Student Life Camp

What Student Life Camp does

Student Life Camp is a non-profit Christian youth ministry operated as a program under LifeWay Christian Resources, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The organization runs inter-denominational week-long summer camps serving middle and high school students, primarily reached through churches and youth groups. Its differentiated model requires participating churches to bring their own volunteer leaders, who lead small groups and stay with their students throughout the camp experience, embedding relational continuity into the ministry design.

The organization operates multiple camp venues across the United States, including the main camp program, Student Life at the Beach, and Student Life at the Smokies, each delivering the same core program of biblical teaching, worship gatherings, and small group community. A separate Kids Camp sub-brand serves younger children, and the Prep Center module provides year-round preparation resources for camp leaders and volunteers. Revenue is generated primarily through per-attendee camp registration fees paid by churches, youth groups, and parents; no pricing is publicly disclosed and the model is quote-based, varying by location, session, and group size.

Go-to-market is event-driven and direct-to-consumer via the studentlife.lifeway.com website, where churches and parents can locate camps and register through a "Find a Camp" tool. Marketing is conducted through content marketing, organic social (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), customer testimonials, and brand association with LifeWay. The organization has ministered to over 1 million students across several decades of operation, with current leadership consisting of a single named Director (Jared) overseeing a small staff of 11-50 employees.

Name

Student Life Camp

Legal name

Student Life Camp (operated by LifeWay)

Website

https://studentlife.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Student Life Camp is a non-profit Christian youth ministry, operated under LifeWay Christian Resources, that runs week-long inter-denominational summer camps for middle and high school students at multiple U.S. locations, reaching churches through an event-driven, direct-registration model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Youth Summer Camps

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

Keywords

• Christian youth camps
• Summer bible camps
• Youth ministry programs
• Church youth conferences
• Christian student retreats

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Camp Registration Fees: Revenue is generated through registration fees for students attending week-long Christian youth camp programs. Churches and youth groups register their students and leaders for camp sessions held at various locations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Student Life Camp runs week-long inter-denominational Christian summer camp programs for middle and high school students at multiple U.S. locations, including beach and mountain venues. The core experience centers on biblical teaching, worship gatherings, and small-group community where participating churches bring their own volunteer leaders to maintain relationship continuity. Supplementary offerings include a Prep Center for leader preparation and a separate Kids Camp program for younger children.

Product overview

Student Life Camp is a single unified product—a Christian youth summer camp program—offered at multiple geographic locations (main camp, beach, and Smoky Mountains venues). All locations deliver the same core program featuring biblical teaching, worship gatherings, and small group community activities. The organization also offers a Prep Center resource module for leader preparation and operates a separate Kids Camp sub-brand for younger children.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Life Camp
• Student Life at the Beach
• Student Life at the Smokies
• Kids Camp

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million students have been ministered to over several decades of operation

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LifewayOthersStudent Life Camp is operated as a ministry of Lifeway, a major Christian publishing and ministry organization. The camp operates under the Lifeway brand (studentlife.lifeway.com) and benefits from Lifeway's resources, brand recognition, and ministry infrastructure.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kanakuk Kamps: One of the largest Christian youth summer camp networks in the US, operating multi-week and multi-location programs with similar biblical teaching and recreation focus. Directly comparable mission, customer base (church youth groups), and operating model.
• Pine Cove: Texas-based Christian youth camp operator running multiple residential locations with a similar week-long summer camp model focused on biblical teaching, worship, and recreation. Competes directly for church group registrations.
• WinShape Camps: Faith-based summer camp program operated by the WinShape Foundation (Chick-fil-A affiliated), running multi-location overnight camps for students with a similar discipleship and recreation blend. Direct competitor for church and family registrations.
• BigStuf Camps: Christian youth camp operator running winter, spring, and summer camp programs at multiple locations targeting middle and high school students. Comparable mission, customer segment, and inter-denominational positioning.
• CentriKid: Also a LifeWay-affiliated children's summer camp program targeting a younger demographic. Operates the same parent brand infrastructure but in a related but distinct age segment, making it a portfolio peer rather than a direct competitor.
• Cross Timbers Camp: Non-denominational Christian youth camp offering week-long summer programs with biblical teaching, worship, and recreation. Comparable program structure and church-based customer acquisition model.
• Camp Eagle: Texas-based Christian youth camp combining adventure activities with biblical teaching and worship, targeting student groups from churches. Similar mission, customer base, and program scope.
• Mt. Lebanon Camp: Long-established inter-denominational Christian camp operating week-long summer programs with similar ministry-focused programming. Directly comparable model and customer demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Youth for Christ (YFC): Large inter-denominational youth ministry organization that runs summer camp programs alongside year-round outreach to adolescents. Broader portfolio than Student Life but serves the same church-supported youth demographic.

Others

• LifeWay Christian Resources: Parent organization of Student Life Camp and a major Christian publishing and resources entity. Enables operational infrastructure, brand reach, and shared resources but is not itself a competing camp operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Student Life Camp