Camp season has just ended for the Student Ministry at Schweitzer, and we’ve covered a lot of ground this summer.
Camp Barnabas
In the middle of the summer, 19 of our students chose to spend a full week serving at Camp Barnabas in Purdy, Missouri. Don’t let the name fool you! Camp Barnabas is about serving, not just having fun. Each student was paired one-on-one with a camper with disabilities and given the opportunity to help create the best week possible.
One of those campers’ buddies was recent graduate Ainsley Cologna. Here’s what she had to say about her experience:
For you, what is the heart of the Barnabas mission?
The heart of Barnabas is seeing everyone as made in the image of God. Many campers are looked down on by society, viewed as less than, or seen as unworthy of love, dignity, and respect. At Barnabas, we have the opportunity to change that narrative while sharing the Gospel. We get to be the hands and feet of Christ, serving campers in every possible way, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
How have the campers impacted you?
The campers have taught me how to find joy in every moment. Many of them face challenges that make everyday life difficult, yet they still choose joy. That perspective has changed the way I look at my own life.
How would you explain the experience of Camp Barnabas to someone who has never been?
Many people arrive thinking they’ll spend the week serving and teaching campers. But after the first day, you realize the campers are teaching you just as much as you’re teaching them. It’s a beautiful experience because you get a firsthand look at how God works through every person.
Students like Ainsley and many others in our Student Ministry are able to serve at Camp Barnabas because of your prayers, encouragement, and financial support. Thank you for investing in the next generation and helping make opportunities like this possible.
Christ In Youth
In July, 28 of our high school students and a dedicated team of volunteers traveled to Kansas State University for CIY MOVE, a five-day conference designed to help students deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ. This year’s theme, Kingdom Workers, challenged students to consider what it means to be people whom God uses to build His Kingdom, not someday in the future, but right where they are today. How do we serve in God’s Kingdom in our classrooms, workplaces, homes, or perhaps one day in vocational ministry? That was the question students wrestled with throughout the week.
From the moment we pulled out of the Schweitzer parking lot on Monday morning until we returned Friday evening, our week was intentionally centered on growing closer to God. Each day included worship, biblical teaching, and small-group discussions in which students processed what they had heard, asked questions, and encouraged one another in their faith. While the speakers and worship leaders play an important role, it’s often in these small-group conversations that truth takes root and students begin to make their faith their own.
Beyond the sessions, the week was filled with shared meals, recreation, late-night conversations, and plenty of laughter. Those moments matter because they create space for authentic friendships and lasting relationships between students and leaders. Being a Kingdom Worker isn’t reserved for a stage or worship service; it happens in the everyday moments when we choose to love, encourage, serve, and point others toward Christ.
Thank you for praying for our students and leaders. Our prayer is that the seeds planted during CIY MOVE will continue to grow long after we return home, equipping our students to live as Kingdom Workers in their schools, on their teams, in their homes, and throughout our community.