Breaking Cycles and Building Faith: Mt. Bethel Church Volunteers Serve at Camp Hope
In July, nearly 20 of our students and several adult leaders stepped away from their routines and into a week of ministry at Kidz2Leaders’ Camp Hope in Rutledge, Georgia.
Camp Hope provides a safe, joy-filled environment for children who have at least one parent in prison — helping break the generational cycle of incarceration by offering them belonging, mentorship, and the hope of Christ.
Camp Hope 2025 Student Volunteers with Campers
For our volunteers, this trip wasn’t just about filling roles as teen counselors, cabin leaders, or support staff. It was about living out their faith, building meaningful relationships, and letting God work in and through them in ways they didn’t expect.
Learning to Lead and Love
Cole Carroll, 20, a Mt. Bethel student serving for the first time, quickly learned that God often works through the smallest moments.
“Although it was my first time at camp, most of my cabin had been there the year prior. After losing badly in the relay race last year, they were determined to do better,” Cole shared. “When we eventually got first place, they were overjoyed. They talked about that moment for the rest of camp — and I hope it’s a memory they’ll hold onto for life.”
But Cole’s most meaningful moment wasn’t about winning. It was about showing up for one camper who didn’t feel like joining worship.
“Instead of telling him to participate, I just sat next to him and worshiped. Since he valued me as his leader, he eventually stood up and joined in — even dancing along. Our ability to be there for these campers helped demonstrate how Christ will never leave nor forsake them.”
Cole said patience became his greatest lesson: “Having a cabin of seven 9-year-old boys was difficult and tiring. But through prayer, much-needed breaks, and leaning on the other volunteers, I was able to stay patient and serve them well. I honestly think I learned just as much during my week in Cabin 17 as the campers did.”
Faith in Action
Devon Lochner, Mt. Bethel Student Ministry Leader, with Camp Hope camper
This kind of growth is exactly what Student Ministry Leader Devon Lochner loves to see:
“Being able to see our students, that we’ve poured into, then pour into the younger generation themselves, was nothing short of remarkable. The next generation is hungry for God, and Camp Hope was further evidence of that.”
For our student volunteers, that meant intentionally investing in their campers.
“I enjoyed building relationships with my campers,” reflected Mason Strozier, 15. “It was cool to see shy first-year campers warm up to me and have a ton of fun at camp.”
Addison Strozier (right), 18, with another student volunteer, as campers paint their faces.
“When I met my campers, I realized we were put in a cabin together for a reason. Their strong desire to learn about the Lord took my nerves away. It was truly an unforgettable week,” recalled Addison Strozier, 18, Mason’s sister.
Relationships That Last
Some of these bonds extend well beyond a single week at camp.
Marina Cesar, a Mt. Bethel Church college student, has served at Camp Hope for five years — always with the same group of girls.
“This was the last year before they move up to the next age group,” Marina said. “It was really sweet to reflect on all the years we’ve spent together and see how much they’ve grown. These girls have become such a blessing to me.”
For Marina and so many others, this isn’t just volunteering — it’s living out the mission, one relationship at a time.
Student Volunteers (right) with Camp Hope Campers
Hard but Worth It
Camp days were long and often challenging, but as student volunteer Ellis Lee, 16, put it: “It was hard but fulfilling.”
That’s what serving looks like: showing up, staying faithful, and trusting God to work through it all. At its heart, this trip wasn’t only about what our volunteers gave — it was about how God shaped them in return.
This is what it means to trade the pursuit of more for a life worth pursuing in Jesus Christ: stepping away from comfort and into calling, finding joy and purpose in being part of His redemptive work.
For our student and adult volunteers, Camp Hope was more than just a week away — it was a living picture of what that kind of life looks like.