Kanakuk Kamps

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kanakuk Kamps

Type	Corporation
Genre	Christian Summer Camp
Founded	1926
Founder	C.L. Ford
Headquarters	Branson, Missouri, USA Branson, Missouri
Key people	President, Joe White
Area served	United States
Employees	2500+
Owner	Joe White
Slogan	Exciting Adventure in Christian Athletics
Website	www.kanakuk.com

Kanakuk Kamps is a company that operates 9 Christian summer camps based in Southwestern Missouri. Its motto is "Exciting Adventure in Christian Athletics". The boys camp was started outside Branson, Missouri in 1926 as Camp Kugaho. The camp was soon taken over by Bill Lantz, a Tulsa, Oklahoma, high school coach. In 1956, Spike and Darnell White built a corresponding girls camp, Kamp Kanakomo.

Nine other Kanakuk Kamps (Kanakuk is translated to mean "loved one") have been built in Missouri and Colorado since 1979. The current Kanakuk president is Joe White, a regular speaker with the evangelical Promise Keepers movement. Joe also hosts AfterDark in connection with the Kanakuk ministry, which reaches out to non-christians at college campuses. The camp's theology reflects its evangelical Christian background.

In 1979, K-Life Ministries was begun in St. Louis, Missouri as a follow-up ministry to campers and their friends.

In 1993, Kids Across America (KAA), a non-profit sports camp for urban youth was established in Golden, Missouri. Originally under the Kanakuk umbrella, it is now autonomous, although still affiliated with Kanakuk. KAA is currently divided into four camps: KAA-1 for ages 10-12, KAA-2 for ages 13-14, KAA-3 for ages 15-18, and Higher Ground, which is a leadership camp for youth ages 15-18.

In 2006, Kanakuk opened Kanakuk Family Kamp (K-Kaua'i), its first camp for families. Designed with a Polynesian theme in mind, K-Kaua'i offers families a chance to spend a week together doing traditional Kanakuk activities, such as water sports, field sports, and outdoor excursions.

Each summer Kanakuk enjoys 6-7 visits from famous Christian artist Michael W. Smith, as well as hearing 200 kids per session ring the bell as a confession of their faith and love towards their Saviour.

Throughout the 7, 14, or 28 day sessions kids draw closer to God as they sleep in Tepees and barns and learn how to continue their walk with the Lord daily when they return home.