M. P.

Jumpstart is fantastic because it is so God focused. In every aspect of the week you have at Jumpstart, God is evident

My daughter attended this camp earlier this year. It has given her a great boost to her own personal walk with Jesus and has also allowed her to connect with other teens, who are now supporting each other daily and building friendships.

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!

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.

Jumpstart was an awesome way to study God's word with some very knowledgeable adults that shed a light on it that one's parents don't.

If you're on the edge thinking about this can HIGHLY recommend it.

My son went to the NSW one and it was truly a huge blessing - he came back a different kid. Made some wonderful friendships. But mostly his desire to learn and get closer to God was so great to watch.

So definitely work checking out and signing your kids up for. Awesome bunch of leaders.

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

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

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.

Thank you for jumpstart. It's a blessing to my family, and I pray it continues a long time into the future.

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

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.

We highly recommend Jumpstart for all young adults.  It offers absolutely exceptional bible teaching and discipleship and a whole lot of fun as well.  It seeks to solidly ground young people in the Word of God and view the big issues of life from a godly perspective – to honour the Lord with their whole life.  The teaching is “meat” but it is also interspersed with a truckload of fun.  Our children say that they never laugh so hard and so much anywhere else!  It has been such a blessing to our family and is always one of the highlights of the year for our teenagers.  We reckon no Christian family should miss out on this wonderful opportunity.

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.

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.

Both of my kids came home having grown in their faith further.

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 son travelled with other Christian friends from Hobart to NSW for the last Australian Jumpstart camp - he'd definitely be attending this one if it didn't clash with the start of his VET course next year.

He says it was streets ahead of any other camp he's attended, even though he was sick in bed for part of it! This is the type of camp where I trust the boundaries and teaching put in place will match or exceed my own.

Thank you so much for organising this camp! My sister and I had an amazing time! There was a perfect balance of fellowship and learning. The only thing that could be improved about it would be if it was longer!

Dear Dale, Patti, and all involved in Jumpstart,
I just want to say how deeply I appreciate Jumpstart being available for Christian young people. 

My daughter first attended in 2019.  Shortly afterwards we were driving together and I mentioned that I was struggling to understand "the old man".  Immediately, she explained what she had learned at camp and let me borrow her notes on Colossians.  They were a great help to me.  

She returned with full notes from Jumpstart 2020 and I was able to take a week's retreat to read through and copy them for myself.  It was a rewarding investment of my time.  I am grateful for the clear teaching both in Eschatology and Life Issues.  I well remember struggling to apply the spiritual to the practical when I was young.  Jumpstart would have been a great help!

I am thankful to the Lord for including me in the ripples of blessing that extend from what you have allowed Him to do through you.

Yours because His,