Summer Camps Open Doors for the Global Church

Suzanne Pearson • Jun 01, 2022

S’mores over the campfire. Water balloon fights. Swimming in the lake. Any number of craft projects involving yarn and popsicle sticks. As a child of the 1970’s and 1980’s, these are my fond memories of summer camp. Also as a native Virginian, I have the tendency to think of summer camp as a very “American” tradition. The most cross-cultural aspect of my summer camp experiences was singing “Kumbaya” on taco night.

Since starting at TEAM a few months ago, I’ve learned that summer camp ministries are a vibrant part of God’s work around the world! These short-term but highly impactful initiatives offer an excellent way for global workers and national churches to partner together to reach not only children but their parents and communities as well.

As we enter the summer of 2022, it’s a particularly exciting time for camp ministries. For the past two years, COVID has either canceled or severely limited summer camp ministries worldwide. As countries and cultures around the globe begin to return to relative normalcy, TEAM’s summer camp ministries are swinging into gear. For the month of June, will you join us in praying for God to change lives through 2022 summer camps?

Here are four ways you can pray for summer camp ministries:

1. PRAY for camp ministries to have a fresh and vibrant new start after COVID.

Although camp ministries could not operate “as usual” during the summers of 2020 and 2021, TEAM workers found ways to do summer outreach in place of their summer camps. “We’ve learned a lot about pivoting and changing our plans quickly when needed,” says TEAM worker, Pattie. Pattie and her husband Phil serve in La Paz, Mexico where they along with another couple started a ministry to families called “ Transformados ” (“Transformed”) in 2015. One of the ministry’s projects each year is a basketball camp for elementary, middle and high school students.

The pandemic, however, forced the Transformados team to think outside the box. They distributed “VBS in a bag” materials to younger children in the community as a way to provide activities for families and to foster connections with the local churches. For children 12 and older, COVID restrictions allowed small groups to gather. So Pattie and Phil’s team held different activities like hikes and other outings followed by devotional/teaching times.

Natalie, a TEAM worker in Tenerife, Spain relates a similar approach to the COVID protocols in 2020 and 2021. Natalie’s team typically holds summer camps called “Impacto” (“Impact”) in three different locations, but for the last two summers those camps were not possible. Their workers walked around the city streets inviting people to an online program and praying together. “But this summer we are planning to be in person,” Natalie says. “Many people recognize that we were the group in the plaza [these last two summers] and they are excited for things to be in person.”

Thankfully, TEAM summer camp initiatives plan to be back in full force this summer. Pray for protection over the campers, workers, and families as they regather, and for the excitement of fellowship to translate into open doors for the Holy Spirit to move.


2. PRAY for strength and unity for each summer camp staff.

Working with children and youth in any capacity can be exhausting both mentally and physically. Summer camp ministries are often exceptionally so! Most camps are filled with lots of high-energy activities and long, tiring days. The staff of most camps consists of long-term global workers, short-term workers who come to assist, and national leaders and volunteers from local churches. As these people come together to work cross-culturally, conflict can occur especially when team members get tired.

Stan and Annamaria are veterans of summer camp ministry (among other things!). They’ve been operating summer camps in Italy for 18 years. As church planters , they saw the need to “assist people in their search to discover or rediscover the good news of Jesus Christ for themselves, their family and the local community,” says Stan. The summer camps grew out of a ministry they created called “Path of Hope” with that mission in mind. Stan shares that he’s so grateful for the wonderful colleagues that have joined him and Annamaria in the camp ministry and how much they are all looking forward to working together again this summer. He along with other camp staffers from various ministry areas all stressed the need for prayer for their teams.

Perhaps Natalie says it best: “Pray that [our teams] are unified, serving in the strength of the Lord and with joyful hearts!”


Summer camp counselors put on a skit for the kids.

Camp ministries are a beautiful example of global workers and local church members coming together to reach families for Christ.


3. PRAY for relationship-building not only with campers but also with their families and communities.

A common thread among camp ministries is that summer camps provide great potential to reach people who might never consider visiting a local church on their own. Stan says that the camps are an ideal entry point for the Gospel because they meet a real need. “Because the school break in Italy is really long (almost 3 months), parents need these types of programs for their kids.” As families learn to recognize and trust the camp workers, relationships are built that can lead to further engagement.

Other TEAM camp ministries use creative ways to draw the parents in as well. The Transformados camp in Mexico as well as Impacto in Tenerife incorporate daytime camp sessions for the kids and then evening sessions that welcome their families. Natalie says that these evening times are great bridge-builders. “We’ll have 60-80 kids in the plaza in the evenings. Many of their parents are close by, enjoying coffee and homemade cakes provided to promote conversations.” The local church also uses this time to connect families to other ways the church can assist them, such as by providing food and clothing. These opportunities allow “the community to see that this same church is serving in all these different ways,” she says.

Natalie shares one story that exemplifies how life-changing camp ministry can be. Camila and her 4-year-old daughter, Lucia (names changed) came to one of the evening Impacto events three years ago. Some ladies from the church welcomed Camila into their conversation while Lucia was drawn into the kids’ activities. Lucia attended the camp for the rest of the week, and her mom continued coming in the evenings.

“Team members began to talk with Camila and answered her questions about God and the Bible,” says Natalie. “Her then-skeptical husband also joined them and remembers enjoying the free cake! All three started attending the church on Sundays. Camila accepted the Lord! Then her husband [did the same] about 3 months later after beginning a couple´s discipleship study. They became members and got baptized and are now an integral part of the church.”

Pray for camp workers to cultivate relationships with families that can connect them to the local church.


A family at summer camp in the dorm area.

Impacto summer camp in Tenerife led to the life-changing message of Christ for “Lucia” and her mom and dad.


4. PRAY for open hearts to receive the Gospel.

Whatever activity the camps are centered around, those endeavors are the means to an end. Kids come to the camps because they love the sports , crafts and silly games, but the goal is always to advance the Gospel.

“We have found that people are more open when engaged in activities like sports, music, arts, etc.,” says Pattie. “These activities provide a non-threatening environment to build relationships and trust. Once you have a relationship and trust, doors are often opened to sharing your faith.”

Pattie goes on to say that over 16 years of camp ministry, they’ve seen young people come to Christ as well as many instances where the first seeds of the Gospel were planted. “Last year during our adapted camp for middle schoolers, we had one student ask about whether God would stop loving us if we did something bad,” she recalls. “Considering the works-based religion predominant here, it was not a surprising question and it opened up a door of discussion among the middle school students regarding God’s love, His forgiveness and the security we can have when we believe and follow Christ.”

As Pattie and Phil look ahead to this year’s camps, Pattie sums up the call to prayer beautifully: “Pray for God’s Spirit to open the hearts of children and their parents to the Gospel.”



Click here to download a printable copy of this month’s Prayer Focus, with additional prayer requests from the field!

By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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