What it's all about
Biblical Focus
"For when I am weak, then I am strong"
2 Corinthians 12:1-10
Why: We go on Spiritual Bootcamp to connect with and know Jesus better, know how God made us as His children and in His image, and to connect with fellow Christians as the Body of Christ. While we are on Bootcamp, we push ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally to better understand our limits and how we function and then wrap all three in the spiritual. We do all this so that we can learn to rely on and trust God then live it out in our daily lives.
Who: We primarily target the high school age group as they are in a transformative time of their life. It is generally a challenging time to live out their faith or even connect with God in meaningful ways. We want to then take aim at offering college age Bootcamps to tackle issues that arise in the classic college or young adult years.
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How: We accomplish this by being out in God's creation, going on hikes, working through different obstacles (sometimes as a team and sometimes individually), take turns cooking and cleaning for the group, have quiet time with God, large and small group conversations/ Bible studies, one on one time, soaking in the beauty of nature, and SO much more!
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Where: We seek to go to campgrounds or properties that are approximately 3+ hours away. These campgrounds change every year so that participants and leaders alike are unfamiliar and therefore have to adapt to new challenges. These locations are well thought through to seek out various challenging and new environments to live in for the week or weekend.
If this sounds like something you are interested in click here for more information.
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Zeke, Bootcamp Recruit
I first heard about Bootcamp when my dad was asked to chaperone a Christ-centered camping trip with his connection, Pastor Hauser. I was happy to join what I thought would be an ordinary youth group on an ordinary trip. My expectations could not have been farther from the truth. I soon learned that this Pastor Hauser was one of the most amazing people I will ever meet. God had blessed him with the opportunity to share Christ with middle and high school youth through the spiritual and physical challenges of Bootcamp.
The opening 24-hour fast shook me to the core, preparing me to be built back up in Christ. The following week was full of physical and spiritual trials that showed me who God is, why he chooses to love me, and how to seek a deeper relationship with him. That week was a mountain-top experience that put my life and my struggles in perspective. Even as we came down from that mountain the Bootcamp community continued to support each other. I personally keep in touch with many of the youth and leaders who walked with me on that first trip years ago.
Since then I have attended three Bootcamps, all of which have made me who I am today. These experiences found me at my worst and centered me in Christ. They allowed me to open up about my struggles in ways I never thought would be possible, offering incredible healing. I've heard from my fellow campers how Bootcamp has saved their lives, renewed their faith, and so much more. One of my greatest joys has been sharing this experience with my friends and family. Opportunities like these are what we, God's people, are called to share. Looking back, Bootcamp has forever changed my life, pointing me to the one who truly fills that God-sized hole inside, Jesus Christ.
Tim, Bootcamp Leader
Spiritual Bootcamp with Pastor Hauser was a positive experience for me. I served as an adult leader and found this event to be a unique approach to helping students look more deeply at their faith. Young Christians need to take some initiative to take their relationship with God from a simple “Sunday School” level to that of being a mature Christian living their faith in a complex secular world. Spiritual Bootcamp challenges attendees to be proactive in seeking the face of God and living out their beliefs while they are outdoors in a supportive environment. The hiking and other outdoor activities add a rewarding physical challenge as well. Quiet time for Bible study, small group discussions and large group team-building activities all blend in to help attendees to dig deeper, seeking to help themselves and others grow in their faith. To get to a well-grounded faith life as a young adult is not an easy task. I have seen teenagers access great tools to deeper their relationship with Jesus Christ in the Spiritual Bootcamp environment.
The week or so I took out of my busy life to assistant with the Bootcamp for me was heaven-sent time with Christ and fellow believers.
Eli, Bootcamp Recruit
My name is Eli, I am 18 years old and a freshman in college (in 2023). My experience with Spiritual Bootcamp goes back to my middle school days with Pastor Aaron Hauser where at that point Bootcamp was just an idea. After brainstorming and planning throughout my 7th grade year, Pastor Hauser managed to make our idea into reality. Since the first bootcamp in 2018, I attended 3 more, each being better to the last, and each time new memories were made. One of my favorites is the tree stump from the first bootcamp in 2018, in which we would take turns trying to hammer a nail in a tree stump with one swing. It was an instant hit and we played it everyday while enjoying the company of those around us. Bootcamp allows for teenagers and young adults experience the beauty of God’s creations while building their faith with others of the same age through team building exercises, personal tasks and challenges, and even cooking. Bootcamp truly makes an individual appreciate the little things in life that we don’t give enough credit to. Looking back on the past 6 years of my life I can see that Spiritual Bootcamp truly helped make me who I am today.
Your Impact
There are youth around the US that are not being cared for spiritually. They may be in Christian schools, go to church, or neither. Raising up young people takes ongoing care and support. If you choose to help support Tselem Ministries and Spiritual Bootcamp, your support will go towards the following:
-SPIRITUAL BOOTCAMP
Week long or weekend-long events where youth and leaders are challenged to grow individually and connect with God and others around them.
-ONGOING CHECK-INS
Touching base to pray for each other, ask about their walk with Jesus, and how the Spirit has been moving in their lives. We also seek to connect Bootcamp attendees with each other so that they connect and grow in faith together.
-INDIVIDUAL COACHING
For young people who attend Bootcamp and desire to work through deeper parts of their lives.
-BI-MONTHLY REUNIONS
Reconnecting with leaders and youth, dive deeper in their faith, do a service/mission activity in the community, pray for each other, worship time, and build a better understanding of the Body of Christ. So that, returning to the world, they know in their heart that they are never alone while serving our awesome God.
-CREATING RESOURCES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES
We wanted to provide resources such as Bible studies and devotions that youth and adults can do to keep them in the World while they are not at Bootcamp. We do not want Spiritual Bootcamp to be a spiritual high and then fizzle out until the next high, so we aim to provide these tools to keep the flame burning all year round.
-VISITS TO CHURCHES AND FAMILIES
We want to connect with churches and families between Bootcamps and also raise up leaders within families and communities to do an even better job than we can at ongoing care. As leaders of Bootcamp, we can only do so much being further away and not being an everyday part of these individuals' lives, so we aim to raise up local leaders and parents to be spiritual leaders.