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Christian summer camps are seeing record demand as families try to break from screens and reconnect with faith. At places like River Valley Ranch in Maryland, faith and adventure go hand in hand, offering kids more than just a week of fun.
“This year we have the biggest number of campers coming this summer that we’ve ever had, and they say last summer was our best summer ever,” said Gregg Hunter, president and CEO of the Christian Camp and Conference Association.
River Valley Ranch is one of 850 faith-based camps serving 5.5 million people every year as part of the Christian Camp and Conference Association. At the heart of this surge in camp enrollment is a simple desire to unplug, reset, and rediscover faith.
“So, what camps do is they allow them to unplug from this very complicated world and plug into this incredible community, a Christ-centered community where they can build relationships with each other, they can have mentors and counselors,” said Jon Bisset, executive director at River Valley Ranch.
Camping runs deep for Bisset. His grandfather, John, co-founded River Valley Ranch in Manchester, Maryland, almost 75 years ago (1952). Jon continues the legacy with a clear mission: to show kids that Jesus isn’t just part of life, he is life.
“And when you come to camp, the light bulbs go off and they realize, ‘I can do hard things.’ They realize ‘this is a place someone actually saw me and loved me for who I am.’ And then they hear this message that there’s a God of the universe who created you on purpose for a purpose and you can have a relationship with Him,” Bisset said.
He points to stats to explain why kids need camp, including teens spending up to eight hours a day on screens with less than seven minutes outside, and under four minutes each day in meaningful conversation with a trusted adult.
Among roughly 7,000 overnight camps and 5,000 day camps nationwide, many are working to lift the digital veil and help kids see real life, real relationships, and a real God who loves them.
Gregg Hunter with the Christian Camp and Conference Association says time spent in nature can lower stress, boost mental health, and offer an antidote to what some call ‘nature deficit disorder’.
“The needs of young people haven’t changed,” Hunter said. “Kids still need to feel loved. They need to feel like they belong and that they matter.”
Even as demand surges, a national staffing shortage is forcing many camps to cut programs or turn kids away. Last year, more than 60% of camps were understaffed. Competing with corporate jobs, internships, and higher-paying gigs means camp ministry is often overlooked.
“I’m six years out of college and I was thinking I needed a full-time job and summer pay isn’t exactly livable necessarily. But the Lord was like, ‘You need to come back here and I’ll make the pay work and I’ll provide for your needs,'” said Jennifer Neville, a summer staffer at RVR.
For other camp leaders like Jen Schomburg, the simplicity is why she has spent more than a decade working at camp.
“I’m always reminded of the simplicity of the gospel and how Jesus meets people where they are,” explained Schomburg. “The kids just have such a simple faith, and we like to make things very complicated, but they just see the beauty in it.”
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As camps struggle to staff fully, safety and emergency response are also under scrutiny. Sending a child to camp can also be an act of trust for parents. A trust that was put to the test this summer, when heavy rain led to a deadly flash flood that struck Camp Mystic in Texas.
Though not affiliated with the Christian Camp and Conference Association, the tragedy prompted camps nationwide to reevaluate weather alerts, safety protocols, and staffing.
“We had a crisis that happened here 11 years ago, an unexpected storm came through called a microburst,” said Bisset. “It came through and knocked down a bunch of trees that fell on a bunch of campers. One camper lost his life. It was absolutely devastating, obviously, as we are here to impact kids in a positive way.”
Bisset says that event led them to change their routine. From daily weather alerts to camp-wide emergency training. At RVR, safety isn’t just a checklist. It has become their commitment, shaped by experience, and rooted in faith.
More than 80% of pastors report either receiving their call to ministry or having a significant spiritual experience at camp. For thousands of families, that one week away becomes a turning point for life and faith.
“We have people who’ve come here in the past for one week, and they come back and say how this was the most significant week in their entire life,” said Bisset.
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