ASCENT has a new home for summer 2024. USMB NextGen’s annual national summer camp for Mennonite Brethren youth will be held at Camp Walk On Water (WOW) in Stuart, Oklahoma.
According to an Oct. 2 blog post by NextGen chair Kyle Goings, one of the primary reasons for the location change was the limited housing and meeting spaces at Glorieta Adventure Camps in Glorieta, New Mexico, where camp has been held since 2019. (Read about Ascent 2023 https://christianleadermag.com/usmb-youth-together-in-new-mexico/)
Camp WOW features lodging with more than 700 beds, versatile meeting spaces, a party barn and snack shack, and all buildings have air conditioning. Recreational activities include ziplining, water tubing and rock climbing.
Another benefit is Camp WOW’s cost effectiveness. Student and adult registration costs will be lower in 2024, Goings says.
“While we cherish the memories we’ve created at Camp Glorieta, we are also excited about the fresh opportunities that Camp WOW presents,” Goings writes. “We believe that the change of scenery will breathe new life into our summer camp experience, allowing us to introduce innovative programming and activities tailored to the unique features of our new location. We are looking forward to exploring the rolling hills, tranquil lakes and starlit skies of Oklahoma together.”
ASCENT will be held June 8-12, 2024. Goings says the mission is the same despite the new location.
“ASCENT is dedicated to providing a mountain-top experience with fun and enriching environments where high school students can deepen their faith, foster meaningful relationships and create lifelong memories,” Goings says. “We are confident that Camp WOW will be a fantastic setting for our ASCENT campers to grow in their spiritual journeys. We can’t wait to see the incredible things God has in store for us in this new location.”
Read more on the USMB NextGen website: https://usmbnextgen.com/new-location-for-ascent-2024/.
Janae Rempel Shafer is the Christian Leader associate editor. She joined the CL staff in September 2017 with six years of experience as a professional journalist. Shafer is an award-winning writer, having received three 2016 Kansas Press Association Awards of Excellence and an Evangelical Press Association Higher Goals award in 2022. Shafer graduated from Tabor College in 2010 with a bachelor of arts in Communications/Journalism and Biblical/Religious Studies. She and her husband, Austin, attend Ridgepoint Church in Wichita, Kansas.
