Students coming to Lake Sallateeska and Streator broke records in attendance and celebrated multiple salvations in all the weeks of IBSA camps. Attendance reached 1,175 in eleven week-long sessions.
Metro East campers at Lake Sallateeska in June.
“We have surpassed our previous all-time record of 1,089 set in 2019,” Leadership Development Director Michael Awbrey announced. Most camps focused on “The Good Life” with Matthew 5:1-11 as theme verses.
Many decisions were reported: 47 professions of faith, 50 indicated their desire to be baptized in their local church, 13 expressed feeling a call to missions or ministry.
“I think that God really spoke to me while I was at Super Summer and I learned a lot about what it means to closely follow Jesus,” one student reported after the camp that specializes in shaping Christian teens into leaders.
“Fantastic!” was one parent’s assessment following camp week. “I’ve never seen my son openly worship until after camp last week.”
“The parents are still talking about the gospel conversations they are having at home as a result of camp,” one leader told Awbrey.
Metro East campers study at Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp in June.
This year there were eight IBSA Summer Camps, plus Super Summer, and two weekends of Level Up Guy Camps scheduled. They are all hosted at IBSA’s two camp properties, except Super Summer, which was held at Hannibal-LaGrange University.
The two IBSA camp properties, Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp near Pinckneyville and Streator Baptist Camp named for the nearby town, also host numerous camps and retreats planned by local Baptist associations and churches throughout the summer, adding to the total of young lives changed by the gospel.
The camps, supported by Cooperative Program giving to missions and tuition from campers, have seen terrific renewal of the facilities and rebound in attendance after the pandemic.