In 1971, a small group of believers who had been prayerfully seeking land to start a Bible camp bought 600 acres along the Gasconade River in rural Missouri, trusting the Lord to use it to bring the gospel to kids. And did he ever!
Turkey Hill Ranch Bible Camp started with two dilapidated stables, a small bunk room for volunteers, and two donated train cars for sleeping and dining. Now it hosts more than 200 campers per week in the main camp each summer, alongside the wilderness and ranch hand programs where campers can learn survival skills and horsemanship.
“In a race to a child’s heart, the first one there wins,” George Barna said—and that’s exactly why camp ministry is so important. Campers at Turkey Hill—like countless other Bible camps around the world—fill their days riding horses, floating down the river, swimming in the pool and lake, competing in the gym, racing RC cars, shooting archery, and making memories. The activities are the draw, but the goal is for them to hear the gospel on repeat through chapel messages and spiritual conversations with staff all week long.
Jim Fitzgerald has been involved in kids’ ministry, including camp work and AWANA, since he first went to Lake Geneva as a “counselor in training” at age 15. In his decades of secular employment, he used his vacation time from work to take his sons, daughters, and nephews to Turkey Hill while serving as a counselor himself, not yet knowing the Lord would eventually call him there to serve full time. Now in his fifth year as the camp’s director, Jim gave us a behind-the-scenes look at camp ministry.
What do you think it is about camp ministry that makes it so powerful? Why do you think so many kids get saved at camp?
Kids come to camp from all different backgrounds: Christian homes, non-Christian homes, different family dynamics. Being at camp pulls them away from their typical summer activities for a full week, where they can hear the gospel without the distractions of their everyday lives.
Whether you’re a counselor, a lifeguard, or a member of the grounds crew, you have a task at hand, but you know your ultimate job is to find opportunities to talk to kids about how to have eternal life through faith in Jesus. You can talk about salvation while you’re floating down the river, walking back to the cabin, or getting ready for bed. It can be as simple as asking, “What did you think about the chapel message?”
Our staff training program reinforces how to present the gospel clearly. We plant, we water, but the Lord brings salvation. When the kids ask us how they can know whether they have eternal life, the simple answer is, “Let’s see what the Bible says.” I have them open their Bible and read aloud to me verses like John 3:16 so they can see for themselves that eternal life comes through simply believing in Jesus.
How do you help the kids continue to grow spiritually after leaving camp—especially if they are not from a Christian home?
On the last chapel meeting of the week, we give out material for the Overcomers Club, a correspondence Bible course for kids. It comes in a self-addressed, stamped envelope, so they can complete it and mail it in. We have ladies here who grade it and mail out the next one. As long as you keep turning them in, you get another one. We also try to refer kids to local churches in their area, if their parents will take them.
How does staffing at camp aid in a young person’s spiritual growth and maturity?
We’re very focused on discipling our staff just as much as our campers. Each week of camp, there’s a separate speaker who’s there specifically to minister to the staffers.
Camp is a “mountaintop” experience—you’re around like-minded people in a good environment—and when you return to school or work, it’s back to the grind. I’ve experienced the feeling of leaving camp and hitting rock bottom. I encourage our young staffers to go home and get involved in their local church and be salt and light in the world. Our summer staffers know they can call us year-round when they need a listening ear or advice—and they do.
I’ve had my dry spells in my walk with the Lord, we all do, but being in kids’ ministry all my life has kept me focused on what’s important. In the midst of life’s trials, I’ve been protected from bitterness because my foundation has been built on knowing God’s promises are true. I know that’s true for a lot of people—I’ve seen so many young people write on their staff applications that camp has changed their lives and kept them on the right road.
How has God used your secular work experience in your current role as camp director?
After briefly working in carpentry, construction, and HVAC and realizing it wasn’t for me, I got into sales and management—first in the car business, then at Wonder-Hostess and Lewis bakeries. All this experience, plus my year at Emmaus Bible College and my time serving in AWANA, prepared me for what I’m doing now—making decisions, planning camps, recruiting qualified speakers, training staff, speaking, preaching the gospel, and overseeing the maintenance and expansion of our facilities. The construction skills, management skills, and people skills have equipped me for my role here.
As with any endeavor, camp work requires lots of prioritizing. How do you handle that?
You have to keep the main thing, the main thing. You can get so caught up in the details—repairs, equipment, counselors, staff, the pool, the lake, the horses, nice facilities—and that’s all important because that’s what gets the kids to come. But why do we do what we do? Because we are ministers of the gospel. We are here to present a clear gospel to kids and train them in discipleship.
Because of that, we are very protective of the pulpit. That’s one of our biggest priorities. With recommendations and board review, we make sure the speakers who do the chapel messages are gifted for the role. I try to attend chapel meetings so I can hear the speakers myself, and enlist feedback from staff to ensure the clarity of the gospel message.
What are the camp’s current needs and staffing needs for the upcoming season?
Our biggest needs are for prayer support and staffing for our upcoming season. We added another week of camp for summer 2023 because our waitlist had 200 kids on it. Our infrastructure can’t add more campers per week, but if we add another week, we can accommodate another 200 campers—that’s 200 kids hearing the gospel and going home and potentially telling their parents, siblings, and friends. The opportunity is huge—but we’re going to need a lot more staff.
The campers’ fees cover our overhead, but there are always additional financial needs for repairs, facilities, and equipment. The Lord always provides exactly what we need through the donations of churches and individuals. His bank account is certainly large enough!
What do you love most about camp ministry now?
I love having a facility that can be used for the Lord’s glory, the growth of the church, and the spread of the gospel. As I’m standing here now on the patio outside the camp office, it’s the off-season, it’s quiet, the pool’s empty, it’s depressing! I’m excited for people to be here again.