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Jesus Camp – What is it?

Jesus Camp – What is it?
Fall Culture

TL;DR:

Jesus Camp is a 2006 documentary exposing the Pentecostal children’s camp “Kids on Fire,” where some biblical teaching was mixed with heavy emotionalism and unbiblical ideas. It serves as a cautionary reminder that even Christian programs must be evaluated by Scripture.

what does the bible say?

The 2006 documentary Jesus Camp about the Pentecostal "Kids on Fire” camp exposed the camp’s biblical and unbiblical instruction. The teaching at the camp was done within a charismatic context. When not weeping uncontrollably over the state of the nation, the kids were speaking in tongues or being slain in the Spirit, behaviors which are quite different from what we see in the Bible (2 Corinthians 12:12). Scripture shows that spiritual development comes through reading God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17) rather than emotional experiences. The kids are also taught to be “culture warriors,” but Jesus said His kingdom was “not of this world” (John 18:36). The Bible encourages believers to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2), but our allegiance should always be to God, not to political parties (Matthew 22:21). While the camp children are rightly taught to confess their sin (1 John 1:9), they are also taught to take responsibility for the nation’s sins; however, God doesn’t hold people responsible for others’ sins (Leviticus 5:5-6; Psalm 32:5; Ezekiel 18:20). The Bible teaches us the importance of teaching children (Psalm 22:6)—but we must do so based on God’s Word.

from the old testament

  • The focus of Kids on Fire Camp was individual and national sin and what to do about it. The kids were encouraged to confess their own sin as well as take responsibility for the corporate sins of the nation, particularly abortion. It’s fine to pray for the nation to awake to the truth, but God doesn’t hold people responsible for the sins of others (Leviticus 5:5-6; Psalm 32:5; Ezekiel 18:20).
  • Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” A camp that promotes Christian values is laudable—as long as that is what it is really doing.

from the new testament

  • Children at Kids on Fire Camp were invited into a wider spiritual battle and equipped for when they would take leadership. Ephesians 6 speaks of putting on the “whole armor of God” (v. 13) because “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (v. 12).
  • Fischer taught the camp kids continuation of the sign gifts, which many believe has ceased since the time of the apostles (2 Corinthians 12:12).
  • The heavy emotionalism the camp promoted taught a reliance on experiences more than biblical truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
  • Fischer’s emphasis on taking back the nation drifted into unbiblical dominionism. While the Bible teaches that we should pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2), we should all place our faith in God, not a specific political party. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).

implications for today

S’mores, singalongs, mosquito bites, Poison Ivy—summer camp memories can be both sweet and painful. But those memories normally don’t include falling back during worship service, uncontrollably weeping, or vowing to take back America. Yet that was a common occurrence at “Kids on Fire” Pentecostal camp, as presented in the 2006 documentary Jesus Camp.

After that documentary, the camp was vandalized and later banned. Becky Fischer, the Pentecostal pastor who ran Kids on Fire, changed the name of the ministry to Kids in Ministry International (KIMI). Her training course, the School of Supernatural Children's Ministry, still provides programs for children's ministry leaders and parents, as well as a conference for parents to attend with their children.

How should believers view such programs? Believers are tasked with raising their children in godliness (Proverbs 22:6), but we shouldn’t assume that all Christian organizations are created equal. KIMI, for instance, has some troubling teachings. KIMI courses include analyzing children's dreams with the goal to stop nightmares, messages from modern-day prophets for this generation, and teaching kids to speak in tongues.

Parents must look behind the curtain of any organization—Christian or otherwise—that they send their children to. But the best insurance against false ideas is to ensure our children are grounded in the truth of God’s Word.

understand

  • Jesus Camp is a 2006 documentary by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady on the Pentecostal children's camp "Kids on Fire,” which now exists under another name.
  • The Jesus Camp documentary revealed that the camp focused on emotional experiences, sign gifts, and national politics rather than God’s Word being the focus.
  • Parents should always closely examine any organizations they send their children to, even Christian ones.

reflect

  • How do you discern whether your spiritual growth is being shaped more by emotional experiences or by God’s Word?
  • What criteria do you use to evaluate whether a Christian program or teaching is truly grounded in the Bible?
  • How do you guard your heart from confusing devotion to Christ with allegiance to cultural or political causes?

engage

  • How can we distinguish between genuine spiritual formation and emotional manipulation in Christian settings—especially for children?
  • How can our churches better equip families to evaluate ministries and programs through a biblical lens?
  • How should we collectively understand spiritual warfare without drifting into fear-driven practices or unbiblical responsibility for national sin?

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