Higher Ground camp:
changing lives
and growing believers

By Shane Bazer
Operations director

GIANT CHAIR SWING

BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS FOOTHILLS, South Carolina—“I don’t want to hear about Jesus. I don’ t even believe in God.”

It is not surprising to hear a comment such as that at Higher Ground Summer Camp, when about 30 of the 177 campers are unchurched or unsaved. Many congregations have seen the powerful ministry that takes place at our WCG summer camps and invite and even sponsor unchurched youths to go to camp with their youth groups. Higher Ground also included a number of non-WCG youths who found our camp web site, www.carolinacamp.com, while searching for summer camps to attend.

ELIZABETH MULLINS

The boy who made the comment above on the second day of camp, was baptized along with 20 others on the last day of camp. Five other youths counseled for baptism but were not baptized at camp.

While it is impossible to know everyone’s heart, I believe everyone left camp as a believer in Jesus the Son of God—even the three who professed atheism.

When I talked with many of the unchurched youths toward the end of camp, most expressed a desire to find a church to go to after camp or to begin attending church with the group that brought them.

CAMP SETTING: Photos by Shane
Bazer and Kim Jenner.

Higher Ground summer camp is on a gorgeous property in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in South Carolina and has all the typical fun summer camp stuff such as a zip line, giant chair swing, water polo, tennis, flag football, basketball, volleyball, a challenge course and more. But it is Jesus that makes it a life-changing experience.

ZIP LINE

WATER POLO

BAPTISM OF SEAN WELLS

    It is always surprising to me that the campers consistently rank praise and worship and the chapel messages among the top five activities at camp. But these youths come to camp thirsty, and when we show them in a clear and relevant way where they can get living waters, they are anxious to begin drinking.

If your congregation would like to grow its youth ministry and the kingdom by helping sponsor some unchurched youths or even send your own church youths to Higher Ground 2005 or another WCG camp, now is a good time to start planning. Higher Ground accepts youths ages 10 to 18. Applications, videos, pictures and more are available at the carolinacamp.com web site.

Copyright © Grace Communion International, 2004