A Look Back at Camp DaySpring 2025

Article by: Pastor Ed Burns

Senior Pastor at The Message Church

Cornerstone Conference IPHC

Every year, hundreds of students from across the Cornerstone Conference gather at the Conference grounds in Browns Summit for one of the best events of the year, Camp DaySpring. Camp is where relationships are formed and renewed every year, hot days are spent in the lake going off the blob, whizzing down a slide into the water, or riding a paddle boat. The adventurous campers soar over the lake on the Giant Swing, fly across the lake on the Zip Line, or show their climbing ability and scale to the top of the Rock Wall.

Camp is where smiles are shared between new acquaintances, cabin counselors pour their lives into children and students, and the Recreation staff spend their day making sure the campers are safe, having a great time, or guiding them through a game, Gaga ball, and 9-square are always big hits! Meals are shared together in the cafeteria at Camp, and after service, the canteen is the place to be.

But these fun times and social moments are not the only good things that happen at Camp Dayspring; there is so much more.

The most important component of Camp Dayspring is what happens in our services—the spiritual and ministry side. Every year, the pinnacle of every Camp day is the worship service. All that takes place in the morning and afternoon serves to build to the moment where campers are encouraged to encounter Christ in a real and life-changing way. Campers come on campus broken and leave healed, they others show up unsure if they are loved and leave being assured of God’s love for them (and the staff’s love for them).

For some, they arrive at Camp knowing that God is moving in their life, and when they leave, God has confirmed His call on their life. Those campers go to their homes, schools, and churches invigorated by the power of the Holy Spirit.

One of our newest additions to the daily Camp schedule is our INSPIRE session—afternoon leadership labs and breakouts designed to help students hone their skills in either Fine Arts or Sports. Led by IPHC coaches and mentors, those sessions not only help students learn how to hone and express their God-given abilities, but also how to lead others by their own example. At the end of each week, those Fine Arts participants bring all they learned to the final service in a creative collaboration. It's truly amazing to see it at the last service of Camp when the songs and interpretive dances the campers have learned are performed on stage in the sanctuary. To see their faces light up when they sing and the other campers respond with hands raised and hearts open is nothing short of spectacular.

Camp is more than a fun time; it’s more than late-night games, trips down the Zip Line, or swimming in the lake. Camp is the place where lives are changed, destinies are discovered, hearts are mended, and students are called into the ministry. Camp is the place where value is added to the Kingdom of God because a church sent a camper to Camp DaySpring, and their life was marvelously impacted by a God who loves them dearly. Hopefully, when the camper leaves Camp this year and they go to their churches and homes, their pastors and parents see the impact of a few days spent at Camp. Prayerfully, the change they see that was made in their student will impact the home and local church.

Camp Dayspring is the place where leaders are formed and molded for service in the local church. If you’re not already sending students and volunteers to Camp, please consider giving Camp Dayspring the chance to partner with your local church. We believe you’ll see an exponential increase as you invest in the development of this generation.

For more information on how you, your family, and your church can be a part of Camp Dayspring, contact Stephen Jones at sjones@ccrdc.org.

Also, check out our YouTube channel and our Pixieset Site to see lots of pictures and videos of Camp —it’s a great resource to share with parents and leaders who want to see their kids learning, growing, and having fun. Help us get the word out about what God is doing at Camp DaySpring, and we’ll see you next summer!