Camp Ministry

Every year in the United States the lives of 9 million children and adults are impacted through more than 12,000 camping and retreat ministries hosted by organized camps, local churches, colleges, agencies, and mission boards.

Camp Ministry Concentration

BS Christian Leadership | 120 Credits

Every year in the United States the lives of 9 million children and adults are impacted through more than 12,000 camping and retreat ministries hosted by organized camps, local churches, colleges, agencies, and mission boards. In addition, almost every church and school integrates experience-based learning principles into their core curriculum whether it be at youth meetings, VBS, AWANA, Sunday school, cell groups, missions trips, or work trips.

Camp and recreation programs are becoming key components of mission outreach strategies around the world. Mastery of the skills and competencies surrounding the use of camping and recreation programs for impacting the lives of people will prepare students to play a valuable role in the mission of the global church.

Concentration Highlights


  1. Understand the history, philosophies and current trends within the outdoor education and organized camping movement.
  2. Effectively use impact ministry environments and dynamics, as tools for introducing others to a growing, intimate relationship with their God.
  3. Apply current experience-based learning theories, models, and tools.
  4. Understand the program development cycle endemic to typical camping environments, from assessment and design to implementation and evaluation.
  5. Apply principles necessary to move participants towards growth in the context of short-term impact ministry environments.

“Through one-on-one mentoring, I was challenged to grow and pushed further than I thought I could go. My mentor coached me through real-life conflicts… Hands-on education allowed me to live and breathe Christian camping in a way I would never have known in the classroom.”

--Emily

Camp Ministry Courses

From philosophy to strategy and hard skills, our camp ministry courses are designed to build immediate relative competency.

  • CA400 Learning Activities, Games & Events
  • CA401 Foundations of Camping & Outdoor Education
  • CA405 Counseling in Active Learning Environments
  • CA407 Foundations of Experience-Based Learning
  • CA409 Recreational Programming
  • CA424 Management of Support Services

Mentored Internships

Since 1998, we have worked with students serving in internships at several amazing camps, like:

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