“We want to see young people set on fire for God.”

Spur Ottawa Writer

Youth and young adult ministries often wind down over the summer, but a group of local youth leaders are finalizing plans for a new summer camp that aims to stir up the faith of young believers and impart a passion for revival.

“I had a great experience at camp when I was 15 or 16,” says Niomi Macartney, youth leader at River Jordan Ministries. “As a youth leader now, I remember that experience and I wanted to give the same experience to my youth group.”

Macartney says she saw a need for some kind of event over the summer to help boost young people in their walk with God. Although there are lots of Christian camps around, most are geared for a younger demographic. Camp Kairos is designed for young people ages 15 to 25 and is somewhere between a summer camp and a young adult retreat.

“Sometimes secluding yourself from the busyness of life and focusing on God can really be the difference.”

“I wanted it to be very heavily focused on the presence of God. I don’t know of any camps that have that as the main focus.”

Hosted at Ottawa Valley Pentecostal Camp, Camp Kairos will run from August 5 to 8. Each day will include several sessions of worship, teaching, and practical application, as well as camp activities and games.

“It’s a summer camp because the summer weather is beautiful and while we have a strong emphasis on spiritual elements, we also want to have fun,” says Israel Gimba, founder of Dunamis Army, the main group behind Camp Kairos. “Sometimes secluding yourself from the busyness of life and focusing on God can really be the difference.”

The group expects between 60 and 100 youth. A key goal for the camp is connecting those youth to strong discipleship groups following Camp Kairos, to sustain what God does. Gimba says there are currently eight churches and ministries investing in the event, to make that happen.

“With a lot of things that youth go through these days, especially with absentee parents, I think understanding the love of God will really strengthen their faith and give them courage to move forward.”

“The goal of the camp is revival. We want to see young people set on fire for God. We want to see chains broken: people who have been struggling with anxiety and loneliness, people who have been under the domination of different ailments (physical, spiritual, mental, emotional).”

“One of the focuses is the father heart of God—learning that God is a dad who actually cares,” says Reinhard Balogun, a Dunamis Army leader. “With a lot of things that youth go through these days, especially with absentee parents, I think understanding the love of God will really strengthen their faith and give them courage to move forward.”

Balogun says one of his main prayers for Camp Kairos is that, as youth are strengthened to overcome the barriers they are facing, they will leave with confidence to reach others with the Gospel.

“This can be a moment of decision. We are not just going there for a holiday. I believe this event is a catalyst.” Photo by Alyssa Redner.

“A few of the sessions we are doing are more workshops on how to share your faith. That should give them an equipping to know they are able to do this themselves.”

Ultimately, Gimba says the whole event is about meeting with God and giving God room to move powerfully in young people’s lives.

“This can be a moment of decision, that’s why we called it Kairos [a Greek word for a critical and appointed time],” says Gimba. “We are not just going there for a holiday. I believe this event is a catalyst, where people can be set on fire, come back into the city, set their entire spheres of influence on fire, and we can see revival break out.”