Every year my staff asks me to write a letter to youth workers about camp for the coming summer. I try to work on being clever and witty and then figure out how to say that we have the best camp in the world and tell you why you should take your kids to BigStuf. I could probably get really creative and write a semi mysterious novel type thing that might lure you into a story and make you go “Wow! That was written just to get us to camp?”  But, I am gonna do that later. On this particular piece I’m just gonna shoot straight with you. I watched what happened last year at camp and just sat back in awe. Our theme was “KONNEKT”, and we actually saw kids start to really “KONNEKT” with their faith and their reason for existence on this planet. We saw thousand of kids get globally involved and begin to make a huge impact across the world.

I’ve got a lot of things to say about BigStuf, so I hope you keep reading.

I’ve been doing this for over 20 years now and I usually watch movements turn into institutions. Over the past few years I have seen BigStuf, kind of an institution, turn into a movement. Kids are talking about it all year. Thousands of kids are talking about it on Facebook all the time, and they plan their whole year around it. Youth workers tell us their whole church is changing because of it. It’s really hard to explain, but it has to do with our team of people and their authenticity. It has to do with true leadership. It has to do with attention to detail, and it happens because we really want to walk alongside youth workers to help them impact their students’ lives.

Some people have asked why it cost more than other camps. Here’s a bit about that . . . A lot of other camp programs don’t have the 10 meals included in the price. People have to go get groceries or go out to restaurants. Leaders have told us they like having all the meals right there on the same property as lodging. Some camps have you drive to the meeting room. Everyone has told us that they love staying right where the meeting rooms are as well as being able to walk to the beach within 15 seconds from their rooms. Nobody else has that. A number of years ago we started partnering with the ReThink organization and for three days we have an intensive youth leader training that is the best in the country. It’s changing the way our culture does youth ministry. Nobody else has that. Then if you take into account all the stuff we put into our staging, lighting, sound, and our overall worship experience . . . NOBODY has that. If we took all that away, we could bring the price way down. But then we just wouldn’t be BigStuf anymore. Since I am a Mac guy , I kind of compare it to Macs and PCs. You can get a PC for a lot less than a Mac, but who would want to? Once you use a Mac you never go back. That’s what our groups say about BigStuf. And you will too if you join us.

Hey, I am an old guy and have seen everything every camp or church can deliver, but I promise you this . . . BigStuf is fresh every year and God does something here that is too big of a Mystery to explain. Come see for yourself.

Lanny Donoho