Camp Brackenhurst

Camp Brackenhurst was created in 2001 to give missionary children living in East Africa an opportunity to have a fun, Christian camp experience during the school holiday. Camp quickly expanded into the un-churched communities in East Africa, thus becoming an outreach into the secular communities in addition to the mission community. In 2003, Camp expanded further into the European and South Asian communities, reaching communities of other religious backgrounds, such as Hindu and Muslim. Now, Camp ministers to children (and families) of numerous religious backgrounds and nationalities; thus its focus is both evangelism and discipleship in these young lives. Ultimately, Camp exists to glorify God by providing children with an opportunity to grow spiritually, build relationships, and have fun.

At Camp, we strive to proclaim Christ, to have a creative program, to encourage relationship building for campers, and to have a qualified staff. We offer numerous devotional times and settings for campers each day ranging from large group to small cabin times. It is our hope that the small cabin times will be good times of sharing, praying, asking questions, and growing for the campers. Through our innovative programming, we hope to attract all kinds of children. We offer fun games and activities, a skills program designed to improve campers’ skills in various areas, and an adventure program for our older participants. We also want to see healthy camper to camper interaction as kids make friends with children from all over East Africa and healthy camper to counselor interaction as counselors disciple campers and serve as positive role models. In order for Camp to function properly, the counselors/staff must love the Lord and strive to act like Christ towards each other, campers, and parents. The staff must also love children and desire to both play with them and lead them in their relationship with Christ.

From a staff perspective, many college students desire to serve at a camp during the summer months, but would also like to be able to go on a foreign mission trip. Camp Brackenhurst is an opportunity for college-students or older from the US to fulfill both desires. Staff serve as Camp counselors for 5 weeks of the summer, and then spend another 3 weeks involved in other types of ministry. In the past, staff has spent time in local villages encouraging the local church, building mud huts/schools/churches, hosting medical clinics, leading youth rallies, sharing/teaching in local schools, serving at local orphanages, serving the community by picking up trash, visiting Hindu temples to pray and understand more of their faith, supporting AIDS victims in local slums, and other types of village evangelism. The staff grows individually and as a Body throughout the summer through times of worship, prayer, and Bible study as well as broaden their worldview through mission trips to local villages and interacting with children of different backgrounds. Local high school students also serve at Camp as Jr. counselors. Camp provides them with the opportunity to serve, grow, be mentored, and be in a position of responsibility prior to college.

In Kenya, children are involved in 3 types of school systems: American, British, and Kenyan. The children in the American system take their holiday in June/July, the children in the British system in July/August, and the children in the Kenyan system are on break in August. At the moment, Camp is able to offer sessions in both June and July, thus hitting the families in both the American and British systems.

Camp Brackenhurst has grown each year and we are excited to see God continue to change lives through this program!

If you are interested in participating as a camp counselor, please visit our camp staff page. For additional information on Camp Brackenhurst visit our participant site.