This past summer, parents and Navigators John Teten and Kari Ballard were able to experience a week at camp: John as a camper with his daughter, and Kari leading a group of moms and daughters. What they experienced went deeper than just a fun adventure with family. Through camp, they watched God heal relationships, build bonds through physical challenges, and foster new connections between parents, their kids, and those who journeyed with them.

Dad Teen Trek: Learning to Do Hard Things Together

When John first heard about Dad Teen Trek, he wasn’t sure if it was for his family. He and his soon-to-be 12-year-old daughter, Lucille, were “lowlanders from Florida,” not seasoned backpackers, and Lucille would be the youngest teen on the trip. However, when Eagle Lake Camp Director Jenny Dordal reached out to John to ask if he and Lucille wanted to join this summer camp experience, John agreed.

What followed became, in John’s words, “one of the greatest weeks of my life — and one of the greatest weeks of life together with my daughter.”

Dad Teen Trek blends wilderness adventure with intentional spiritual formation. The week began on site at Eagle Lake with a low ropes course before sending dads and their teens into the Colorado backcountry for several days of hiking, camping, and guided conversations. Along the trail, counselors created space for Scripture, prayer, and extended one-on-one conversations between the dads and their kids — hours set aside simply to talk, listen, and be present.

For Lucille, the physical challenge became deeply formative. On the final climb of a long hike, John repeatedly offered to lighten her load. Each time, she refused. Determined to finish on her own, Lucille pressed on while counselors walked beside her, cheering her forward. That moment stayed with John, especially knowing his daughter had recently walked through a season of struggling with anxiety.

“It planted a seed in her that she can do hard things,” John explains. “She can do them with others. She can do them with her dad. She can do them with the Lord. She can endure.”

Equally meaningful was the way counselors modeled servant leadership. John, who works in the Navigators Collegiate ministry, was struck by the maturity and humility of the young leaders guiding the trek. They created an atmosphere of safety and joy — all while carrying heavy loads and leading adults and teens through unfamiliar terrain.

“Eagle Lake does a great job developing young leaders who are constantly having to lead with service and faith,” John says. “They were always on, always with a smile. They anticipated our needs, guided us, encouraged us, and cheered us on. These counselors that guided our trip were some of the most impressive young people I’ve ever been around.”

After a week of hiking and whitewater rafting, the four dads and their teens returned for a final night at camp. The dads prepared a banquet-style dinner, complete with twinkling lights, followed by a ceremony of blessing. Teens read words honoring their dads, and dads spoke blessings over their teens. John could barely get through his first words without tears.

That moment was so significant to John and his daughter that several months after camp, Lucille still references that moment — proudly identifying her dad as “the one who cries with me.”

At the end of the week, all the trekkers got to choose a bracelet with a word that captures what the week meant to them. John chose the word “loved” and witnessed his daughter place the bracelet around his wrist. He’s worn it every day since.

“I chose ‘loved’ because for me, the week was a beautiful mix of the love I have for my daughter and the love she has for me,” John says. “But even more, I was reminded of my Father’s love for me, that I’m wrapped up into His love too.”

Mom Teen Trek: Vulnerability That Builds Family

While Dad Teen Trek has been around for about 30 years at Eagle Lake, Mom Teen Trek launched for the first time this past summer. Kari, who grew up attending and leading camp as a girl and has since sent all of her kids to Eagle Lake, helped guide the week.

Three mom-and-daughter duos arrived for the week of backpacking, each carrying their own story. One mom came with her 21-year-old daughter, Faith, who has Down syndrome. Another arrived with a confident 17-year-old, and a third brought her 13-year-old adopted daughter.

Almost immediately, bonds between the girls and their moms started to develop. Faith declared the other girls her “besties.” Though each girl had a unique background and was going through a different walk of life, the time spent in the mountains connected them in a way that dissolved any barriers that might have existed.

“They ditched whatever personas they came in with,” Kari says, “and just loved on each other like you wouldn’t believe.”

On the trail, the moms also forged deep connections, sharing openly about their fears, disappointments, and prayers for their children. No one came pretending to have it all together, but through physical challenges and vulnerability, they were able to share in their weakness and walk stronger, together.

“Coming from a place of weakness and challenge made it safe for us to talk and share about the struggles we were facing,” Kari shares. “It only gets lighter as we are all carrying a bit of it, and we could pray over each other.”

The community and connections born on the trail have progressed beyond camp. In the months following, the four moms who attended have continued to talk monthly, praying for their children and for one another.

“There’s something about sitting around a fire talking about the Lord, what you are learning in your quiet time, that’s really valuable and powerful,” Kari explains. “Everything hits a little closer to home because you are tired and struggling. You’re helping each other make it.”

A Lasting Work, One Family at a Time

Whether through Dad Teen Trek or Mom Teen Trek, God used these weeks to do lasting work. As parents and teens shouldered packs together, they learned a deeper truth: They are not alone. Not only are they there for each other, but God is always present. And He is still faithfully shaping hearts — one trail, one prayer, one relationship at a time.

Discipleship Tip:

Eagle Lake Camps’ Dad Teen Trek and Mom Teen Trek programs encourage spiritual formation through intentional time away from the distractions of everyday life. This week, consider how you might incorporate a similar experience into your schedule, even in a small way — whether it’s a morning hike with someone you’re discipling or an afternoon dedicated to time alone with God.

1. Christological

The first fruitful motivation is Christological — a desire to be like Jesus in character and in action.

Those with a Christological motivation engage disciplemaking because Jesus did — and they want to be like Him. It’s not enough to be moral, to faithfully shepherd the sheep, to raise a family, or to serve others. No, these disciplemakers are motivated to become just like Jesus. Since Jesus’ life is their example, disciplemaking is central to their calling. It’s not something to do, it’s who they are becoming. Such deeply motivated commitment isn’t simple obedience (see Matthew 28:18–20), it’s their very life — their way of being in the world.

This motivation leads them to actually believe that they are called to do even greater things than Jesus did (see John 14:12). For such disciplemakers, it’s not enough to make a couple of disciples. Instead, they are aiming for a team of disciples who will have the faith to challenge and change the world. They want to trust God that such a team will spark a movement of disciplemakers.

2. Kingdom

The second fruitful motivation is a Kingdom motivation — a desire to expand the Kingdom by saving those who don’t yet know Jesus.

Those who carry this motivation are strongly compelled by the idea of depopulating hell and reaching all nations. They are compelled to play a part in building an eternal Kingdom where every tribe, tongue, language, and people gather together around the throne to worship the King (see Revelation 7:9).

3. Generational

The third fruitful motivation is generational — a desire to participate in the covenantal promises God gave in Genesis.

These disciplemakers are convinced that the covenantal promises that God gave Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — to make their offspring as numerous as the stars in the sky — is available to them, as well (see Genesis 15:5–6; 26:2–6; 28:13–15). They have seen how that promise was passed down from the Old Testament into the New Testament. They embrace their life as a thin span of time and want to use it to build the Kingdom.

They desire to serve the purposes God has for them in this generation (see Acts 13:36). They believe they’ve been invited to partner with God to do something that holds meaning in this life and in eternity. Such a generational motivation allows these disciplemakers to mine the Scriptures for the promises made to others and to ask God to do the same in their life.

Here are some examples:

• Isaiah 43:4 (NIV): [God says,] “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.”

• Isaiah 60:22 (NIV): “The least of you will become a thousand, and the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly.”

• Galatians 3:29 (NIV): “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Generationally motivated disciplemakers read passages like these and cry out, God, would You do this in my life?

They understand they have a part to play in the grand unfolding of God’s story as He builds His Kingdom — a people set apart for Himself. God uses ordinary, everyday people to do this. As Christ’s disciples they have a great spiritual heritage that motivates them in disciplemaking.

Virtually every fruitful disciplemaker is motivated by one or more of these three primary motivations. Each of them is rooted in what God desires, but also connects to the heart of the individual disciplemaker. The result is a disciplemaker who has both an intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

No matter how a disciplemaker is motivated, Scripture is clear that God wants to use every disciple to build the church by advancing the gospel and establishing His Kingdom on earth (see Matthew 28:18–20). His plan hinges on using every disciple to build the church by making disciplemakers. These humble disciplemakers not only have a great spiritual heritage (see 2 Corinthians 1:20; 2: Peter 1:4), they also are being cheered on by a great cloud of witnesses in the heavenly realms (see Hebrews 12:1)!

Let’s not overcomplicate this: Disciplemaking should be led by a disciplemaking team, or, in the absence of a team, it must be led by a disciplemaker. Either way, the work is spread by those who are passionate enough to light a fire in others.

Did you like this article? Check out Justin G. Gravitt’s book, The Foundation of a Disciplemaking Culture, today!

Discipleship Tip:

Are you a disciplemaker who shares the motivations described above? This week, consider asking God to help you discern what steps you can take to plant the seeds of a thriving disciplemaking culture in your own community.

Meet the Author

Justin G. Gravitt has been on staff with The Navigators since 2000, where he has planted or grown disciplemaking ministries on multiple college campuses, overseas, and most recently has helped churches across the United States grow intentional disciplemaking cultures. He and his family live in Dayton, OH. He is the author of The Foundation of a Disciplemaking Culture (NavPress, 2024) and other thoughtful resources for disciplemakers.

During those trips I learned how to read a state road map. I still carry an old-school atlas with me in the car, just in case. But today we can open an app on our phones or on the car dashboard to provide us with cues for our travels. The GPS tells us when to exit, merge with traffic, and change lanes. It can provide alternate routes based on traffic, suggest the closest coffee shop, or exclaim “Recalculating route!” when you miss your turn.

But what’s the one thing necessary for a GPS system to function as it has been designed?

A Destination.

When it comes to raising disciples, we should set our eyes on the destination.

I believe that one of the reasons parents and caregivers struggle to disciple children well is that we haven’t clearly identified the destination for their discipleship and the directions that guide them toward that goal.

How would you describe a child who is entering adolescence as an active disciple? Would you choose words that describe their character: loving, joyful, obedient, self-controlled? Or would you choose words that describe behaviors: reads the Bible daily, asks spiritual questions, worships God? Perhaps you would choose words that describe their depth of knowledge and understanding about God and His Word.

Public and private education systems have stated objectives when it comes to student expectations. Lists of student learning outcomes articulate the goals for students at the conclusion of each grade level. Each child is unique and develops at their own rate, so there are those who will exceed the expectations and others who will struggle. But teachers begin each year knowing the goals and guiding students along the path toward achievement. Like a GPS, they might have to find alternate paths for some or help others get turned back around, but with a clear goal and markers on the way, teachers are able to guide their young disciples.

This is what we’ve been missing in our homes and churches — a discipleship map that states the goal for raising disciples and provides directions toward that goal.

In some Christian traditions, the goal for children has been a public confession of Christ; in others, submission through the act of baptism. In yet other traditions, it has been the completion of confirmation classes. Regardless of our tradition, our goal for raising disciples should be the same as the goal for all disciples: to become more and more like Christ every day.

For three years, Jesus taught the crowds, His enemies, and political leaders, but most often, He was teaching twelve ordinary men from various backgrounds, vocations, and experiences. When He chose the Twelve, He had a goal in mind. Jesus knew that at the conclusion of His earthly ministry He would redeem the world through His death, return to God the Father, and equip His followers with the Holy Spirit to disciple others. He needed a core group of leaders who would follow Him daily (Luke 9:23), continuing His mission “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10) and to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

As Jesus prepared to leave the Twelve to continue His mission, He met with them to give them some final encouragements and admonitions. Woven through Jesus’ conversation in the upper room (John 13–17), we find descriptions of what it means to become like Christ:

• Follow His example (John 13:14-15),
• Love others (John 13:34),
• Believe in God (John 14:1),
• Keep God’s commands (John 14:15), and
• Remain in Christ (John 15:4).

These descriptors provide some direction toward the goal for all disciples.

With the destination of becoming like Christ as our goal, we can utilize childhood development information from the fields of social science, learning theory, and psychology to create a map for discipleship from infancy to adolescence.* Beginning at birth, there are seven directional discipleship markers — approximately one for every two years of life — that parallel the biological, cognitive, social, and moral development of children. Just as Jesus discipled the Twelve from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity, we can use this map to raise disciples who become increasingly more like Christ.

Did you like this article? Check out Teresa Roberts’ full book, Raising Disciples, as well as the accompanying free 8-week parenting curriculum today!

Discipleship Tip:

When discipling someone, consider verbally setting discipleship goals. With a destination in mind, you can orchestrate milestones and implement accountability, making sure that you both are progressing forward in their discipleship journey.

*The faith research of James W. Fowler (Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning, San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1981) and insights of spiritual development from John H. Westerhoff III (Will Our Children Have Faith?, 3rd. ed., Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse, 2012) has also informed this discipleship map.

Meet the Author

Teresa Roberts is Professor of Ministry and Christian Formation, Program Director of Children’s Ministry, and a vice president at Ozark Christian College. She is an expert in children’s spiritual formation training with more than 25 years of ministry experience.

Dr. Roberts holds a Master of Arts in Family and Youth Ministry, a Master of Divinity, and a Doctor of Ministry. She serves in children’s ministry at Carterville Christian Church where she attends with her husband and step-daughter. Learn more at discipleshipguides.com/.

The Holy Trinity is a mystery to me, with its three in oneness and its oneness in three, and I can just barely grasp the deep relational nature of how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit touch and spin and dance off each other and with each other. Hospitality — that generous making room for others and giving and receiving to and from each other from our plenty and sometimes from our scarcity but we do it anyway — seems to flow out of that communal and relational and so generous nature of God. Being holy as God is holy, if we can believe it, catapults us into relationship with others and the practice of hospitality. Holiness is relational, and that is why hospitality fits holiness like a soft leather glove.

Hospitality involves the holy practice of gratitude.

All of this is made easier alongside the holy practice of gratitude. I have this place, this food, this book; please take it and enjoy it as well. We try to believe that everything we have comes from God, and so it is ours not to own but to share. So hospitality is almost always best when it is gratitude adjacent. However, the discipline of hospitality can happen also while you are still a grouchy, miserly mess. Disciplines take discipline. Not everything is easy or feels good right away, but that might mean it’s even more worth doing, and not less.

Hospitality invites humility.

In Luke 14:12-14, Jesus tells us how to throw a dinner party. Dinner parties are, after all, what most of us think of first when we think about hospitality: “‘When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,’ he said, ‘don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you’” (NLT). In Luke 14:8-10, He even discusses seating plans: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor … Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table” (NLT).

Jesus knows me so well. He predicts my thirst for status. When we practice hospitality as part of our holiness, we will come face-to-face with our desire to invite first our friends, the people we especially like or those whom we want to especially like us, along with the relatives we are most comfortable with, and, of course, our rich neighbors. We might strut around like a peacock in our own dining room and not even realize we are doing it. Again, our intentional moves toward holiness will show us how far we have yet to travel. Our efforts to do good on the outside will show us how far we are from good on the inside, and in that gap, we learn again of our need for the forgiving, restoring love of God in our own lives and hearts, and how much we need him, even when we are serving macaroni to friends.

We learn something about ourselves — and therefore move deeper into our holiness journeys — when we pay attention to whom we want to welcome in and how we want to welcome them to our homes, our tables, and our lives.

Hospitality helps us to examine our hidden motivations.

As we consider ourselves, we can confess ourselves to God and ask for help. Why am I making this so fancy? we can ask our inner hostess, in an examination of motivation that is a daily part of pushing into our holiness. What is my motivation? Also, Why am I talking about myself so much? And why can’t I stop?

Our honest answers do not bring the dinner party, the coffee date, or the open house to a screeching halt, but instead provide us another opportunity to be honest with ourselves and with God — who is the ultimate and gracious host of heaven and earth now and the new earth that is to come. Make me holy in my hospitality, we might pray. Kill off my show-off-ness, we might ask. Help me listen more than I speak, as my blunt spouse has said I need to work on.

Help me not to be so needy, I can pray as I juice blood oranges for udon noodles with fried tofu and orange nam jim from my expensive hardcover Ottolenghi Flavour cookbook propped open on the counter. Perhaps for a little while, as part of our own healing, we will make a simple spaghetti Bolognese, accept the offer of our guest to bring store-bought garlic bread and let Maureen help with the cleanup, like she always wants to do. We will resist the temptation to offer our guests a tour of our new barbeque and satisfy our thirst for thanks by turning it outward to gratitude to God. What if whenever we yearn for someone to say, “Thank you, you are marvelous for all you have done,” we accept that as a prompt to whisper, “Thank You. You are marvelous for all You have done.”

Hospitality exercises a variety of spiritual disciplines.

Food is just one expression of hospitality. Conversation is another. When we practice holiness through hospitality, we create a space in which other pursuits of holiness can be practiced, such as listening well and not interrupting, putting others first, and offering encouragement and companionship to the person God has placed and we have invited in front of us. From the way Jesus tells us to invite, and the humility presumed in His recommended seating plan, we can assume that we don’t invite people to our table so we can imprison them to hear all and only about us. We don’t tie them to their chairs with our story and our glory.

We can stretch our ability to put others first, and to forgive.

We can practice patience, a fruit of the Spirit we get to work with, toward friends who arrive late (or even worse, early) and those who stay too long. We practice not biting off the heads of those with whom we disagree. If we do bite their heads off at dinner, we can practice the art of unequivocal apology. Apologizing is a holy act. I’m sorry are holy, healing words. Through hospitality’s gift of space opened up and time slowed down, we can “be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep,” which Paul told us to do only two verses after he reminded us to “always be eager to practice hospitality” in Romans 12:13-15.

Discipleship Tip:

Hospitality isn’t about impressing others — it’s about making space for them. This week, invite someone into your home or life with gratitude and humility, focusing on listening and encouraging rather than showcasing. Ask the Lord for opportunities to be hospitable in your community in order to point others to Jesus.

About the Author

Karen Stiller is a senior editor of Faith Today magazine and writes frequently for magazines like Reader’s Digest, Ekstasis, In Trust, and other publications across North America. Stiller is a three-time winner of the prestigious A.C. Forrest Memorial Award from the Canadian Church Press for excellence in socially conscious religious journalism. She is author of The Minister’s Wife (2020, Tyndale Momentum); co-author of Craft, Cost & Call (2019), Shifting Stats Shaking the Church (2015) and Going Missional (2010); editor of The Lord’s Prayer (2015) and coeditor of Evangelicals Around the World (2015). She lives in Ottawa and has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Non-Fiction from University of King’s College, Dalhousie.

This article was originally published on the DiscipleMaker Blog by NavPress. You can also hear more from Karen Stiller through her book Holiness Here and NavPress’ new podcast, “Good Books, Big Questions,” where Karen hosts bold, loving, and sensible conversations about faith.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 23, 2025: Navigator ministry, Eagle Lake Camps, will now add the Denver Metro area as its first major expansion to stationary Day Camps, adding to its current 27-summer youth day camp locations.

Mile High Academy will be hosting the faith-based Eagle Lake Camp for eight weeks at its facility at 1733 Dad Clark Dr, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126. This new site is the first of its kind in the area, mirroring the historic Eagle Lake Camp in the mountains west of Colorado Springs since 1957. 

“Mile High Academy aligns with us in viewing holistic growth of children in education and spiritual formation. Families have told us that they are looking for high quality options for kids in education and in summer camps,” said Jenny Dordal, Camp Director. 

For 68 years, Eagle Lake Camps has hosted 167,000 children at sites across the country, with the best-known site, the original Eagle Lake Camp west of Colorado Springs. Last year almost 7,000 kids attended an Eagle Lake Camp in four different states. Kids who attend the Mile High Academy Day Camp will experience unique outdoor experiences like a rock-climbing wall and huge inflatables while receiving spiritual growth and care from trained staff.

“Mile High Academy is excited to partner with Eagle Lake Camps this summer to provide a fun and engaging summer camp option—not only for our MHA students but also for the broader community,” said Jocelyn Aalborg, Vice President of Mile High Academy. “After a successful two-week partnership last year, we are thrilled to expand to eight weeks this summer and see the impact it will have. We can’t wait to welcome campers for an unforgettable experience!” 

Eagle Lake Camps recruit college-aged counselors to work with campers and gain soft skills for resumes and professional careers. Some counselors have used their training to become social workers and teachers while obtaining paid on-the-job training with room and board needs provided. Last year, 185 college aged students worked as counselors at Eagle Lake Camps. People interested in becoming camp counselors at any of our Eagle Lake sites can find more information at https://www.eaglelakestaff.com.

Due to the success of Eagle Lake Camps in the Denver Metro area, partner schools are being recruited to expand into various sites to offer families a safe place for their kids to play, learn, and grow during the summer.

About Eagle Lake Camps:
Eagle Lake Camps, a ministry of The Navigators, has been dedicated to transforming the lives of 167,000 young people through Christ-centered outdoor experiences since its founding in 1957. Located in the breathtaking Rocky Mountains of Colorado and through on-location day camps across the country, Eagle Lake Camps provides dynamic, faith-filled programs that challenge and inspire campers to grow spiritually, build lasting relationships, and develop leadership skills. Whether through overnight camps, wilderness expeditions, or day camps, Eagle Lake seeks to create unforgettable encounters with Jesus. For more information, visit https://eaglelakecamps.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2025
Contact: Chris Muller, VP of Communications, (719) 594-2269, chris.muller@navigators.org

However, at the end of the week when they return home, campers are left with a more lasting and powerful impact — a stronger, or sometimes brand new, relationship with Christ.

The Impact of the Gospel at Camp: One Camper’s Story

This was the case with a camper from this past summer named Zayan. Growing up in a nonreligious home, Zayan had limited exposure to church growing up, only attending occasionally when his older sister, Jasmina, would take him.

Jasmina, who has worked at camp for the past few years and is now on staff with Eagle Lake’s Emerging Leaders Program, had been praying for her brother to gain more exposure to Christ. She asked Zayan if he would like to attend camp for the upcoming summer, and when he said yes, she prayed that he would receive the funding to go.

URGENT NEED: EAGLE LAKE COUNSELORS

Know a college student looking for a fun summer job that makes a difference?

Being a Counselor at Eagle Lake Camps gives you a summer that makes a difference in the lives of kids AND in your life, too! We have positions at our overnight property in the mountains above Colorado Springs and on our Eagle Lake On Location Day Camp teams.

Go to eaglelakestaff.com today to find a summer job you’ll love!

“He wrote a camp scholarship letter, and in the letter, he wrote that he wanted to attend camp so he could spend a week with his sister,” Jasmina says. “And then he was fully funded. It was an awesome opportunity to see the body of Christ come together and give for a kid they’ve never met to go to camp and hear the gospel for the first time. It was so impactful.”

Zayan came to Colorado from New Mexico to attend a week of Eagle Lake’s high school overnight Highlands camp. When he showed up, one of Jasmina’s friends gave him a Bible — his first Bible. Though Zayan enjoyed the week’s outdoor activities like rafting and camping, his favorite part of camp was the connection he made with the other campers in his cabin and his counselor, Zach.

“At first I was nervous because I didn’t know anyone,” Zayan says. “But I got used to it right away because of the cabin of guys I was in. It was the first time that I had a group where we could talk about God, and that was good.”

When Zayan’s parents came to pick him up from the week, he expressed that he had fun and learned a Bible verse, and then recited Romans 6:23 to his family. “I had prayed for months for God to expose him to the gospel and prepare his heart to know Christ when he got to camp,” Jasmina remembers. “And there he was, memorizing Scripture, holding his first Bible.”

Serving the Next Generation Through Crew

Now, Zayan is returning to Eagle Lake this upcoming summer to serve with Eagle Lake’s Crew team, which is a 5-week service program where high school students come to serve other campers through cooking, cleaning, and working in the camp stores. During Crew, campers get to be in a Bible study with their small groups, diving deeper into the Word and their relationships with Christ.

“The Crew program at Eagle Lake fosters such a unique environment,” says Andrew Brown, Eagle Lake’s director of recruiting, marketing, and communications. “The campers make lifelong friends, and they make huge steps in their discipleship and sanctification. And the counselors who walk alongside them really equip them for a lifelong pursuit of Christ.”

Having done the Crew program herself as a counselor, Jasmina is excited to see her little brother return to camp to continue growing and developing his relationship with Christ.

“At home, he doesn’t have a parent who encourages him to walk with Jesus or take him to church on Sunday,” she says. “But then there’s this place where he can experience God, and he can be in Christ with community. And he’s developing that on his own, and I’m entrusting him to the Lord.”

For Jasmina, seeing her brother come to camp has been encouraging and a reflection on her time as a counselor, where she has similarly poured into kids who are like Zayan and experiencing the gospel for the first time.

“Being a counselor, I’ve had the opportunity to steward relationships with campers, where Christianity is not important in their home lives,” she says. “And they just came because they love camp, and they love the community. What an opportunity we have to be a reflection of who Christ is.”

Continuing the Cycle

Zayan’s story is just one of the many campers that come through Eagle Lake’s overnight and day camps. As he comes back to serve on the same program his sister did, he is an example of the generational effect of discipleship and impact that campers experience at camp.

“We see this happen a lot, where campers receive the benefits of Crew as a camper and then they want to return to be that for other kids,” Andrew says. “And then many of them want to come back to actually become a counselor like others have done for them. Then, the generational cycle starts over and over and over again.”

Join us in praying for Eagle Lake Camps this summer, for the thousands of kids like Zayan who may attend camp for the first time, will hear and receive the gospel, and will keep coming back year after year to grow and develop as disciplemakers.

Discipleship Tip:

Jasmina was able to impact her brother’s faith by being willing to bring him to camp and pass on what she’s learned to the next generation. Consider — who might be the next generation that you could impact? What are ways that you’ve been impacted, led, or discipled that you could potentially do for someone else?

Samuel Wood and Nathan Roewer are two such campers. Over the years, both young men have returned to Eagle Lake Camp to serve as counselors and program coaches, hoping to multiply the impact that they themselves experienced when they were campers. Through each role, they’ve seen the Lord move in powerful ways — both in their lives and the campers they serve.

Samuel’s story: Making a difference as a camp counselor

Samuel’s first experience with Eagle Lake was when he came to Crew camp — a five-week service camp for high schoolers — when he was 15 years old. At Crew, Samuel met lifelong friends and fell in love with camp, and he returned as a camper for two more years.

After he graduated high school, Samuel continued to come back to Eagle Lake as a counselor and as a program coach, where he discipled other counselors as a summer leader. “I’ve learned how to develop counselors, listening to their problems and trying to point them in the right direction,” he says.

From year to year, Samuel has seen his faith grow, whether through the influence of his counselors as a camper or by stepping into leadership roles to share God’s Word with others. “Over the summers, I’ve been able to recognize God’s love for me and His love for others,” Samuel says. “I used to fall into thinking that God doesn’t interact with us all that much. But through camp, I’ve definitely seen His impact in my own life and through campers.”

Samuel remembers the Lord working specifically in one camper’s life. A young boy was struggling throughout the summer, bullying other kids and causing trouble. However, at the end of the summer, Samuel saw that the boy was upset. “I asked him, ‘Why are you so sad?’” he recalls. “He told me, ‘I’m going to miss you.’”

Samuel wrote the camper a postcard after the summer ended, not expecting a response. However, the boy sent a letter back … and then continued sending letters. “For three years, we wrote back and forth,” Samuel says. “It was cool to see him grow through those letters and as a person, seeing how he is doing and treating other kids after the fact.”

As Samuel reflects back over the years, he can see how God has intentionally worked through Eagle Lake to grow him spiritually. “Eagle Lake has impacted me, but it’s definitely been God using Eagle Lake in my life,” he says. “It’s shaped my whole life — literally everything I do — from my spiritual life to my walk with God to my personal life, with my marriage and friendships. Eagle Lake has pretty much been my life for the past eight years.”

Nathan’s story: Passing forward what others taught him

At 10 years old, Nathan went to Eagle Lake Camps for the first time as an overnight camper. “I went up with a family friend who recommended camp, and I had no knowledge of it at the time,” he says. “But I had the best week ever.”

Nathan has returned to Eagle Lake every summer since, making a total of six years at their overnight programs. During his time as a camper, his counselors poured into him and had a significant impact on his faith. “I got to bond with these counselors, who to me were the coolest people in the world,” he says. “I really appreciated the things they taught me and the fun we had together. Getting one-on-one chances to talk to them — that’s where my faith really became mine.”

For Nathan, becoming a counselor was a no-brainer. “I always knew I wanted to be a counselor, to have the same impact on kids that my counselors had on me,” he says.

However, what he didn’t expect was that his faith would grow all the more deeper during his summers as a counselor. “I found myself falling more in love with God,” he explains. “The conversations I had with my program coach really changed my perspective on a lot of things with my faith.”

Now, Nathan is serving his second summer as a program coach, helping other counselors grow in their relationship with the Lord as they lead campers to Christ. “I love being able to tell counselors that the things they do really matter,” he says, “that when they look at me, they are looking at proof of a camper who came to Christ because of the outpouring of a counselor’s time and energy.”

Join us in praying for campers

Nathan and Samuel are just two of the many campers who have gone on to share their faith and help others know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same® — at camp and beyond.

You can come alongside Eagle Lake Camps by praying that the Lord would continue to build generations of disciples, opening campers’ eyes and giving them hearts for the Lord. Pray for those who are and will be counselors for upcoming summers, that the Lord gives them wisdom and works through their conversations to build impactful relationships with campers.

“When people ask me why I come back to Eagle Lake, I tell them that this is where I fell in love with Jesus,” Nathan says. “It’s been a huge blessing from God to come into the summer with the knowledge of the impact He can have through me, like my counselors once did for me.”

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these’” Matthew 19:14 (NIV).

Discipleship Tip:

Samuel and Nathan have grown in confidence as disciplemakers because they have learned from the counselors that poured into them as campers. Think about some of the lessons you’ve learned over the years — from someone who discipled you or encouraged you in your faith. How can you pass on those same lessons to others?

“The whole room erupted with cheers,” Courtney remembers. “She told us the story of what happened and her conversation with the camper. The counselors’ genuine joy that another camper came to know the Lord was at a level that I had never seen before. It brought me to tears.”

This story is just one of the many that came out of Eagle Lake’s Glen Eyrie Day Camp this past summer — a 10-week experience that was not only a fruitful time for campers, but an experimental ground for a new Summer Training Program (STP) for college students.

How the Eagle Lake Summer Training Program Began

Earlier in 2023, the staff of Eagle Lake were looking for counselors to serve over the summer. Similarly, the upper midwest Navigators Collegiate ministries were hoping to start a new STP for the region’s students. Thus, a partnership was born — the 2023 Eagle Lake STP, where 12 college students served for the summer as day camp counselors, gaining additional disciplemaking training after camp hours. 

“This plan of blending the two programs was the best way to combine forces and be unified in how we are building college students over the course of the summer,” Andrew Brown, the Eagle Lake Director of Talent Acquisitions and Marketing, says.

How a Summer Job with the Eagle Lake Summer Training Program Equips Generations

From singing silly songs to slip-and-slides, the campers — ranging from 6 to 12 years old — would rotate each day through fun activities, all while being taught the gospel. The counselors had the unique experience of walking with the campers week after week, forming strong and meaningful relationships.

“These kids felt known and seen,” Jenna Booth, the Assistant Program Manager for the Eagle Lake STP, says. “At the end of the summer, some of the kids were distraught watching their counselors leave, and you could see the close relationships that were built.”

When camp was done for the day, counselors were given discipleship and biblical training that they could apply with campers throughout their week, growing in their own confidence as disciplemakers in Life-to-Life^® relationships.

“One student named Leah* was a counselor this summer, and she has a heart for serving others,” Jenna continues. “I could see when she went back to college after the summer that she was so much more confident in talking about Scripture and the gospel. And now she’s pursuing others in discipleship, and it’s been amazing to see her growth in just a few months.”

The Eagle Lake STP will not only be coming back this year, but it will be expanding, growing to a second day camp at The Club at Flying Horse in Colorado Springs with eight additional counselors for 2024. To help run the camp, some of the students from last year will be returning to lead the new counselors, embarking the collaborative program on another year of successful impact — for campers and counselors alike.

“I’m convinced that we won’t know how to uniquely serve the world as Navigators until we’re working better together across the organization,” Andrew explains. “We can’t be shy of trying new things. And sometimes, like with this year’s STP, we stumble across gold.”  

*Names changed for privacy

The glow of thousands of faces lights up the room, a powerful testament to the spread of the gospel from generation to generation. 

This was one of the many special moments from The Navigators 2023 National Staff Gathering.

Last month, over 1,300 Navigator staff came together in Irving, Texas. The theme of the weekend was Heartbeat: A Vital Movement of the Gospel, focusing on 2 Timothy 2:1-2: “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (NIV).

The gathering held five plenary sessions, which were designed to inspire, uplift, and challenge staff attendees to continue the work to which they’ve been called. Staff heard insights on the Lord’s vision for grace, necessary aspects of prayer, and how He works through each and every one of us to reach the nations and spread His mission.  

Staff members also enjoyed times of fun and laughter, along with encouraging ministry stories from new and old friends, breakouts to equip and multiply disciplemakers, precious times of prayer and worship, and motivational messages from fellow Navigators and international leaders. 

For many, the National Staff Gathering was a reminder of why they became Navigators — to be a part of a vital movement of the gospel by connecting, resourcing, and developing everyday disciplemakers. 

Though this conference looked back over the past four years since our last National Staff Gathering, we also took time to look forward to the work that is ahead of us as a ministry. You can partner with us as we continue this work for years to come! 

Pray that the Lord works through The Navigators to reach the unreached and create new disciplemakers. Come alongside us to spread the gospel and disciple those in your circles, from family members to coworkers to neighbors and beyond.

Whether you serve on staff or through your everyday life, we are excited to see how the Lord moves through this next season of ministry!

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV).

Discipleship Tip:  

Pull out your phone and find a photo of someone you’re discipling or have discipled. Pray for that person and reach out to offer them encouragement.

Eagle Lake staff hauled a climbing wall and a huge water slide across the Rockies to bring a new experience to the 70 kids, ages 6-12, who attended the day camp. Each morning of camp kicked off with a high-energy camper rally that included worship, skits, a short message, and general hilarity. The day continued with games and activities, Bible study in small groups, and, of course, fun playing on the climbing wall and water slide!

Eagle Lake On Location in Compton is just one of many day camps the ministry holds around the country. Program Director Shane Klackner reports that some of the kids who attend these camps are hearing the gospel for the first time. “I’ve run across kids who have never heard of Jesus,” he shares.

Eagle Lake staffer Jason Gomez met a young Compton camper who grew interested in Jesus after he heard The Bridge Illustration, a Navigator discipleship tool for sharing the gospel. He “crossed the bridge,” trusting Jesus for salvation! The next day he was full of questions for his Eagle Lake counselor, who confirmed that he is now a child of God. Jason saw him smile for the first time.

The camper was one of four kids who gave their lives to Jesus at camp!

Eagle Lake On Location partners with local churches, and Compton’s was hosted by The Reformed Church of LA. The church hosted multiple years in partnership with The Navigators City Ministry of Los Angeles. Then LA City Director Armando Madrid asked, what if Eagle Lake ran the camp? So this past year the funds were raised to bring Eagle Lake Camp to kids in Compton, California!

Through the faithful financial partnership from Navigator donors the cost for Eagle Lake On Location in Compton was covered for kids to attend for free. Rudy Rubio, pastor of the Reformed Church, says, “The fact that there was not a financial barrier for our kids was great. To come into the community and not ask for anything—that helps people trust the church more” and consider getting involved.

Pastor Rudy is excited about the message the camp sent to the community: “We just want to love on your kids, teach them about Jesus, and bless them.”

The gift of camp was a great way to open the door to kids’ hearts about the love of Christ!

Discipleship Tip:

Sometimes discipleship benefits from thinking outside the box. Ask a friend how they best connect with God. Then find a way to do that together—maybe it’s hiking; serving at a homeless shelter; listening to or even playing worship music; or inviting friends to gather for a meal and great conversation.