By Blake Ragsdale | Charity & Children Editor
Justin almost didn’t participate in this summer’s Mountain Camp.
The rising junior and member of the student ministry at Scotts Hill Baptist Church in Wilmington signed up at the last minute after encouragement from Larry Still, the church’s student ministry director.
“I felt like the Lord was calling me to go here,” Justin shares. “So, I signed up, and I’m just so glad I did.”
A few days later, the Scotts Hill student who nearly stayed home found himself standing on stage before children, cottage parents, and staff from Baptist Children’s Homes (BCH). The four-day event took place in July at Camp Mundo Vista, part of Caraway Conference Center and Camps in Sophia. Mountain Camp is completely led by Scotts Hill’s student ministry with a missional purpose at its core: to share the gospel with the children and youth in BCH’s care.
“Well, that morning I just felt like there was a burden on my heart,” Justin reveals. “It made me realize that when I go up on stage, it’s not my words of wisdom or eloquence, but in reality, it’s God’s providence that’s guiding me.”
Surrounded by his fellow students and ministry leaders, Justin presented one of the key messages as a part of the week.
“It’s been such a blessing because I’m the youngest one on the team,” he shares. “The seniors have really guided me through the experience and have just been an encouragement to me.”
The encouragement Justin received from older students reflects a tradition that has become a defining part of Mountain Camp.
This year marked the 11th Mountain Camp, and church leaders have watched it evolve over the years. In fact, two former Scotts Hill students who were once participants in Mountain Camp now serve on the church staff. J.T. Bentfield serves as missions pastor, while Larry Still serves as student ministry director.
The two men now provide leadership and support to the next generation of students serving at camp and have witnessed Mountain Camp’s growth firsthand.
“It started out as a student mission trip that was staff-led at our church and then students would come and assist,” Larry explains. “It’s now to the point where it’s become a completely student led thing.”
According to J.T., that shift has been transformative for camp.
“I think it’s so much more effective to have peer-to-peer interaction where our students can say to children at BCH, ‘This is my faith. I’m your age. And this is how God transformed my heart,’” J.T. says.
Scotts Hill leaders view Mountain Camp as one part of a much larger effort to share the gospel with children in BCH care. For them, the week is just as much about encouraging and partnering with BCH houseparents, the full-time couples who provide daily care and support for children living in family-style cottages across North Carolina.
“We want to be a springboard for what the house parents are doing. We recognize they’re doing the real work,” J.T. says. “Usually day three is when we begin seeing salvation conversations take place. As soon as we’re seeing fruit of that, we’re grabbing house parents and bringing them into those conversations.”
“We’re short-term mission doers,” J.T. continues. “We want to hand it off to the real missionaries, the houseparents that have dedicated their lives to this.”
One of those houseparent couples is Steve and Heather Preckel. They care for children in one of the cottages at BCH’s Broyhill Home campus located in Western North Carolina.
“There’s a lot of prayer that goes into this event,” Steve says. “It’s just a cool experience to see the children come to a special place like this, and hear the gospel from teenagers—their peers.”
The boys and girls that houseparents like the Preckels care for are among the more than 11,000 children in the custody of the North Carolina foster care system. When they come to BCH, it is often the first time they hear the gospel message.
Mountain Camp is one of Steve and Heather’s favorite events. In fact, the couple volunteered to attend this year even though it fell during their time off.
“The worship at camp, the salvations that we’ve seen from the kids out here,” Steve says. “We’ve seen numerous kids come to know the Lord.”
Each day of camp, one of the most important times together is worship. Led by the Scotts Hill praise team, the services also feature students helping lead music and worship.
It is during these gatherings that student speakers, like Justin, take the stage. Each day’s message builds upon the camp’s overarching theme of sharing the hope of the gospel, with different students presenting portions of the message throughout the week.
“I think this has done such a great work in our students. They are learning it’s more than just about knowing Jesus for yourself,” Larry explains. “It’s teaching them that salvation and the wondrous works of the Lord are meant to be shared. Student ministry is not just about coming to ‘get’ but also coming to ‘give.’”
The lessons shared from the stage carry over into small group discussions between Scotts Hill students and BCH campers. There, conversations often become more personal, friendships deepen, and campers have opportunities to ask questions about faith.
It is through these peer-to-peer relationships, strengthened throughout the week, that Mountain Camp often makes its most lasting impact.
According to houseparents, Mountain Camp is consistently among the experiences children talk about most throughout the year.
“It’s always one of their favorite things to talk about,” Steve says. “When you ask the kids, ‘What’s your favorite thing that we did this year?’ it’s Mountain Camp.”
Following this year’s camp, houseparents and staff noticed many children returning with deeper questions about faith. Some began spending more time reading their Bibles.
For one child, houseparents witnessed the seeds planted during Mountain Camp bear fruit. She made the decision to follow Christ.
For Scotts Hill students and leaders, as well as BCH houseparents and staff, eternity-changing moments like these demonstrate why Mountain Camp is worth it year after year.
“At camp, the kids get to taste and see that the Lord is good and that He’s worth giving our lives to,” Steve says.
What is Mountain Camp?
Mountain Camp is a four-day camp for children and youth in the care of Baptist Children’s Homes, held each July at Camp Mundo Vista, part of Caraway Conference Center and Camps in Sophia, North Carolina. It is planned and led entirely by the student ministry of Scotts Hill Baptist Church in Wilmington.
What is a BCH houseparent?
Houseparents are the full-time married couples who live in and care for children in BCH’s family-style cottages across North Carolina. They provide daily care, structure, and spiritual guidance — and they are the people who carry the relationship long after a camp week ends.
How can my church serve children in BCH care?
Churches serve in many ways — leading or supporting a camp week, joining a Friends of Children workday, supporting foster families, or getting trained through Seeing Through His Eyes. Mountain Camp began as one church’s student mission trip and grew from there.
How do I get my church started?
- Explore ways to serve: bchfamily.org/sayyes
- See upcoming events: bchfamily.org/events
Bringing children home — to family, to community, and to Christ.
