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-by Cadance Tyler
The end of summer draws near, but the memories from the 2026 season of Impact Mission Camp remain. This year two hundred and eighty-two participants from twenty-five churches came together to serve in Mecklenburg, Roanoke, and the Eastern Shore. Youth and their leaders tackled twenty-eight projects and raised over three thousand dollars for the BGAV Tiny Home initiative.
The theme for camp was “Down to Earth,” which focused on the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). The goal was for campers to engage more deeply with prayer and to discover how they might live out the Lord’s Prayer at camp and in their own communities.
Living the Kingdom life at camp took on many different forms. Participants lived in the same spaces, ate together around the table and under trees at the job site, and ended each night in worship. Students participated in worship through song, leading on the stage, and engaging in creative prayer responses.
The Kingdom life didn’t stay in the churches and school where participants ate, slept, and worshipped. It showed up on job sites while students worked with crew chiefs and leaders to complete construction projects focused on keeping homeowners safe, warm, and dry. Students painted, worked on roofs, built decks and ramps, and repaired flooring. Aside from physical work, they took time to build relationships with homeowners. Participants visited with homeowners, prayed with them, and invited them to dinner and worship.
One exciting part of camp that isn’t as noticeable as a new deck or roof is the growth in leadership that’s evident in both staff and students. This year, Impact had eight young adults serve as staff. These students attend Virginia colleges, and all are a part of college ministries and churches at JMU, Longwood, Virginia Tech, and William and Mary. The staff helped plan camp, set up and tear down sites, run social media, lead in worship, and provide engaging activities for students during free time.
This year, staff also took time to mentor and encourage other students. They taught a student about the AV equipment and then let him operate slides in worship. Students were asked to lead in worship. Participants were pulled in to create social media content with staff. Our staff worship leaders at the Eastern Shore invited a curious student to practice leading music on stage. Time was spent with students playing cards, crafting, and engaging in deeper conversations about faith and life. The connection was evident throughout each week as students made thank you cards for staff and ran back into the building for one last goodbye before leaving for home.
A summer with Impact Mission Camps highlights the exciting Kingdom life happening through mission and young adult ministry within the BGAV. Churches, leaders, and communities are coming together to live out what Jesus taught us. As churches serve side by side, students grow in faith, leaders are developed, and communities experience the love of Christ. We are thankful for all God did this summer and look forward to continuing that work together through the BGAV Youth Fall Retreat and another Impact Mission Camp season in 2027.