Last January, during a campus chapel at Union Adventist University, a brief interview became a powerful reminder of what North Star Camp represents. Mallory, a former staff member, reflected on her summer experiences. While she remembered helping organize the Amazing Race during Extreme Camp week, what stayed with her most was walking cabin to cabin each night, praying with counselors and campers before lights out. The most lasting moments were not the public ones, but the spiritual ones.
Annika, once a camper and now a university student alongside former staff, described the continuity she now sees. The same young adults who once mentored her are now peers and classmates. “Working at a summer camp transforms the way you see Jesus,” she said. “It changes how you know God.” Her words capture something we witness consistently: camp shapes both campers and leaders.
At North Star Camp, leadership is entrusted intentionally. Young adults—many serving for the first time—are trained carefully, equipped spiritually, and empowered with real responsibility. After preparation, they are released to lead, supported but given room to grow. They guide small groups, resolve conflict, pray with confidence, and model integrity. Through mentorship and experience, leadership becomes stewardship—rooted in humility and strengthened by service. In that process, we see God shape character, confidence, and calling.
While staff are being formed, campers are discovering something just as significant. Removed from constant digital noise and cultural pressure, young people enter a rhythm shaped by worship, Scripture, outdoor challenge, and authentic community. Questions are asked openly. Faith becomes personal. By the end of the week, decisions are often made with clarity and conviction.
We continue to hear the same testimony from former campers and returning staff: camp is where they met Jesus in a real way for the first time. Not simply where they heard about Him—but where belief became personal.
This year is especially meaningful. Across North America, the Seventh-day Adventist Church celebrates 100 years of summer camp ministry. For a century, Adventist camps have helped shape faith, identity, and leadership in young people. North Star Camp rejoices to stand within that legacy, contributing each summer to the spiritual formation of children and the development of Christ-centered leaders in Minnesota.
Established in 1957 along the shores of Rice Lake near the Mississippi River, North Star Camp has become a sacred landmark in Minnesota’s spiritual landscape. During this time, thousands of children, families, and young adults have walked these grounds. Hundreds of retreats, spiritual gatherings, and summer programs have been conducted in service to our constituency in Minnesota and throughout North America. Its forests, waters, and natural beauty provide more than scenery—they create an environment uniquely suited for reflection, growth, and encounter with God.
In Minnesota, this mission aligns clearly with the conference’s guiding vision: Making Disciples. Camp offers an immersive setting for that process. Discipleship happens in mentoring conversations, shared responsibility, worship under open skies, and courageous decisions beside the water.
The 2026 summer program, titled UNSHAKEN, will center on faith under pressure and the stability found in God’s Word. In a generation navigating uncertainty, our goal is to anchor young lives deeply in Scripture. As Psalm 62:6 declares, “He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I shall not be shaken.” Through biblical teaching, team challenges, and intentional spiritual mentorship, campers will be invited to build lives rooted in Christ—steady even when tested.
As we prepare for another summer season, we invite all families and young adults across North America to prayerfully consider camp as part of their spiritual journey.
We extend sincere gratitude to the parents who entrust their children to our care, to the administration of the Minnesota Conference for its clear vision and faithful support, and to the broader community whose partnership sustains this ministry—under the North Star, where faith is strengthened and lives are shaped.
—Pastor Daniel Borja, camp director
The dates for the 2026 sessions are:
DAY CAMP Date: 6/15 & 6/16 AGES: 7-17
CAMP ABILITIES Date: 6/17-6/21 AGES: 18+
CUB CAMP Date: 6/21-6/28 AGES: 7-9
JUNIOR CAMP Date: 6/28-7/5 AGES: 10-11
TWEEN CAMP Date: 7/5-7/12 AGES: 12-13
EXTREME CAMP Date: 7/12-7/19 AGES: 13-17
TEEN CAMP Date: 7/19-7/26 AGES: 14-17
FAMILY CAMP Date: 7/26-8/2 AGES: 1+
More info: https://www.northstarcamp.org
