R.A. (Australia)

Highly recommend this camp! Definitely worthwhile sending your kids to. It's a small intentional camp that helps the kids connect with their faith.

Dear Scott and Dale
I just wanted to say thank you and give you feedback on the recent camp. Our son attended the camp, and what a delight. He has attended other camps, and the spirit that he came back with was totally different this time. He came back as our boy, the son we love, and I tribute this directly to your values and the spirit that was there at the camp.

We as parents have learnt a lot from him in the few hours that he has been back and awake (it’s been a full-on camp by the sounds of it).

So thank you again, we as parents truly appreciate what you invest in our children.  We are very keen for him to attend another camp in the future. 

Is there a Jumpstart 2.0 for parents, or at least can we have a glimpse at the material that was presented?,… it sounds amazing.
Shalom and Shalom 

JumpStart gives an opportunity for young people to ground their faith in the Word of God and at the same time be taught how to live it out in a confused and sometimes hostile world. It focuses on the sufficiency of Christ for all that life will bring now as well as the wonderful assurance of life with God for eternity. I would highly recommend JumpStart to any young person who wants to take their faith seriously. The camp is well led, provides sound, faithful teaching in a fun environment.

Peter Thomas
Capernwray Australia

All the parents I know who sent their children previously have been so impressed with the venue, teaching, atmosphere and value for money and have booked them in for next year. They seem to have the right balance of clean loopy fun and deep thought-provoking, faith-stretching teaching and discussion. I am hoping that all my children will be able to go at least twice to deepen their faith, make great friends, both with other homeschoolers and also the wonderful students and teachers at The Crossing, and to experience the fun and great teaching that is Jumpstart. My 2 older children are both keen to go again and again.

This is an incredible camp. I recommend hugely. My daughter has been 2 times, and my son is going this year for his first time. It's quickly become one of our notnegotiable has to happen part of our school year.

After years of hearing about JumpStart through close associates, I finally had the opportunity of meeting Dale Epp and participating in JumpStart as a speaker. It was such an exceptional time of great fellowship and connecting with the heart of God PLUS "mandatory fun!". It was great to see kids excited about their relationship with God and taking a serious look at the scriptures. I also loved the natural tendency of all the leaders and campers to include everyone in! The content, context and community of the whole camp were excellent!

Sincerely, Michael Thomas
Celebrate Messiah New Zealand

Parents - this is such a great camp! My teens had a blast last year, developing a deeper hunger for God's word and making friendships for life.

Highly recommend going if you're able.

Thank you Dale and all the JumpStart team.

This camp is such a blessing for homeschoolers. If you want your teens to connect with other Christian teens, look no further. We will definitely be sending our kids again, maybe even to one in another state.

My daughter had an absolutely fabulous time. She made some wonderful friends whom she hopes to keep in contact with. She really enjoyed the way in which the camp was run - it wasn’t too stressful like others she had been on, and she was really encouraged in her faith. She also says it was worth taking the week off school for, as she was reluctant to do so initially. It’s a shame you couldn’t run two a year or something similar.

My son and I had a wonderful car ride home together this afternoon, where he told me all about the amazing Jumpstart camp!  We are so thankful to God for your faithful service to Him in putting together this camp, and for the leaders who were such great models of young men and women who love Jesus.  He said his highlights were the new friends he made, and the talks and discussion groups, which he said were really thought provoking.

My daughter attended Jumpstart 2011 alongside other homeschooled teenagers and I cannot express how wonderful it was for her. She had the best and most valued time she has ever experienced away from home. Take all these testimonials above, multiply it and believe it. Their feedback has had to be edited for the sheer size of their positive testimonies to the value and impact of Jumpstart and its teachers. I highly recommend you give your Christian teenagers the gift of attending jumpstart. Jessica is definitely going again in 2012!

Hi Mr. Epp,
Thank you so much for running Jumpstart again this year.  I had such a wonderful week.  I really loved all the classes and found them fascinating.  In your session ‘The Devotional Life’ I was really interested in the plan you had for reading your Bible every day as I had recently been losing my enjoyment of reading the Bible and so I tried your idea and I find it is really working for me.  Thank you so much.

I don’t have any recommendations for you, as I loved every minute of it and I am looking forward to Jumpstart 2016!!!!

Thanks for a great week and may God bless you as you continue doing His work.

The Crossing is a great place to learn and have fun. The talent show and night games were very fun. I enjoyed the deep understanding of God that the teachers and small group leaders had which was ever present. I am definitely keen to go again.

Jumpstart is a program that offers five fun-filled days of intensive Bible teaching for homeschoolers. The program’s motto, “God’s Word + Mandatory Fun” perfectly captures the balance between learning and recreation that Dale has perfected.

It is impressive to see how willing and eager the kids are to listen to in-depth Bible teaching. They are not only engaging, but they also ask inquiring and insightful questions that are indicative of their hunger to learn the Word. This is a testament to the amazing job their parents are doing with their homeschooling.

As someone who was part of Jumpstart in November 2023, I can attest to the program’s effectiveness in developing an ever-increasing love for God’s Word in young people. The kids’ interaction with each other was a joy to observe. They have something in common that binds them together: not only are they all homeschooled, but they are also followers of Messiah Jesus. These commonalities must be nurtured and developed, and this is exactly what Jumpstart does.

The leadership team equally impressed me. Dale has put together a bunch of amazing young people who gave 100% all the time to make this experience the best.

Ariel Ministries New Zealand is all about disciple-making through intensive Bible teaching, and therefore we highly endorse Jumpstart.

Johan Jansen van Vuuren
Director, Ariel Ministries New Zealand

Jumpstart has been the most impactful and most meaningful camp my 2 eldest sons have been to. While they have attended other Christian camps, both of my boys have said Jumpstart has hands down been the one camp that has both challenged and deepened their faith. Resulting in them walking stronger and differently with the Lord. The intentionality and care of the leaders, the small group discussions, and friendships they have fostered have been a blessing to my children.  If you send your teen to any camp - make it Jumpstart.

I attended Jumpstart at the beginning of this year (2021). It was such an inspiring camp! Because of the teaching and encouragement, I have started reading the Bible pretty much every day, which I have been struggling with as long as I can remember. Because of you and Mr Brown my understanding of many spiritual concepts has grown a lot.

I just thought I should send a big belated THANKS for providing teaching that is really applicable and has actually made a difference in my walk with God through his help. 

Thanks! 

I found jumpstart to be very helpful in bringing the word of God alive. And the way Dale and Kris and Doug taught us also helped me understand what they were talking about. I realised that I did not read the word as often as I should to have a proper friendship with Christ. Jumpstart is awesome and I think it is worth the time.

We are so very grateful to Dale and team, for establishing the Jumpstart camps for home-schooling teens. I had earnestly asked the LORD specifically for solid Bible based camps for our teens, to support the Biblical foundation and development of a deep, personal relationship with Christ, that we were striving to emulate in our home. Jumpstart camps have done this, with plenty of fun and friendship as part of the package. We thank God for His faithfulness, and the on-going opportunities for some of our children to be leaders themselves and give back to the next group of young people following them.
Thank you.

My daughter has been gushing up with great reports of how camp & staff & campers were.  At Jumpstart her perspective about Bible Reading has changed from a duty to a desire.

Next week my son Jake will attend his third Jumpstart in Hamilton.  He loves these camps because they don’t simply have activities and a speaker, but they get you involved in Bible study too.  It’s Fun, inspiring, and challenging!!!