS

RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (721211)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Recreation Campgrounds (Amenities/Activities Focus) (THAMAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marina RV & Waterfront Campgrounds (THAMAJAH), Campgrounds & RV Parks (Developed Sites) (THAGAOAA), Cabin & Cottage Campgrounds (THAMAJAD)

Keywords

• Christian summer camps
• Youth retreat programs
• Conference retreat facilities
• Team building courses
• Outdoor adventure camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Eva

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Summer Camp Registration: Tiered pricing for overnight camps including elementary, junior high, senior high, wilderness, special needs, and family camp programs. Fees range from $260-$612 depending on camp type, duration, and pricing tier selected.
2. Retreat Facility Rentals: Booking revenue from group retreats including Confirmation, Jr/Sr High, Counselor Training, Scrapbook, and Older Elementary retreats. Includes lodging, meeting spaces, dining, and activities.
3. Custom Retreat & Event Rentals: Rental income from designing custom retreats for family reunions, corporate retreats, team events, banquets, and weddings. Flexible booking of lodging, meeting spaces, activities, and dining.
4. Donations & Campership Fund: 501(c)(3) nonprofit receives tax-deductible donations including annual fund for operations, growth/building fund for capital projects, and campership fund. Cabin 17 monthly giving program provides recurring donations. Over $100,000 in campership needs annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center operates a Christian camp and retreat facility on the Tennessee River in Eva, Tennessee, offering overnight summer camps for ages 5-18, faith-based youth and church retreats, event/banquet/wedding rentals, team building via high and low ropes courses, and lodging in cabins, lodges, and cottages. Programming serves both individual families directly and church/conference groups through structured retreats.

Product overview

Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center is a Christian camp and retreat facility operating since 1948 on the shores of the Tennessee River in Eva, TN. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of programs including overnight Summer Camp Programs for ages 5-18 (covering elementary, junior high, senior high, family, special needs, wilderness, and DayShore day camp variants), plus Youth Retreats (Counselor Training, Jr./Sr. High, Confirmation, Older Elementary), and the Camp Hope Series for at-risk youth. Facilities include diverse Lodging options (Heritage Cabins, upscale lodges, cottages, tiny cabins, wilderness tent sites), Meeting Spaces (Conference Center, Recreation Center, Tabernacle, Administration Building), and Event Rentals for meetings, banquets, and weddings. Supporting services include Dining, a Challenge Course/Ropes program, and custom retreat design. The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit affiliated with the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Camp Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 802 campers served in DayShore program at 16 churches
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Churches of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference (DayShore Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016DayShore program established 2016 as partnership between Lakeshore and local churches. Lakeshore provides staff, curriculum, equipment, and programming while churches provide venue, meals, lodging for staff, and volunteers. Partnership expanded from 8 churches serving 300 campers in year one to 16 churches serving 802 campers by year four.
• Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLakeshore operates as the primary camp and retreat ministry for the conference, which encompasses Methodist churches across Tennessee and Western Kentucky. The conference provides organizational oversight, pastoral support, and connects churches with Lakeshore programming. Lakeshore represents the conference in providing Christian hospitality and faith formation experiences.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Camp Magruder: United Methodist camp and retreat center on the Oregon coast. Directly comparable to Lakeshore as a conference-affiliated UMC camp with summer youth programs, retreat facilities, and waterfront programming; explicitly cited in Lakeshore's history as a former employer of a Lakeshore program director.
• Camp Loucon: United Methodist camp and retreat center in Leitchfield, Kentucky, operated by the Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church. Directly comparable to Lakeshore as a regional conference-affiliated UMC camp with summer youth programs, retreat facilities, and ropes course amenities, serving an adjacent geography in Kentucky.
• Camp Mikell: Episcopal/Anglican-affiliated retreat and conference center in Toccoa, Georgia, serving a regional faith community with summer camps, youth retreats, and adult conference programming. Comparable to Lakeshore in mission-driven retreat and youth programming, though the denominational affiliation differs from Lakeshore's Methodist roots.
• Camp Wesley Pines: United Methodist camp in Moss Point, Mississippi, affiliated with the Mississippi Conference UMC. Comparable to Lakeshore in conference-affiliated Christian youth camping, summer residential programs, and retreat hosting, operating at similar small scale within the broader UMC camping network.

Regional players

• YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South: Regional YMCA serving the same West Tennessee/Mid-South geography as Lakeshore, operating overnight summer camps (e.g., YMCA Camp Widjiwagan) and youth programming. Comparable as a regional nonprofit youth-camping provider with similar age-group focus, though without Lakeshore's denominational affiliation.

Broad incumbents

• Pine Cove: Faith-based Christian camp network operating multiple residential camps, family camps, and Day Camps across Texas and the Southeast. Comparable to Lakeshore in mission-driven youth programming and Day Camp-style outreach, with a broader geographic footprint and larger camper base.
• Kanakuk Kamps: One of the largest Christian summer camp networks in the U.S., operating multiple residential camps and family camps in the Ozarks. Comparable to Lakeshore in faith-based overnight programming, family camp offerings, and youth retreat infrastructure, but operates at significantly larger scale across multiple sites.
• Sky Ranch: Multi-site Christian camp and retreat organization operating residential camps, family camps, and summer programs across Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and beyond. Comparable to Lakeshore in faith-based overnight programming, ropes/adventure course activities, and family camp offerings, with a larger multi-state footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lakeshore-camp-&-retreat-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center