“We don’t need to be afraid about sharing our faith,” said 13-year-old Paisley Welch of First Baptist Church Hazel Green, Alabama. “I want to have a good base on how to be a leader and to lead in the Christian faith.”
That’s why she and a record-breaking 412 middle and high school students from 34 churches across Alabama and beyond were on the University of Mobile campus July 13–17 for Super Summer Alabama 2026, a discipleship camp sponsored by Alabama Baptist Students, the student ministry arm of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (ALSBOM).
Super Summer Alabama is for students who want an opportunity to grow in their faith and go deeper in their knowledge of the Lord and His Word, said camp director Josh Meadows.
“Their passion for the Lord is intense and is growing every time we gather together here,” Meadows said.
Growing leaders
Pastors and youth leaders, called “deans,” lead color-coded “schools” of students. Each of the nine schools has a different focus. For example: Red School is studying the Bible from Genesis to Revelation; Silver School focuses on apologetics with topics such as forming a gospel-driven world view, review of false religions, the existence of God, and the reliability of Scripture; while Green School covers the doctrines of God focusing on spiritual disciplines, disciple making and evangelism.
The University of Mobile’s Worship Collective student ensemble leads daily worship with messages from Cody Hale, lead pastor of The Orchard Church in Collierville, Tennessee.
Monday night’s message from 1 John challenged students to seek Truth and determine if they are living in the light or darkness.
Matthew Jacobs, senior pastor of Elkdale Baptist Church in Selma, is dean of the Red School.
“Super Summer Alabama allows our students to have a deeper grounding and understanding of their faith that prepares them for adulthood and college,” said Jacobs.
Laying a foundation
Now in his fourth year as a camp leader, Jacobs said he looks forward to camp as much as students do.
“I love seeing students ‘get it’ and the light goes on. It lays a foundation they can build on when they go home.”
Students who attend Super Summer Alabama on the university campus, then later enroll at the University of Mobile, are eligible for a $2,000 UM Visit Scholarship. Students who attend all nine components of the Super Summer Alabama program are eligible for a $4,000 Super Summer Scholarship at UM and will have met requirements for the freshman course “Introduction to Christian Worldview.”
Committed to kingdom leadership
Each summer, the University of Mobile welcomes thousands of middle and high school students through Christian camps and conferences, including the Southern Baptist Convention’s MFuge camps operated by Lifeway and Super Summer Alabama operated by ALSBOM.
For more information about Super Summer Alabama, visit supersummer.alstudents.org.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was edited for length and brevity and written by Kathy Dean and originally published by the University of Mobile.
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