Every summer DinoMights sends students and young adult staff members to Kids Across America camp. This Christian camp for urban youth attracts kids from all over the country with its high-octane activities and its equally strong message about the gospel.

Piling into the DinoMights vans, the staff drive the kids ten plus hours past Branson, Missouri to experience this life-changing camp. They arrive on Sunday evening, and are assigned to cabins by age, along with other kids from urban churches and organizations all over the country from Texas to Florida, Michigan, Tennessee and many other places.

The high-energy environment of the camp permeates everything at KAA. There’s lots of singing, dancing, chanting, and stomping, as well as teen-friendly rituals for everything from quieting down the room to deciding who scrapes the dishes at mealtime. It’s loud, messy and seemingly out of control, but underneath there are messages of respect, responsibility and relationship. For example, cell phones are not allowed, nor are the ubiquitous photos and social media shares that go along with them. Campers are encouraged to immerse themselves in the here and now.

And it’s not hard to do just that. Campers are engaged in activities and competition nearly all day, with water sports, “land” sports, dance and cheer, with spontaneous games like “human pac man” breaking out, plus more traditional camp activities like arts and crafts and nature walks. At night there are Bible studies and “cross talk,” where the staff shares the message of God’s redeeming love in a language that kids understand and can relate to. They invite kids to make a commitment to faith, and to take that faith back to their world at home. By the end of the week, the kids are inspired, connected and ready to roll.

DinoMights is grateful for the support of donors who help make this amazing experience possible and allow us to offer the opportunity to go to KAA to our students.