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Registration is NOW Open!
You must arrange your own travel/drop-off plans for your student for camp
Drop off & Pick-up Times:
Check-in/Drop-off: Check in starts at Sunday, June 23rd, 1pm at the Aspendale Chapel until dinner at 5pm. (campers turn in phones.
Pick up: Make plans to pick up your student(s) by Friday, June 28th, at Aspendale around 3:30-4:15pm
Travel is up to you: You will need to organize travel plans with your family or church group yourself. Engage doesn't currently have vans to transport students up from our home area (El Paso) to camp.
Address: Aspendale Mountain Retreat Center, 163 Pierce Canyon Rd, Cloudcroft, NM 88317
We recommend taking the Cox Canyon Hwy route and NOT taking the Sunspot Hwy.
Didn't receive the camp final reminder email? Reach out to our secretary via email here: hannahmastriani@yahoo.com
Click on the Camp promo video here or on the picture below:
This page will be the main hub for updates about our camp schedule, speaker and staff training! Stay tuned! More info coming soon!
Staff Cost: $100
Total Camper cost: $320 (Deposit of $50)
Camp Scholarship fund: If you would like to give to our Scholarship fund to help send other campers or staff to camp, click here. Make payments for camp: ***preferred options are the first two with no processing fees:
Check: Mail a Check to Engage Truth Ministries. P.O. Box #12523, El Paso, Tx 79913
Zelle: Give to Engage via Zelle by typing in Caleb's email: caleb.harrelson@yahoo.com
Pay Online (includes a processing fee): click here.
Business Sponsorship: If your business would like to sponsor camp, click here.
Camp Schedule: click here
Guest camp class teachers: Monique Duson & Krista Bontrager with the Center for Biblical Unity and Kathy Gibbens from the Filter it through a Brain Cell show. Staff Training Dates:
Training #1: Sat, March 2nd, 10am-1pm at Coronado Baptist.
Training #2: Sat, April 27th, 9am-1pm, Sun City Church
Training #3: Sat, May 25th at Park Hills Church
Staff required reading: the Holiness of God, Faithfully Different, & Five Lies of our Anti-Christian Age.
All Group staff Trainings are complete by this point. Any last minute staff that come on board will need to set up a meeting with Caleb or Jason.
Camp Schedule:
Sunday
1-5pm- Check in at Aspendale at the Chapel (Free time until dinner)
Sign up for team sports (free time everyday) & paintballing during registration. Then go play outside games until Dinner!
5pm- Dinner
6pm- worship- "Chaos to Clarity" Caleb Harrelson (chapel) 1 Peter 1:13-16
7pm- evening activity & counselor skit (team building with camp teams)
8:30pm- camp devotional activity (chapel)-
Worship & Pilgrims Progress Skit- Leaving the City of destruction
9:15pm- Group Cabin discussion time
10:30m- lights out (Pre-teens lights out by 10pm)
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
7am- wake up bell
7:30am- morning calisthenics & morning devotional & Catechism
7:45am-Meet in the chapel- Worship song & announcements
8:00- Breakfast
9am- Morning class
Pre-Teen: Foundation Worldview
Middle-High School: Monique & Krista
10:30- Challenge courses rotation
12- Lunch (meet at chapel first)- lunch discussion with your cabin groups
1- Worship - Preacher Jason Kerns (1 Peter 4:1-19)
2:30pm- Clean up
4pm- Pick up your student to go home.
Daily Camp Themes & Curriculum:
Note on Core Class Curriculum:
Mid-High school Curriculum: Written by our Camp director and Engage President, Caleb Harrelson, with the aid of other camp staff members and our staff required reading books (see above).
Pre-Teens (9-12 yo): These campers will have age appropriate material (using the Foundation Worldview Curriculum) and an earlier bedtime at camp than our mid-high school campers. Daily Camp Schedule coming soon.
Introductory Remarks:
In our cultural moment, the stats show that only 4% of Gen Z has a Biblical Worldview and a large number of students are deconstructing their faith. On top of that, Christian morals, much like in the early church, are now seen as being hateful to humanity. Like the Old Testament prophet Daniel, we must learn to be faithful to our Lord in a Babylonian-like culture. We must learn to be Faithfully Different. Navigating our culture as ambassadors of Christ means we must be willing to address the cultural idols with Biblical clarity and faithful living. Today, our unbelieving world is not only asking whether Christianity is true, they are asking whether Christianity is even good for society. As faithful Ambassadors of Christ, we MUST respond by equipping the next generation to stand firm on God's unchanging Word and how to effectively share the life giving message of the gospel to a confused culture.
Campers and Staff will both be equipped to tackle questions like...
how the gospel must be central to change our nation
Defining Biblical justice vs secular justice
Defining Biblical love vs. the secular definition
What it means to be made in God's image & love the body God gave you
Finding our identity in Christ alone and not in what we do or feel and identifying counterfeit gods (sports, job, relationships, LGBT identities, etc.)
How Christianity is good for the world and human flourishing.
The necessity of being committed to the Body of Christ in our witness to the world.
Daily Camp Themes:
Sunday- Cultural chaos vs Biblical Clarity
Brief Description: Students will reflect on how culture is aggressively trying to get Christians to compromise, deconstruct, or redefine terms (i.e. love, justice, oppression) instead of being faithful to God. How can we respond like Daniel? We must first reflect on God's Glory in the gospel and his unchanging Word to move forward.
Monday- Who is God?
Brief Description: Students we dive into the Holy Love, justice and mercy of God. Questions about the justice of God in the OT and NT will be answered by looking at the Character of God.
Tuesday- Made in His Image
Brief Description: Students will grapple with what it means to be made in the Image of God and identifying false narratives about what it means to be a human (evolution, secular humanism, new age, expressive individualism).
Wednesday- In Christ Alone
Brief Description: Students will be challenged to build their identity on Christ alone and reject any counterfeit gods that they might be building their lives around (sports, attractions, feelings, friends, music, etc.).
Thursday- Why Christianity is good for society
Brief Description: Students will hear testimonies and learn about how the Biblical worldview has shaped nations that have a love for human rights and justice. In short: they will learn WHY Biblical morality is not only good for the world, it is the best option for human flourishing.
Friday: This is the Way
Brief Description: Students will learn about the value of loving and being committed to the body of Christ and practical ways they can use their gifts to strengthen their local churches. Key Staff Positions:
Camp Director: Caleb Harrelson
Assistant Director: Jason Kerns
Registration & Hospitality: Hannah Mastriani & Sonia Ayala
Aspendale Caretaker: Jim Petit
Nurse: TBA soon
Head Boys Counselor: Juan Briones
Head girls Counselor: Karen Luse
Worship Leader: Oscar Alderete
Staff kid childcare: TBA
Videographer: Michael Head
A/V: TBA
Activities Director: Laura Harrington
Assistants: Hiram Samaniego & Ken V.
Preachers: Caleb H. Juan. Charlie, Drew Cook, Matthew, Jason Kerns
Age specific teachers
High School Guys: Caleb H.
High School Girls: Kendra H.
Mid School Guy: Matthew Mitchell
Mid School Girls: Kimberly Mathis
Pre-Teen Boys: Juan Briones
Pre-Teen Girls: Annette Vanderzwan
Guest Teachers:
Kathy Gibbens (Filter it Through a Brain Cell)
Monique Duson & Krista Bontrager (Center for Biblical Unity)
Downloadable Promo fliers:
Kid friendly flier:
Teen Friendly Flier (ropes course in the background)
More camp info on the schedule, special games/activities, and special topics in apologetics coming soon....