Youth Summer Camp 2026

This summer, we had 29 youth students and six volunteer leaders attend Camp Pondo. From the very first day, it was evident that God was moving in our students’ lives.

We began the week with a fun trend of clipping clothespins onto people. On each clip, we wrote Bible verses or encouraging messages such as “Jesus loves you” or "You are beautifully made". When we started, we thought it would only be something funny to help entertain students during downtime and encourage people with a simple but meaningful way to share the love and truth of Jesus throughout camp. The trend quickly took off! We brought 200 clothespins, but by Wednesday morning they had been so dispersed among the camp that we had none left to give away. And we received reports from some leaders that some of their students were impacted by the messages written on them.

From the very first night, our students were deeply moved as they worshiped God together. They were encouraged to put their phones away, be fully present, and focus their attention on the Lord. It was truly the most touching part of camp for me, hearing them singing out the songs and genuinely worshiping God. (You can see a few pictures for yourself below.)

One of the most meaningful moments was Church Night, when we gathered together for an evening of worship only as our church family. We led them in worship and a time to briefly share struggles from their past, issues in their present, and hopes for God's work in the future. Then we broke up into smaller groups to talk with our students about the things they were struggling with and gave them space to be honest about what they were facing. We had the opportunity to listen, encourage them, pray with them, and remind them that they could bring every burden and struggle to Jesus.

There was also plenty of fun and ate well throughout the week! Ask any student and they'll tell you about the world-famous Chef Rob whose meals are truly top-notch. They also participated in sports and camp games, formed new friendships, shared plenty of laughter (mostly at the leaders' expense), and made lasting memories. One of our cabin groups even took first place in all the camp games (for the second year in a row)!

The week wasn't perfect; we had challenges and had tough conversations. But we had the privilege of watching God work in the lives of our students in ways we did not expect. And I think we all returned from Camp Pondo grateful, encouraged, and excited to see how God will continue the work He began in their lives. All glory belongs to Him!

Which brings me to the most important note for camp, what fruit did it bear? I'm delighted to share we had 14 total decisions for Jesus over the course of the week. Six of those students stood and publicly rededicated their lives to Jesus. One student committed their life to Jesus for the very first time! And we had one student decide to get baptized!