It’s been a WILD few weeks! In this special episode of Comm Talk, Dallas and Celeste dive into their experiences taking students to Louisiana Student Summer Camp and then leading students as they put on their own kids camp called Hero Academy. From spiritual breakthroughs to marshmallow debates (burned or roasted?!), this episode is packed with stories, laughter, and powerful lessons in discipleship. Whether you’re a parent, youth leader, or camp survivor, this one’s for you!
Several times we give a special thanks to Charlie Allo, Director of Next Gen Ministries in Louisiana for the Assemblies of God. He and his team made Summer Camp incredibly special. For more info about Next Gen Ministries in Louisiana visit their website: https://www.laaog.org/students
Camp Life: Taking Students To Camp vs. Leading Them In Camp | 204 – Comm Talk by Geek Devotions
Blog Version
Episode 204 of Comm Talk was a special one. After a brief podcast break, Dallas and Celeste sat down together for a live-recorded conversation, unpacking the last two wild, wonderful, and deeply impactful weeks of ministry. Why? Because they didn’t just go to camp with their students… they helped their students lead a kids camp right afterwards and both came with their own set of wins, ugly cries, and hilarious fails.
Here’s a comprehensive look at what went down.
The First Week: Louisiana Student Summer Camp
Every year, Dallas and Celeste take their youth group to the Louisiana Student Summer Camp, hosted by the Assemblies of God. It’s a staple in their ministry calendar, and this year it hit differently.
Wins from Camp:
- Spiritual transformation – Salvations, physical and emotional healings, infillings, and clear callings to ministry happened across the week.
- Friendship formation – Several of the girls in the group moved from casual acquaintances to a deeply connected trio.
- Leadership excellence – Shoutout to Charlie Allo and his team. The camp has steadily improved over the years, and now it’s a place where youth pastors can actually pastor, not just survive.
- Real moments, real tears – Students weren’t just going through the motions. Some were getting breakthroughs in worship, some were getting delivered from anxiety and depression. As Dallas put it, “They were experiencing weed-eating in the Spirit.”
“There was one student who just sat there quietly, then suddenly said, ‘I need to get saved.’ No altar call needed. Just real conviction. We were like… okay, let’s go!”
Deeper Conversation:
- Time spent at camp = exponential impact. One week of camp provides more spiritual and relational time than a whole year of youth group.
- Dallas shared a personal moment where God convicted him about modeling worship. He realized his students don’t really get to see him worship because he was always in the back handling media or tech. That changed at camp.
Week Two: Hero Academy
Immediately after camp, Dallas and Celeste dove into Hero Academy, their church’s long-standing day camp for 1st-5th graders, where students lead teams, help with games, lead worship, and lead in small group discussions and altar time.
The Vibe:
- Teen-led – The students taught, led games, ran small groups, and even managed lunchtime logistics.
- Generational discipleship – Teens were no longer just recipients of ministry; they were now actively engaged in ministry.
- Full-circle leadership – Hero Academy, or a form of it, has been around for 20 years now. The idea was to have adult leaders pour into teens before the event. The teens would then be equipped to pour into the kids at the camp. Due to the camp’s long-standing presence, we have adult leaders who were teens in the camp, and we have teens serving whose parents were once teens who led the camp.
Key Wins:
- Students immediately applied what they experienced at the youth camp to real ministry.
- One student confessed that, although she had been frustrated during the week, everything fell into place during altar time.
- Another teen shared, “This is why I worked so hard this week.”
“They were filled up to pour out.”
Leading To Camp vs. Leading In Camp
The episode took a thoughtful turn as Dallas and Celeste broke down the difference in mindset and responsibility between taking students to camp and leading them in one.
Leading TO Camp:
- The role is primarily spiritual guidance.
- You get to focus on your own students.
- Less logistical stress since the host camp handles the programming.
Leading IN Camp:
- You manage logistics, spiritual care, teen leadership, and occasionally handle the kids who are a bit too much for the teens to handle.
- You’re modeling leadership in action.
- You wear multiple hats: mentor, cheerleader, coordinator, and sometimes… camp dad.
One of Dallas’ personal reflections stood out:
“Our students have done a great job of creating an environment where if you’ve ever come to youth group and not felt welcomed, it’s not because of them. Our students go out of their way to include people. If someone doesn’t feel connected, it’s because they chose not to be.”
Devoted Geek Community Q&A Breakdown
Q1: How many roasted marshmallows did you demolish?
Answer: None. It’s Louisiana in June! Way too hot for fires. But shoutout to the kids’ camp bake sale team for those s’mores bites!
Q2: Do you roast or burn your marshmallows when making s’mores?
Answer:
- Celeste: Burn it. Crunch first, gooey inside.
- Dallas: Roast. Burned marshmallows are basically ash.
This is Celeste’s hill to die on.
Q3: Has there ever been a camp game that ended in embarrassment?
Answer:
- Yes. Most infamous was the “slime war” that turned into bread dough in kids’ hair because the slime recipe literally made bread.
- Also, last year’s “Wheel of Misfortune” got a little too gross and was quickly retired. Big props to leadership for pivoting!
Q4: What was the “Wow, God” moment from camp?
Answer:
- A student, who had a powerful encounter, texted a reflection that made Dallas cry.
- Another student, grinning after worship, said, “I’ve never been better.”
- Students not just participating but fully surrendering to God was everything.
Q5: Did you get many kids who don’t come from Christian homes?
Answer:
- At Student Camp, most of those in their group came from church families.
- At Hero Academy, yes, several kids came from hard backgrounds. It stretched the teens and gave them real ministry experience.
Q6: How does dealing with youth differ between the two camps?
Answer:
- At Student Camp: They guide, disciple, and shepherd students.
- At Hero Academy: They mentor students as the teens lead the kids. The teens have to process ministry challenges in real-time.
Q7: Have you ever played Grog with your youth?
Answer: No. And they weren’t exactly sure what it was.
Q8: As a parent, how do I help my kid keep their spiritual fire after camp?
Answer:
- Let them talk about camp. Celebrate it, don’t rush past it.
- Ask, “What’s your next step?” and support them in it.
- Let them see your faith in action at home.
Q9: How are you preparing your students for the Millennium? (This was a joke question from a beloved member of our community)
Answer:
- Tongue-in-cheek answer: We’re teaching them to know and follow Jesus. That’s what matters, no matter where you land on end-times theology.
Q10: At Hero Academy, do you have someone to nullify powers for safety, like an X-Men-type control system?
Answer:
- Also tongue-in-cheek: Yep, it’s called the adult leadership team. They’re really good at saying, “Nope!”
Q11: If you could remember one thing from this camp season, what would it be?
Answer:
- Celeste: Seeing a student smile through tears after worship and say, “I’ve never been better.”
- Dallas: The final-day debrief, where students connected the dots between what God did in them and how they were able to pour that out during Hero Academy.
Q12: What methods do you use to help with homesickness?
Answer:
- STRONGLY recommend that parents and students don’t call each other, at least on the first day. That first night matters.
- Let them talk it out, feel their feelings, ask good questions, and be present.
- Parents: trust your leaders, maybe consider asking for “proof of life” pics instead of daily calls.