HANNIBAL/BOLIVAR—More than 1,600 students gathered across three Missouri Super Summer camps this June, making 2025 the largest year in the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) camp’s recent history and resulting in dozens of spiritual decisions.
“We had great weeks. They went really well,” said Dan Gibson, MBC Next Gen strategist and Super Summer coordinator, adding that featured speakers during each week of camp “did a wonderful job.”
Watch this MBC recap video from week 1 of Super Summer at Hannibal-LaGrange University:
This year, 225 students and leaders gathered for week one of camp on the campus of Hannibal-LaGrange University (HLGU) in Hannibal, Mo. During the following two weeks, campers gathered at Southwest Baptist University (SBU) in Bolivar, Mo., with 735 in attendance during the second week of Super Summer, and 650 during the third week.
In 2023, there were about 623 campers and leaders during two weeks of camp. In 2024, there were 1,100 during two weeks of camp.
The 2025 Super Summer theme was “Called.” While decision numbers were still being evaluated at press time, Gibson estimated that more than 75 personal decisions were made, including professions of faith in Christ. Gibson estimated that about 15 of the decisions involved a call to ministry.
Mike Fitzgerald, associate pastor of First Baptist Church, Kearney, served during Super Summer at SBU last year. This year, he served during the first week at SBU, but he brought 34 students with him during the second week at SBU.
“We saw a lot of enthusiasm and desire to come” to Super Summer this year, Fitzgerald said.
“Super Summer is really well run, well put together,” he added. “I like how the kids get exposed to the Scriptures.” He added that he appreciated this year’s theme, “Called,” noting that this could mean many things—a call to faith, a call to full-time ministry, or a call to a deeper walk with Christ. It led students to ask what they should do with their faith.
Watch this MBC recap video from week 2 of Super Summer at Southwest Baptist University:
There were at least four decisions from Fitzgerald’s student group. One of those was Mary Hearne.
“I was a little nervous this year, because it was a brand-new camp,” Hearne said. “I wasn’t emotionally feeling the Holy Spirit move, which was weird for me. But I slowly realized it was because God was using me in a way He never had.”
Twice, people said she should be a camp leader when she gets out of school, which she brushed off. Then a third leader came up and said the same thing.
“I told him he wasn’t the first to tell me that,” Hearne added. “His wife looked at me and said, ‘Mary, that’s your calling.’ I never felt like God had revealed my calling to me until that moment. I don’t know how God is going to use me in youth ministry, but I truly believe He’s going to reveal what He wants me to do when He’s ready for me to know.”
Another of Fitzgerald’s youth, Ellianna Murrell, has attended church camps since she was in the sixth grade and expected another “short-lived Jesus high.”
“This year it wasn’t the case,” Murrell said. “Each day I felt myself changing for the better. After I got home, I decided I needed to make some changes by stepping back from the people I usually spend time with and surrounding myself with like-minded individuals who can help me grow in my walk with Christ.”
During Super Summer, Anna Stigall felt called to full-time missions, although missions has long been a passion for her. It was a definite call, at a time she was not expecting it. She almost ruled out missions because of financial considerations, but then a message addressed this issue.
“I don’t know where I’ll be going,” Stigall said, “but for once, the idea of the unknown isn’t startling because I know for sure that I am called to a specific area.”
Different guest speakers were featured each week of Super Summer: Josh Meadows, student ministry strategist with the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, was guest speaker for week 1, Jay Barbier, with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, was guest speaker for week 2, and Scott Pace, dean of graduate studies for Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, was guest speaker for week 3.
Kyle Kicker led worship at all three weeks of camp, and musical guest Aaron Cole made an appearance each week.
The schedule at Super Summer involved morning worship, church small groups, breakout activities, large team Bible study, recreation, a large team study in the evening, followed by worship and church group meetings.
In recent years, E-Sport activities have been offered at Super Summer, giving students the opportunity to participate in a half-dozen video game competitions.
Caleb McGennis, who oversees the e-sports division of Sports Crusaders and who organized e-sports activities during Super Summer, said, “The feedback we get is from some people who feel they have something to do when they are often left out. There is common ground in e-sports.”
There were also sessions for pastors and leaders while the students were in small groups. These leader trainings offered soul care—opportunities for ministers to deal with heartbreaking issues and explore ways to reach out to youth.