Student ministers interested in Super Summer camp no longer have to travel out of state. The youth leadership camp will make its debut in Alabama in 2008 at Samford University in Birmingham.
Begun in the summer of 1974 in Texas, Super Summer camps are organized and held by Southern Baptist youth ministers in various states such as Kansas, Arkansas and Mississippi.
“The focus of Super Summer (Alabama) will be on developing students in Christian leadership,” said Mike Nuss, director of the office of collegiate and student ministries for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM).
The camp — which will be July 7–11 — will teach youth ministers and student leaders discipleship, evangelism and leadership skills and is designed for students who have already expressed leadership skills in their local church. Students are expected to demonstrate leadership qualities as a Christian, complete at least one level of a discipleship study, have memorized a minimum of 10 Scripture verses relating to evangelism, shared their personal testimony with the youth group, completed the eighth grade in 2007 and agreed to attend all Super Summer sessions.
The camp “will be an opportunity to further sharpen their focus and skills,” Nuss said.
Within the context of worship and intense Bible studies, the 300–400
students and adults in attendance will dive deeper into the Scriptures and be given the opportunity to ask hard questions about life and the Bible. And unlike other youth camps, small-group discussions will be more in-depth, because the students who attend are generally all on the same spiritual level, Super Summer leaders explained.
“Our goal is to raise and train youth in leadership for our student ministry back home,” said Robert Mullins, member of the Super Summer Alabama leadership team and youth minister at Calvary Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, in Tuscaloosa Baptist Association.
Along with ministry leadership skills, the weeklong program will tackle the process of students shifting from high school to college, said Matt Kerlin, university minister at Samford. “We want to communicate to youth ministers the importance of preparing their students for life in college.”
Building strong beliefs
Denis Tanner, minister with youth and young adults at Shades Crest Baptist Church, Bluff Park, in Birmingham Baptist Association, said Super Summer has been a part of his ministry for the past five years.
“When they leave the camp, [students] have a stronger understanding about what they believe. Therefore, when they are no longer surrounded by their parents and youth group, they know why they believe what they do,” said Tanner, a member of the Super Summer leadership team this year.
Tanner added that he wanted to have something in Alabama that “would leave a legacy of training for leadership among our students.”
After gathering support from across the state with countless phone calls and e-mails, Tanner and other state youth ministers met with Samford President Andrew Westmoreland in September to make the event official and set the date.
“[W]e are honored to participate in Super Summer,” Westmoreland said. “We anticipate that the program will play a positive role in the lives of many, many young people.”
Early registration is Feb. 1, 2008, and the registration deadline is May 31, 2008. For more information, call the SBOM office of collegiate and student ministries at 1-800-264-1225.
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