The ministries of Christian Challenge are the collegiate arm of the Colorado Baptist General Convention. These campuses and directors are partners to help Colorado students move from youth to future leaders in the church. As such, please be sure to pass on the names of any students coming to these campuses for follow-up and encourage them to contact the directors listed below before they arrive so they can make a smooth transition. Current stats show that we are loosing 80% in this transition and it will only be together that we narrow the gap. Here is the list of campuses and directors currently in Colorado:
The first group to stay in our newly renovated Pine was the Colorado Springs Young Marines. This is what they had to say about their experience:
“The Young Marines and their staff were amazed with the new Pine Lodge. The accommodations exceeded our expectations with the space and renovated bathrooms and kitchen area. Our kids appreciated the large open bay sleeping quarters as it allowed them to bunk up with more of their friends. The spacious conference room allowed us to hold our classroom instruction time and a movie night without feeling cramped. These kids already feel we should come back next year and use the same lodge for our leadership school. Thank you so much!”
We are excited to have Korey Buchanek as our Camp Pastor for PEAK Kids Camp 2013! Pastor Korey has been serving in ministry for sixteen years as a church planter and pastor in both Colorado and Hawaii. He currently serves as the Growth Pastor of Fellowship of the Rockies in Pueblo, CO. As a father of four he understands what it’s like to speak into the lives of children in creative and entertaining ways. His hobbies include surfing, skiing, skydiving, and sports. Pastor Korey is an avid synchronized swimmer with numerous awards in the area of ostrich jousting (and has a great sense of humor, as you can tell).
Posted Wed, 2013-04-24 08:59 by Church Planting...
By Karen Peck
Don’t get bored this summer! Register your students for Summit Student Camp 2013. They will spend a week building new relationships, learning from encouraging and godly counselors, and be challenged by the Word of God.
“I wish Summit Camps were happening tomorrow,” said Camp Pastor Scott Kindig. “We are going to dive deep into the importance of reaching your God-given DESTINY by embracing your God-given IDENTITY! Looking forward to making new friends at Ponderosa and going after all God has for us together.”
Posted Wed, 2013-03-27 14:17 by Church Planting...
By Karen Peck
It is time to start registering your 3rd-6th grade students for Peak Kids Camp 2013. Every year at camp, we see many children make significant growth in their knowledge and understanding of God and Biblical principles. However, God isn’t limited to only reaching the students during the week. Last year, God spoke directly to one of the volunteer camp counselors. Below is his amazing testimony.
Posted Wed, 2012-11-28 11:41 by Church Planting...
During the B.U.R.T, students will have the opportunity to visit five different Baptist colleges across five states. The journey will begin Friday, February 15 and will end Tuesday, February 19. This trip will be limited to the first 24 participants– STUDENTS OR PARENTS. You must be in the 10th - 12th grade to participate. The trip cost is $150 and includes lodging, all meals and transportation. You will be required to bring money for recreation and any other purchase you may want to make.
To secure your place on B.U.R.T., please contact Tom Willson of First Southern Baptist Church in Colorado Springs at 719-661-3490 or tom@fsbc.org
Save the date for VBS training, March 9, 2013, at Riverside Baptist Church, Denver. Training events for other locations in the state are being considered and information will be publicized as it becomes available.
Posted Wed, 2012-09-12 09:57 by Church Planting...
By Kim Waress
Is it just me or have you felt like you were hit by a Mac truck after teaching children’s church?
While studying my lesson I feel like a college student cramming for a Monday morning final. This week though, I thought I was well prepared… wrong!
Sunday morning class begins and we start our lesson, opening to a story on forgiveness. Suddenly, I hear a piercing scream as sweet little Johnny throws a punch right into Joe’s gut. I leap across the room, arms flailing, letting out a battle cry as I rip the two apart. I get them in separate seats and continue on…”Jesus calls us to love one another.”
Larkspur, Colo. – “I just wanted to get away from home. It was just something to do,” shared Brent*, “but yesterday I realized it was more than that. I was called here for a different reason.”
Over two weeks this summer, Brent and 535 youth from as far away as Texas and Utah gathered at the Ponderosa Retreat and Conference Center for Summit Student Camp 2012. Twenty-five students made decisions to accept Jesus into their lives. Twenty-eight other students rededicated their lives.
Larkspur Colo.- What do four days of fun, excitement, 297 kids, worship and Bible teaching equal? PEAK Kids Camp 2012!
From times of inspired worship, led by Ryan Durfee (The Bridge Church) to challenging messages from Scripture by Camp Pastor James Wagstaff (North Metro Church) children from 15 churches across Colorado gathered at the Ponderosa Retreat and Conference Center.
Fort Collins, Colo.- Four youth groups from across the country hit the ground in the Fort Collins and Loveland area north of Denver on Monday, June 25th for a crash course in being a church without walls with PowerPlant until Saturday, June 30th. This is a church planting experience for junior high and high school students sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources. The goal of PowerPlant is to expose existing churches to church planting that may not otherwise get the chance to experience what it is like to start a church from scratch in communities that need to be reached.
Manitou Springs, Colo.- Marika’s Coffee House, situated in the heart of eclectic Manitou Springs, is a hub for cultural, social and culinary activity. Paintings and photography cover the walls that extend far back into the shop that is quite larger than the impression that its quaint storefront gives off. Walk past the craft display at the front, the coffee bar, and the two rooms after and you will find the cozy, aesthetically pleasing room in which Souls Church, pastored by Christopher Nason, comes together weekly.
Hosting art shows and meeting in the creative environment of Marika’s Coffee House draw the artsy crowd in Manitou toward Souls Church. Fliers advertising conversations about art and spirituality hook the interest of artists, enthusiasts and the otherwise curious and urge them to explore Souls Church’s Thursday night gatherings. On July 20 and 21, Souls Church will be holding their third annual Redemptive Reflections Art Show. Artists will submit pieces that represent the redemption theme in forms of painting, photography, spoken word, music and writing.
That is the cry that could be heard every afternoon June 10 through the 13 as Soccer Camp took place at Red-tailed Hawk Park in Aurora. The Edge Church, a church plant lead by Pastor Ryan Heller, hosted this as an opportunity to engage the young families in their area of outreach. Over 50 children ranging from kindergarteners up to fifth graders played their hearts out and improved their soccer skills throughout the course of the three-day camp.
Colorado Springs, Colo.- An island of misfit toys. The famous group of toys that are broken down and unwanted from the Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer serves as the picture of the make-up of Breathe Worship Center in Colorado Springs. Pastor of this two and a half year young church plant, Drew Van Gorder, says that their growing group of seekers and new believers are often the outsiders that many tend to overlook.
God planted the seeds in Van Gorder’s heart that lead to the humble beginning of this church plant when he was working on the ALERT team at the Limon Correctional facility. During the four years as an employee there, he felt compelled by God to do something else. At first he thought he would be a state patrolmen but that fell through. Then one day, Van Gorder was dealing with God about what to do next as he was driving home after work when he heard a small whisper of “Pastor”- a still small whisper that Van Gorder compares to the story in Elijah. God was not in the waves or the wind or the fire, but He made himself heard in the soothing sound of a soft whisper.
WHEN JESUS SAID TO, “COME AND FOLLOW ME,” HE WASN’T TALKING ABOUT HIS TWITTER ACCOUNT. IT’S MORE THAN A SIMPLE CLICK OF THE MOUSE, “LIKING” HIS FAN PAGE OR CHANGING YOUR STATUS TO “IN A RELATIONSHIP.” WHEN HE ASKS YOU TO FOLLOW HIM HE WANTS IT ALL: ALL YOUR HEART, ALL YOUR MIND, ALL YOUR SOUL AND ALL YOUR STRENGTH!
Latest research from the US found a strong link between teenagers own weight and that of their closest peers. A UK obesity expert said the link is likely to be casual and down to catching bad habits.
The journal Economics and Human Biology work adds weight to the notion of imitative obesity - mimicking of friends who pile on the pounds. It looked at data on nearly 5,000 teenagers, many of whom were later followed up after two-year interval. From this the researchers found friendships between the adolescents tended to cluster according to weight, meaning overweight children tended to hang out together. When they looked at weight changes over time, they found having a fat friend could lead to weight gain for a child.
"You do not stop seeing people because they are fat, but you might be able to influence them into leading a healthier lifestyle by going for a walk rather than playing computer games," he said. A spokeswoman from Weight Concern said: "We do learn from our peers and eat with our friends, so these children may be picking up unhealthy habits. READ THE FULL ARTICLE
CityConnexx is a custom mission experience like no other. We connect urban and suburban churches by matching your group’s talents, desires and DNA to an inner city or Native American ministry.You will live, work and worship in one of Americas at-risk neighborhoods while under the supervision and care of ministry staff that know the area and culture.Read more…
Looking for games, youth ministry stats, timely articles to 'borrow' for your parent page? This is the place! here you will find a collection of web pages, articles, and resources to assist you in reaching youth, connecting with parents (and pastors) and keep you on track.
By Karen Peck
By Karen Peck
By Karen Peck
By Kim Waress
By Rand Clark
By Amber Cassady
By Amber Cassady
Colorado Springs, Colo.- An island of misfit toys. The famous group of toys that are broken down and unwanted from the Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer serves as the picture of the make-up of Breathe Worship Center in Colorado Springs. Pastor of this two and a half year young church plant, Drew Van Gorder, says that their growing group of seekers and new believers are often the outsiders that many tend to overlook.
WHEN JESUS SAID TO, “COME AND FOLLOW ME,” HE WASN’T TALKING ABOUT HIS TWITTER ACCOUNT. IT’S MORE THAN A SIMPLE CLICK OF THE MOUSE, “LIKING” HIS FAN PAGE OR CHANGING YOUR STATUS TO “IN A RELATIONSHIP.” WHEN HE ASKS YOU TO FOLLOW HIM HE WANTS IT ALL: ALL YOUR HEART, ALL YOUR MIND, ALL YOUR SOUL AND ALL YOUR STRENGTH!
The Baptist Foundation of Colorado is pleased to offer tuition funds for the calendar year of 2012 for the following types of activities:
