Midwest Bible Camp

What Midwest Bible Camp does

Midwest Bible Camp (MWBC) is a non-profit Christian youth camp founded in 1953 and headquartered administratively in Clear Lake, Iowa, with camp sessions conducted at the Lake Darling Youth Center near Brighton, Iowa — a facility it has rented for over 40 years. The organization's stated mission is to provide young people with a program of concentrated biblical training, recreation, and relationship building in order to facilitate growth in Christian character. MWBC serves youth finishing grades 3 through 12 (segmented into Junior, Intermediate, Senior, and Special Weeks), as well as families, young women (Girls' Retreat), young men (Young Men's Leadership Retreat), and older youth participating in the S.A.L.T. (Servant Attitude Leadership Training) program. Operations are governed by a 15-member elected Board of Directors with voting rights held by Corporate Members — individuals aged 21+ who are active members of local Churches of Christ.

The product surface consists of 8 distinct residential camp sessions each summer plus off-season retreats, priced at $260/week for standard sessions and $110–$150 for retreats, with all-inclusive fees covering food, lodging, canteen, crafts, and a theme t-shirt. The organization runs at a deliberately subsidized cost: camper fees are set below actual expense, and the gap is funded through donations, corporate memberships ($20/year individual, $30/year couple, $200–$400 lifetime), and a Campership Fund that provides up to $160 in financial assistance per camper. The 2023 operating result was a deficit of approximately $20,000, with a 2024 donor funding goal of $15,000.

Technically, MWBC operates with minimal infrastructure — registration runs through Google Forms, payments through PayPal and Venmo (with a $6 processing fee), and promotion primarily through church networks, an annual newsletter, and a referral-driven Bring-A-Friend discount. The technology footprint contains no proprietary systems, no mobile app, and no API, consistent with a volunteer-staffed, donation-funded small non-profit model. Customer acquisition is community-led: Corporation Members promote MWBC within their congregations, and the camp maintains a 2:1 camper-to-staff ratio supported by 200+ volunteers each summer, many recruited through the SALT leadership pipeline.

Name

Midwest Bible Camp

Legal name

Midwest Bible Camp

Website

https://midwestbiblecamp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Midwest Bible Camp is a non-profit Christian youth camp, founded in 1953, that operates 8 weekly summer sessions and year-round retreats at the Lake Darling Youth Center near Brighton, Iowa, serving Church of Christ-affiliated youth and families in the U.S. Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Youth Camp Services

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

Keywords

• Christian youth camps
• Biblical education programs
• Youth leadership training
• Family retreat services
• Nonprofit camping ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Clear Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Camper Fees: Primary revenue stream from weekly camper fees for camp sessions. Fees cover food, lodging, canteen, crafts, and theme t-shirt. The camp operates at a loss on fees and relies on donations to cover costs.
2. Corporate Memberships: Annual membership dues from individuals and couples who support the ministry. Individual membership is $20/year, Couples $30/year, Lifetime Individual $200, Lifetime Couple $400.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Donor-funded operation relying on financial support from congregations, families, and individuals. Donations go to Operating Fund, Building Fund, Campership Fund, Endowment Fund, LDYC Building Fund, or Reserved Fund.
4. Campership Fund: Financial assistance provided to campers who cannot afford full fees. Funded entirely by donor contributions and distributed as partial or full camperships up to $160 per camper.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Midwest Bible Camp is a non-profit Christian youth camp that operates week-long residential camp sessions at Lake Darling Youth Center near Brighton, Iowa, combining biblical teaching with recreational activities for youth in grades 3-12. The portfolio includes age-tiered camp sessions (Junior, Intermediate, Senior, and Special Weeks), gender-specific retreats (Girls' Retreat, Young Men's Leadership Retreat), a Family Retreat, and the SALT two-phase leadership training program. Supporting offerings include Campership financial assistance and Corporate Membership, with additional revenue from donations.

Product overview

Midwest Bible Camp operates as a non-profit Christian youth camp organization offering a portfolio of residential camping programs conducted at the Lake Darling Youth Center near Brighton, Iowa. The core offerings include age-differentiated week-long camp sessions (Junior Week, Intermediate Week, Senior Week, and Special Weeks for mixed ages), complemented by gender-specific retreats (Girls' Retreat, Young Men's Leadership Retreat), and a Family Retreat. The SALT (Servant Attitude Leadership Training) Program provides a two-phase leadership development track for older youth. Supporting programs include a Campership Program for financial assistance and Corporate Membership for sustained organizational support. All programs emphasize biblical training, recreation, and relationship building for Christian character development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• S.A.L.T. (Servant Attitude Leadership Training): A leadership training program for youth that provides training in camp counseling, Bible class teaching, dining hall supervision, cooking, and overall camp operations. Consists of two phases: SALT I (during Junior Week) and SALT II (during Intermediate Week).

Products and services

• Junior Week Camp Session A week-long residential camp session for elementary school students who have finished grades 3-5, featuring activity-based programming with focus on God's creation and a family atmosphere. Priced at $260 per week.
• Intermediate Week Camp Session A week-long camp session for middle schoolers who have finished grades 6-8, focused on transitioning campers to deeper spiritual maturity with mentorship from mature high schoolers and young adults. Priced at $260 per week.
• Senior Week Camp Session A week-long camp session for high schoolers who have finished grades 9-12, focusing on deep spiritual maturity, community, and relationship building. Priced at $260 per week.
• Special Week Sessions (Zero, One, Two) Multi-age camp sessions designed for all ages (grades 3-12) to attend together, ideal for families wanting children to attend simultaneously or campers who enjoy inter-generational fellowship. Priced at $260 per week.
• S.A.L.T. (Servant Attitude Leadership Training) Program A two-phase leadership training program consisting of SALT I (conducted during Junior Week) focused on camp counseling skills, and SALT II (conducted during Intermediate Week) providing leadership training, exploration of staff positions, and continued counseling development. Priced at $130 per phase.
• Girls' Retreat A specialized 4-day camping session designed specifically for young women, focusing on forming a uniquely female community and spiritual growth in their walk with God. Priced at $150.
• Young Men's Leadership Retreat A 4-day retreat for young men to focus on learning to live a leader's life in the Lord. Priced at $110.
• Family Retreat A weekend retreat for families of all ages featuring inspirational Bible teaching, worship, outdoor activities, games, and fellowship opportunities. Priced at $66 per person (4th grade-adult), $25 (age 3-3rd grade), free for age 2 and under, with maximum family cost of $200.
• Campership Program Financial assistance program providing partial and full camperships (up to $160 per camper) to young people who would otherwise not be able to attend camp, funded by supporter donations.
• Corporate Membership Annual membership program with Individual ($20/year), Couple ($30/year), Lifetime Individual ($200 one-time), and Lifetime Couple ($400 one-time) options, providing voting privileges for board members and supporting the ministry financially.

Quantifiable outcome

• 120 campers per session capacity
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lake Darling Youth CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMWBC has rented facilities from Lake Darling Youth Center for over 40 years. This long-standing relationship allows MWBC's board to focus on spiritual development of campers while the Lake Darling board focuses on facility needs. The two boards work together to identify facility enhancements that benefit both MWBC and other groups that rent at LDYC.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spring Hill Camps: Spring Hill Camps is a Christian camp in Evart, Michigan offering residential summer camps, family camps, and leadership retreats. Comparable Midwest-based faith-based camp with similar residential programming and multi-segment audience.
• Kanakuk Kamps: Kanakuk Kamps is a Christian youth camp network in Branson, Missouri offering multi-week residential summer camps with biblical teaching and recreation. Directly comparable to MWBC as a faith-based residential youth camp targeting similar age groups with similar programming.
• Sky Ranch Christian Camp: Sky Ranch is a faith-based nonprofit camp operating residential summer camps across Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas for youth and families. Comparable in mission, multi-session structure, and faith-based residential delivery.
• WinShape Camps: WinShape Camps is a network of Christian summer camps founded by Chick-fil-A offering week-long residential programs combining biblical teaching with recreation for youth. Directly comparable faith-based residential camp operator with similar program structure.
• Trout Lake Camps: Trout Lake Camps operates Christian residential summer camps in Longville, Minnesota serving youth and families through Bible-based programming and recreation. Directly comparable in faith-based mission, regional Midwest positioning, and residential format.
• Camp Lebanon: Camp Lebanon is a Christian camp and retreat center in Cedar, Minnesota offering youth camps, family camps, and leadership programming. Strong peer in the Midwest region with a similar faith-based residential model and multi-session summer schedule.
• Thousand Pines: Thousand Pines is a Christ-centered youth summer camp in the Southeastern US offering week-long residential sessions for elementary through high school students. Comparable faith-based residential programming and age segmentation to MWBC.
• Camp Cedar: Camp Cedar is a Christian summer camp in Ohio serving youth through residential week-long sessions with biblical instruction and recreation. Strong regional peer for MWBC with overlapping programming philosophy.
• Pine Cove Camps: Pine Cove operates a network of Christian summer camps in Texas serving youth through residential programs combining Bible study and recreation. Closely matches MWBC's mission, target demographic, and session-based delivery model.

Others

• Lake Darling Youth Center: Lake Darling Youth Center is MWBC's facility partner and the venue for all camp sessions. It is comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant that provides infrastructure enabling MWBC's operations rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MidwestBibleCamp

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

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 Midwest Bible Camp