Warrior Camp Ministry Update

2018 - 2019

 

Hello Warrior Nation!  Thank you for your service, prayer, support, and encouragement toward the ministry of Warrior Camp!  I’m grateful for what God has enabled Warrior Camp to be a part of over the last year+, and I’m excited about what is on the horizon ahead.  Here is the Official Warrior Camp Ministry Update, covering 2018 through June 2019 and little beyond. And then at the very end, I share why I believe Warrior Camp is so significant in our generation. 

More can be found on Warrior Camp’s Social Media including facebook, instagram, and youtube, as well as on our website at www.warrior.camp and our Blog Page @ https://warrior.camp/journey. I hope you enjoy this Ministry Report.  It’s ultimately a grateful celebration of what God is doing in and through Warrior Camp!  Let’s dive in!

 

2018 - 2019

1.     March 2018

  • Warrior Camp (WC) becomes an official, non-profit 501c3 organization recognized by the IRS. This has been a big goal for some time, and now it has been accomplished! Special thanks to WC Board Member Chris Pope. Warrior Camp Supporters can now enjoy tax deductibility for their contributions.

 

2.     5.23.18

  • The 1st Annual 5th Grade Nampa Christian + Warrior Camp Graduation Celebration took place on May 2018.  This event was all about celebrating the graduating 5th grade class of approximately 30 students, with signature WC Games, Recreation, Worship Music, and Powerful Biblical Encouragement as they prepare to take the plunge into middle school.  Special thanks to the Nampa Fire Truck Crew for coming to this event and spraying us all with the hydro-cannon! Pictures can be seen via our Facebook Group Page entitled ‘Warrior Camp’ and under Photo Albums or via the link here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Warrior-Camp-79080793918/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10156575477928919.  Parent feedback was particularly positive and encouraging, and School leadership wants Warrior Camp back next year.

 

3.     July 2018

  • The 4th Annual Warrior-Camp-In-A-Box (WCIAB) partnership took place with the Santa Claus United Methodist Church Camp (SCUMCC) for their July 2018 Summer Camp.  (This Camp partner meets the Biblical and doctrinal standards needed in order to partner together in good faith).  This Camp Partnership involved a Christian Kids Summer Camp in Indiana purchasing 150+ Next Gen Sword Kits, Weapon Workshop Supplies, and Training Videos for the purpose of hosting the signature Warrior Camp Weapon Workshop and related Games at their camp for their kids, and with their own, in-house Camp leadership team.  The leadership of the SCUMCC appreciates this WCIAB partnership opportunity as a way to enhance and distinguish their Camp program and attract kids with something new, distinct, and fresh, and they want to do it again next year!

 

4.     8.18.2018

  • Warrior Camp 2018 @ Bethel Church of the Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho.  This is the full fledged, full-day, Warrior Camp complete with Weapon Workshop, 3 Rallies, Powerful Biblical content pointing kids to God, WC Games, and intense team vs team competition and recreation.  Boys gathered from different churches and cities including Nampa and Caldwell.  The Weapon Workshop debuted our Next Generation Bow and Arrow, with the new Dire Wolf Fur Handle, and new Archery Tag Game Equipment.  Recreational Activities included an experimental, next-generation, 100 foot long Slip-N-Slide experience, down an approximate 70 foot long slope, and which leveraged a record # of sandbags to facilitate a low-level water-retention-wall, thereby enabling a deeper Splash-Down Landing Zone on flat ground which was filled with soap suds and chunky slime, before eventually terminating in a 1200 gallon swimming pool.  Rally Themes involved the Biblical Account of Gideon, testimony from a Martial Arts Expert about how he got saved at a young age, and a Special Brick Ceremony in which kids declared the awesomeness of God in their own words.  Warrior Campers wrote about the awesomeness of God on two different bricks.  The 1st Brick was then added by every boy to the ‘Big Stack’, which serves as a Spiritual reminder and collective praise and testimony of who God is.  The ‘Big Stack’ is located in the JourneyLand Kid’s Ministry Area of Bethel Church.  The 2nd Brick belongs to each Warrior Camper personally, and each boy took this brick home to place next to their bed, to help them never forget the awesomeness of God!  The Warrior Camp 2018 video can be viewed on our Warrior Camp Website at https://warrior.camp/media or via our Warrior Camp YouTube Channel at the link below.  I hope you enjoy it!

  • https://youtu.be/3GQJt9RrbRA

 

5.     January 2019

  • Warrior Camp / Unleash Epic (WC/UE) began a strategic and awaited partnership with the Joshua Institute Internship Program.  The Joshua Institute is a spin-off of Cole Valley Christian Schools.  In this partnership, 2 highschool students interned with WC/UE from mid-January through early May, once a week on Wednesdays during the school day from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  Parents and teachers visit WC/UE as well on occasion to check up on student progress, and students will report on what they have learned at the end of the School year.  During the Intern Experience, students gained hands-on valuable experience helping prepare and build Warrior Camp In A Box 2019 and also helped prepare for the Warrior Camp Graduation Celebration Event @ Nampa Christian on 5.21.19.  Work for the interns included proper training and safety practices, cutting pipe, working with power tools, and other tasks including chamfering, cleaning, aligning, painting, gluing, and supply procurement and larger-item loading and unloading.  (See these separate entries entitled 5.21.19 and July 2019 in this Report for more info).  WC/UE is very grateful to these interns for their help and hard work.  Feedback from students, parents, and teachers was very encouraging and positive.  I (Derek) was able to attend the share presentation for one intern at the end of the school year, and WC / UE would welcome the opportunity to serve as an intern site again in the future should that be of interest to the Cole Valley School System or any other similar program.  It was a great and helpful experience in propelling WC / UE forward, and the interns also expressed their enjoyment and gains from it as well!

6.     4.25.19

  • Warrior Camp met with the Senior Pastor of the Greenleaf Friends Church in Greenleaf, Idaho.  The Pastor’s goal for the meeting was to learn more about Warrior Camp, as he considers the church and Christian school campus as a possible host site for Warrior Camp later this year.

 

7.     5.21.19

  • This date marked the 2nd Annual Nampa Christian + Warrior Camp Graduation Celebration!  This year, we also had 20 parents register to join the fun with their graduating son or daughter.  The Graduation Celebration took place at Nampa Christian Elementary School, and involved the Warrior Camp (WC) signature Weapon Workshop in which kids and parents had the opportunity to build their own next generation, nerf compatible BlowGun!  Next we played an original WC game known as Kingdom Under Fire (KUF) in which kids build a Castle out of cardboard boxes, and then raced to be the first team to knock their opponent’s Castle down with Dodgeballs.  Following KUF, we braved an overcast day for which we had been praying or good weather, and went outside for the Battle Games.  Here, kids and parents, armed with their very own BlowGuns, engaged in epic battles of WC Games like ‘Alcatraz’ and our own version of Capture the Flag (CTF).  During the Battle Games, the kids were surprised to see several local Police Officers come out to the event and join us on the field to join us for some epic ‘Cops vs. Kids’ Nerf Battles!  They’ll never forget it!  Following the Nerf Battles, we began the Ceremony portion of the event which was open to all the 5th Grade Graduates and all of their families.  Well over a hundred people gathered in the Main Gymnasium for the Ceremony, which included some worship music, followed by separate, special BreakOut Sessions for the Boys and Girls in which they were encouraged in their relationship with Christ as they prepare to take the plunge into Middle School.  The spiritual theme for the girls involved loving God with all your heart, knowing that God holds you close to His heart, and living the adventure that accompanies a walk with God.  Each girl was given a special necklace with a heart encircling a Cross as a spiritually significant take-home item, and to help them commemorate their graduation celebration.  The theme for the boys involved a martial arts expert sharing his testimony about how, as a teen, he went from being hostile against God to coming to personal faith in Jesus Christ!  He also presented martial arts demonstrations, followed by the Knighthood ceremony.  First, the historical significance of Knighthood was unpacked and then, one by one, boys stepped forward, often with their Fathers, to be knighted by their dads with a Scottish Sword in a powerful right of passage rich with sacred significance.  The boys were then given a military style dog tag engraved with a bold challenge and inscribed with the Bible reference of Psalm 18.  Following both BreakOut Sessions, our entire big group reconvened together in the Main Gym for some final words of encouragement/challenge, and a big prayer huddle in the center of the Gym floor in which parents surrounded their kids, and a teacher prayed for all the graduating students, and for God’s blessing over them as they graduate up into Middle School. Pictures can be seen via our Facebook Page entitled ‘Warrior Camp’ and under Photo Albums or via the link here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Warrior-Camp-79080793918/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10157459117568919  It was a special event, feedback was encouraging and positive, and school leadership wants to do it again next year.  (And God gave us the weather we needed)!

 

8.     6.1.19

  • Unleash Epic @ The Combat Arts and Vendor Festival.  Meridian, Idaho.  Warrior Camp’s new ‘baby brother’ and business partner, known by the brand ‘Unleash Epic’ served as a vendor for the first time at this specific event on June 1, 2019.  (In addition to this Event, Unleash Epic has been a vendor at 2 other Gun Shows and 1 Christmas Expo over approximately the last 7 months).  Participation in these events involves paying a vendor fee, booth set up, and offering the best recreational combat gear and battle sport equipment that we’ve ever invented deep in the ‘Fun Labs’ @ Warrior Camp.  Some people who may not be able to compete at Warrior Camp, still enjoy the kind of fun we have and the gear we innovate. We’re excited to share that our gear hits the target of improving/expanding a category, and being the best in class on key metrics including ammo velocity, aesthetics, longevity, and fun factor.  Unleash Epic makes these products available to the general market, in person and online.  Signature Unleash Epic items for sale at these events include the SlingKing SlingShot, Next Gen Bow and Arrow, Big Beast BlowGun, LIL MONSTER Xtreme Compact BlowGun, and the best selling LIL MONSTER Hero Nerf Compatible BlowGun, which is capable of the elusive yet desirable ammo velocity up to 100+ feet per second (FPS).  And, the LIL MONSTER Hero comes in a desirable, concealable, and compact platform approximately 9 inches long, and with multiple upgrade options to choose from.  Some of these items are available at https://warrior.camp/store and are also available on Ebay, Etsy, and as of February 2019, through Amazon Prime, and should be discoverable through searching those platforms via the phrase ‘LIL MONSTER Hero BlowGun’.  Pictures from this event are on Instagram @ ‘unleash.epic’. A portion of each sale goes to support Warrior Camp, and we’re excited to see and experience the benefits of how business can amplify the ministry of Warrior Camp!

 

9.     July 2019

  • Warrior Camp In A Box (WCIAB) 2019: This marks the 5th Annual Camp Ministry Partnership with our Camp Ministry Partner, the Santa Claus United Methodist Church Camp (SCUMCC) in Santa Claus, Indiana.  (This Camp partner meets the Biblical and doctrinal standards needed in order to partner together in good faith.  See the similar 2018 post above for more info.  Unleash Epic has assumed the expenses, and most of the production and fulfillment for WCIAB).  This year, SCUMCC has increased their request from Warrior Camp and ordered 170 Next Gen Nerf Compatible BlowGun Kits and select upgrades for their Summer Camp 2019, which takes place in early July 2019.  The work of weapon building began in mid-January 2019, and as of 6.1.19, all physical products comprising WCIAB 2019 have been prepared, assembled/built in the WC Shop, as well as shipped and received by SCUMCC, and over a month before their Summer Camp begins.  The only remaining component involves video training content regarding how to successfully run the WC Weapon Workshop with their Campers.  Some of this content has already been provided to SCUMCC, and the remaining video content will be filmed, created, and sent out soon and in sufficient time for their July 2019 Camp.  The SCUMCC Camp Director has expressed that this year’s next-generation Warrior Camp BlowGun is powerful, fun, her favorite Warrior Camp Weapon to date, and that her Campers are going to love it!  Warrior Camp is continually humbled, honored, excited, and overjoyed to be a part of what God is doing among these kids this summer in Indiana!

10. 2019 and Beyond

  1. I am extremely grateful for all of those who have attended, supported, prayed for, and encouraged Warrior Camp. Thank you Warrior Nation for your passion and heart for what God is doing in this generation!  WC is continuing to explore various ministry opportunities, including possibilities on the East Coast.  These and other opportunities can be shared as they come to fruition.

  2. My big hairy audacious goal (BHAG) and prayer is for Warrior Camp to one day have full access to, or complete ownership of, its own Camp Ground, which can accommodate everything God is leading us to do in ministry.  Let’s be praying for God to do His thing!

  3. For the latest on Warrior Camp and Unleash Epic, please feel free to check us out on social media or online. (Links below).

  4. Finale: With the cultural confusion over gender, sexual identity, and the misunderstanding of masculinity as ‘toxic’, something to be apologized for and overcome, this presents a confused and needy backdrop against which the game-changing nature of the blazing torch of real masculinity shines and roars all the more! Masculinity is not something that can be chopped up like carrots in the kitchen and parsed ad infinitum. Masculinity cannot be modified with preferred adjectives, or fragmented into infinite variations. If it could, we could coin countless versions ranging from the ideologically motivated to the hilarious, and many of which could be exact opposites of each other. We could have Toxic Masculinity and Non-Toxic Masculinity, or perhaps even Toxic Femininity while we’re at it. We could propose Consistent Masculinity which remains steady, and Malleable Masculinity, which morphs on weekends. Or, Neville-Chamberlain-Masculinity which placates tyrants, and Marine-Corp-Masculinity which crushes them. Where does it end, and what is the point? We could go on and on in subdividing and counter-productive circles, but instead, let’s simplify. There are not countless versions of masculinity. The arrow either hits the bulls-eye or it misses. There is 1 kind of masculinity, and that is the masculinity in which God created and designed men. It is the stuff of honor and heroism. Anything less either abuses or falls short of the Creator’s vision. And masculinity isn’t some long, complicated, burdensome checklist either. It’s more of an innate invitation to live and thrive in the distinct identity in which God created us as men. This identity runs deeper than interests, activities, and hobbies. When masculine strength is abused and twisted i.e. by a violent father, or a predator against women, these evil realities do not discredit masculinity or warrant its abolition, just as a coyote killing your kittens does not de-legitimize the prospect of getting a pair of Rottweilers. In fact, the latter are a powerful force against the former, and the coyote wishes he never encounters such a threat! Metaphorically, it’s odd yet revealing how so many claiming to be ‘pro-kitten’ reject a solution so obvious. Confusion or evil perversions of masculinity do not diminish masculinity. Quite the opposite. They crystallize its importance. Their existence creates a situation desperate for Biblical, heroic masculinity to rise up even more, step into the fight, dethrone evil wherever it raises its deformed, tumor-infested head, and ignite the roaring bonfire of who God created men to be. Real masculinity is not the problem. It is the answer. Real masculinity does not mandate that you never cry, never open up, never show emotion, or that you become an emotionless brick. It does not mandate against interest in music, drama or the arts. It does not require or ban you from playing football, benching 300 lbs, having thousands of followers, or being voted homecoming king. Maybe you cry often, or maybe not as much. Maybe you’re clueless about the arts, or maybe they’re your passion. Maybe football isn’t your thing, or maybe you shine on the gridiron. Guess what? Real Masculinity is cool with both, and summons you toward something even greater. Let’s clear the air. If you’re genuinely a non-athletic emotional artist, that doesn’t mean you’re gay or not a real man. And if you’re genuinely a more stoic jock who thrives on the field but fails choir, that doesn’t make or break your masculinity either. David played the harp and dropped a giant in his tracks. There is freedom to explore and be who God created you to be among the great, legendary pillars of masculinity. Real masculinity isn’t a ball and chain. Far from it. It’s the Divine applause and heaven’s rousing endorsement beating like a drum in our chests, cheering us on to become fully alive in Him as men after His own heart! Real masculinity is a sacred invitation and beckoning to all of us men to sacrifice something desirable for something greater, to bring strength, goodness, and joy to the ‘mini kingdoms’ God has entrusted us to lead, to bravely embark into the unknown, to combat evil, protect that which is good, beautiful and true, to be worthy of the lady’s affection, provide for a child’s mirth, to dare to do great things, attempt the ‘impossible’, take on the dragon, defy a tyrant, fell a giant, to breathe the air of the Alps or experience the awe of the Grand Canyon, and to worship God and feel His pleasure. Warrior Camp is all about seeing God rekindle that flame that inspires a generation to rediscover the lost greatness of Biblical masculinity: To be rock-solid disciples who love God, who guard their hearts with integrity, honor women with dignity, combat evil, and who love and fight for what God loves. To experience God’s pleasure, dream and live with God-sized faith. To have courage in our chests, hope in our hearts, and heaven’s fire in our souls. A generation of warriors who, even when the emotions and the lights may fade, will boldly love, follow, and declare, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, the living, unrivaled King Jesus Christ, for He alone is worthy!

 

Cheering you on,

 

Derek Bartlow

Joshua 1:9

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