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Each summer, our partner camp creates space, pausing its regular programs entirely, opening its facilities at Bass Lake and San Juan Capistrano to about 300 Star Rock Ministries campers. We call these camps XLR8.
It is a generous gift of facilities and time. But more than that, it is the gift of creating space.
Space for young people to feel known by others and by God.
Space for trusted relationships to deepen.
Space for healing to begin.
Space for future leaders to discover who they are becoming.
At Star Rock Ministries, we believe camp can “accelerate” what caring adults are already building in the lives of young people. That's why XLR8 collaborates exclusively with organizations that serve students throughout the year. Camp isn't designed to replace that year round work, it amplifies it. Five intentional days together can move relationships, trust, and growth forward in ways that take years to develop.
This summer, we watched that happen again and again.
For one camper, her breakthrough came during camp chapel. Looking at an image of stained glass created from broken pieces, she quietly thought, "That's me."
By the end of the week she shared, “I’ve been going through a really hard time lately, feeling really worn out and not wanting to live. I saw the stained glass image in the pastor’s talk and thought, that’s me, all my broken pieces. And this week I feel like I’m being put back together.”
Her journey is far from over, and that's exactly why Star Rock Ministries offers XLR8 camps. She returned home with her youth ministry staff who will continue walking alongside her through the months ahead. Camp simply accelerated what those relationships were already making possible.
The camp creates space by opening their facilities and sharing their staff and resources. Our ministry partners create space every day by faithfully investing in young people long after camp is over. Donors create space through their prayer and generous support to fund these programs. And when that kind of space is created, God works in remarkable ways.
Trust grows.
Healing begins.
Leaders emerge.
Lives change.
These are the stories we tell, not because they end after one unforgettable week at camp, but because they continue throughout the year as our ministry partners faithfully walk alongside the young people they serve.
Sometimes all it takes to change the trajectory of a life is someone willing to create the space where that new story can begin.
