By Baptist Message staff
WOODWORTH, La. (LBM) – Individuals with special needs will experience a full slate of activities during the upcoming Champions Camp, Sept. 6-8 at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center, Woodworth.
The camp will match participants with buddies who will accompany them throughout the weekend. The camp will feature games, activities, crafts, karaoke, worship and Bible study designed for children and adults, ages 8 and up, who have intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Champions Camp Director David Anderson, who also serves as Louisiana Baptists’ children’s ministry strategist, said individuals with special needs along with their families are one of the most unreached people groups in the state. He cited a 2022-2023 study from the National Center for Education, which found that the number of students ages 3–21 who received special education and/or related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was 7.5 million, or the equivalent of 15 percent of all public-school students.
“Our friends and family members that deal with special needs in their lives are just like everyone else,” Anderson told the Baptist Message. “They want to lead as normal lives as possible with friends and family and purpose and activities that enrich them. This is difficult to do in everyday settings.
“Our goal at Champion’s Camp is to help these individuals experience a weekend centered on them and Jesus,” he continued. “We have Bible studies and activities just like any other camp or retreat, but they are all adapted to reach these friends at their levels. This is one of my favorite ministry opportunities of the year.”
Visit louisianabaptists.org/event/2024-champions-camp.
