Faith, Fellowship, and Fun For the Youth at Camp Meeting

This year’s Camp Meeting was an incredible experience for our young people, a powerful combination of spiritual transformation, meaningful service, strong relationships, and a whole lot of fun.

The greatest celebration of Camp Meeting was seeing young people make decisions for Jesus. Four youth were baptized, publicly declaring their faith and giving their lives to Christ. It was an emotional and unforgettable moment for our entire team. And the impact didn’t stop there. Approximately twenty additional young people indicated that they wanted to be baptized when they returned home. These decisions reminded us that Camp Meeting is about much more than creating a great program—it is about creating an environment where young people can encounter Jesus and respond to His call. Throughout the week, we witnessed that response again and again. Each night, young people came forward during the altar calls. Some came seeking a deeper relationship with Christ. Others came asking for prayer, surrendering areas of their lives to God, or making decisions to follow Him more intentionally. Watching young people respond night after night was one of the most meaningful parts of Camp Meeting.

Breakfast Devotion, A Great Start to the Day

Another special part of Camp Meeting was our Breakfast Devotion. Beginning the morning together with food, fellowship, prayer, and the Word of God gave our young people a positive and intentional start to each day. Before the games began and before the busy schedule of activities, we had an opportunity to focus our attention on Jesus. Breakfast Devotion created a more personal and relaxed atmosphere where youth could listen, ask questions. It helped set the spiritual tone for the entire day.

Faith, Fellowship, and Fun

While the spiritual experiences were at the heart of the week, there was also an incredible amount of energy and excitement outside of the worship services. Game Day was a huge success. So many youth participated in the activities, filling the area with laughter, friendly competition, and excitement. The games gave young people an opportunity to relax, connect with one another, build friendships, and simply enjoy being together. It was exciting to see youth who may not have known one another at the beginning of Camp Meeting quickly become teammates and friends.

Our tournament activities were another highlight. The participation and enthusiasm exceeded expectations. The friendly competition created a great atmosphere and helped build community among the youth.

New Activities That Kept Youth Engaged

This year, we also introduced new creative activities to Camp Meeting, including crocheting, painting, and other art projects. These activities added a fresh dimension to the youth experience and gave young people another way to connect, create, and spend meaningful time together. Not every young person connects through sports or high-energy activities, so adding creative options helped us engage a wider range of personalities and interests.

Serving Beyond Ourselves

Outreach was also an important part of the Camp Meeting experience. Our youth and staff had the opportunity to serve families in the surrounding community as well as families staying on the Camp Meeting grounds. It was wonderful to see young people move beyond simply attending Camp Meeting and become actively involved in helping others. Through service, they were able to experience firsthand that following Jesus also means caring for people, meeting practical needs, and showing compassion. Outreach gave our young people an opportunity to put their faith into action and reminded everyone that ministry does not stop at the doors of the Youth Tent.

An Amazing Staff Team

One of the greatest strengths of this year’s Camp Meeting was our staff. Our amazing local Pastors, volunteers, and the teams from PUC, MBA, LSU worked with an incredible sense of unity and synergy. Everyone brought different gifts, personalities, experiences, and abilities, but those differences complemented one another beautifully. There was a genuine spirit of teamwork. Instead of operating as individuals responsible only for their assigned areas, the staff functioned as one ministry team with one mission: to create a place where young people felt welcomed, valued, connected, and encouraged to grow in their relationship with Jesus.

Written by Janet Abbey, Youth Tent Director 2026