Rocky Mountain: Serving on the Summit

In July 2025, a team of twelve from Zion Baptist Church in Morganton, NC traveled to Mountaintop Baptist Assembly, located 8,100 feet on Casper Mountain in Wyoming, to serve during Summit Youth Week. We went expecting to work hard. We did not expect how deeply God would work in us and through us. The team arrived on Saturday, giving us time to settle in, assign duties, and learn our way around the kitchen. By Monday afternoon, campers were pouring in, and our assignment was officially underway – prepare and serve three meals a day for every student and staff member.

For the next six days, mornings began early, and the kitchen stayed busy well into the evening. It was tiring, joyful, demanding, and sacred all at once. In the middle of flipping pancakes, washing dishes, and handing out plates to hungry teenagers, we watched God move in remarkable ways. Twenty campers committed their lives to Jesus Christ that week. Some came burdened, some searching, some unsure. But by the end of the week, they were asking spiritual questions and stepping forward in faith.

The Lord was also working in our volunteers. Long days in close quarters created deep conversations, shared prayer, and friendships strengthened by service. The Lord used the work to stretch us, bind us together, and remind us that ministry often happens in the quiet, unseen acts of obedience. One of our team members, Lori Matthews, said it best:

“Cooking for a week at the MTBA was exciting, tiring and rewarding. Seeing everyone dig into their food with such joy and satisfaction was the ultimate reward. It felt great knowing I was fueling all their adventures and Bible studies. I was truly blessed to serve at camp. Every long day, every early morning, every dish washed was worth it. God didn’t just change the campers’ lives. He changed ours.”

One of the most powerful aspects of Mountaintop Baptist Assembly is its reliance on volunteers. By using volunteer labor rather than a paid kitchen staff, the camp can keep costs low; low enough for students who might never afford a traditional summer camp. Many of the young people we served were only able to attend because churches like ours gave their time. We encourage churches across North Carolina to prayerfully consider partnering with Baptists on Mission to serve at Mountaintop Baptist Assembly. Your service can change the life of a student and the heart of every volunteer who goes. God is already working on that mountain. He is inviting you to join Him.

– Zion Baptist Church 2025 Wyoming Mission Team, Morganton, NC

Cook teams are needed each summer to serve at our sister camps in Wyoming and New Mexico. These camps minister to a thousand campers each summer. The camps take good care of volunteers, providing housing and meals. Other requests are also listed on our website. Might this be where God is calling you and your team to serve in 2026?

Learn more here.