T-shirts, name tags and flip-flops give the illusion of a run-of-the-mill youth camp, but Super Summer is anything but ordinary.
“It is totally different than all the camps I have been to,” said Carmen Truelove, 16, a member of Calvary Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, in Tuscaloosa Baptist Association. “It forces you to dig deep into your life and relationship with Christ.”
Although Super Summer has been held in other states for years, 2008 marked its first appearance in Alabama as it was held July 7–11 at Samford University in Birmingham. The camp is intended for upcoming high school freshmen through recently graduated high school seniors and focuses on leadership and discipleship, taking youth who are already spiritually mature and equipping them to be Christian leaders wherever they end up in life.
Campers attend three classes a day on a number of topics ranging from character to spiritual discipline and have more in-depth discussion on the topics during small group time.
The spiritual maturity of other campers was what Jenna Tanner noticed when she attended the camp as a high school student.
“At other summer camps, I was the spiritual encourager,” said Tanner, an upcoming college sophomore and a small group leader at the Alabama camp. “But at Super Summer, I was spiritually encouraged.”
Her father, Denis Tanner, minister with youth and young adults at Shades Crest Baptist Church, Bluff Park, in Birmingham Baptist Association, decided to help start the camp in Alabama after he saw the positive effect Super Summer had on her and other students in his youth group. He had been carrying the youth to Mississippi’s Super Summer camp.
“Super Summer helps them to articulate a lot of what they believe in and deepens their faith through the understanding of God’s Word,” Denis Tanner said.
Robert Mullins, youth minister at Calvary Baptist, had seen the impact the camp had on students, too, and he missed it. After moving to Calvary from Mississippi in 2006, Mullins connected with Denis Tanner, and they made plans to start the camp in Alabama.
“This thing kind of blossomed,” Denis Tanner said, noting that the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions provided support. Samford also assisted with providing a place for the students to stay and carry out the camp activities.
And the first Super Summer got off to a good start with more than 100 students enrolled and around 50 college-age and adult leaders. Denis Tanner, who is serving as the camp administrator, and Mullins, the camp director, said they are hoping to double or triple their numbers next year.
“The future of Super Summer is bright and it’s huge,” Mullins said. “There are youth ministers waiting to sign up for next year.”
For more information about next year’s camp, visit www.supersummeralabama.com.
Share with others: