NEWS FEATURE
A wife and mother of five, Kaitlyn Scott first encountered Jesus Christ as a junior-high student at a Christian camp near the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, where in 2024 alone nearly 300 youth responded to the Gospel.
Today, an author and worship leader, due in part to her early camp experiences, Scott remembers the presence of Jesus in worship as much as the camp’s iconic name.
Camp IdRaHaJe, which is taken from the song “I’d Rather Have Jesus,” is celebrating 77 years of introducing young campers like Scott to the Lord during weeklong forays to the foothills of Bailey, Colorado.
Shaping who Scott is today, IdRaHaJe was for her and countless other youth a place of conviction, healing, joy, friendships and fun away from the pressures and distractions of school and peers.
After deciding she’d “rather have Jesus” as a teen camper, Scott returned to IdRaHaJe as a worship leader and counselor to guide youth during their time away from parents, maybe for the first time. She remembers a powerful, transformative moment.
“You could sense the tangible presence of God, and the room was filled with leaders and students interceding, warring in the Spirit. Kids were praising God with all their might, and I heard testimonies of students and leaders who heard God’s voice and were forever marked,” recalls Scott.
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Her youth pastor allowed the Holy Spirit to move among the youth who were in awe of God’s glory and transformed by His presence.
With four girls and one boy of her own today, Scott is praying the camp remains a place where Jesus is glorified, and biblical truth is honored while youth are away from parental guidance.
But now there’s a problem.
Serving kids since 1948, Camp IdRaHaJe is facing a difficult choice forced on it by the State of Colorado, which regulates it and other residential camps, as previously reported by CBN News.
MORE: Christian Summer Camp Fights Back Amid Claims Government Could Shut It Down Over Gender Law
The new state policy requires camps to allow biological boys in girls’ showers, dressing rooms, and dormitories; the same is true for biological girls who, under the new rule, are welcome in boys’ facilities.
IdRaHaJe leaders believe so much in the power of God and camp ministry to change lives that they’ve asked the Colorado agency that regulates resident camps for an exemption. Their request was denied.
“The state is telling this camp that they can either stay true to their biblical beliefs about biological sex and risk losing their license, or abandon their beliefs and mission in order to continue operating,” according to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
ADF filed a federal lawsuit defending the camp’s right to uphold religious convictions it has held since 1948 when IdRaHaJe Founder, Paul Eiselstein, paid $50 for 15 acres of land on which the Christian ministry first built its sprawling campgrounds.
Today, the camp is spread across 262 acres of wood and meadowlands, facilities, and outdoor adventure features.
Besides providing legal defense of IdRaHaJe, ADF is seeking signatures from people who support the ministry’s unique faith mission to stand for religious freedom.
“I pray IdRaHaJe stays strong in its convictions,” said Scott, who posted the petition on social media, urging readers of her book, This Too Shall Pass: Discovering Hope in Seasons of Suffering, to sign in support of the camp.
Another camper who grew up in a rural area near Denver, Alice Halbrook, remembers a country-church family that helped send her to IdRaHaJe as a youngster.
At a campfire service, she heard a message of love and decided to give her life to Jesus, going forward to meet with youth leaders who prayed with her.
Since then, Halbrook’s three daughters and all of her grandchildren have camped at IdRaHaJe, giving their lives to the Lord as well.
“It’s been very rewarding for me to be involved with IdRaHaJe for many years,” said Halbrook, whose name in the camp’s “book of life” bears witness of her decision to follow Jesus, along with untold numbers of people who’ve said yes to the gospel through the years.
Like Scott and Halbrook, Paul Jones recalls a moment at Camp IdraHaJe where he heard, understood, and responded to a clear presentation of the gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Though his biblical understanding of church today is different than when he attended IdRaHaJe, Jones is grateful to the Lord and one of his brothers for inviting him to attend camp.
His relationship with Jesus is as strong today as the proclamation of good news he heard decades ago.
In 2024, the camp welcomed 2,541 visitors, and nearly 1,275 of them gave their lives to Jesus.
“We are committed to the importance of this work and being faithful stewards of the message of salvation found only in Jesus Christ,” according to its website IdRaHaJe.org. The camp exists to glorify God and His Word, and its core values include discipleship, servant leadership, honoring church and Creation.
It has maintained a resident camp license in Colorado since 1995 and, despite its stated Christian mission, IdRaHaJe welcomes children from all faith backgrounds.
ADF Legal Counsel Andrea Dill, writing about IdRaHaJe’s legal matters in an email to supporters, calls the lawsuit important in defending fundamental freedoms, including the right to live and act according to personal faith convictions.
In addition to signing a statement in support of IdRaHaJe, Dill recommends praying for the camp during its legal journey, which could take years.
Despite the lawsuit on its behalf, the camp compassionately recognizes there are people who experience gender dysphoria.
“The truths we affirm on this subject are that God has immutably created each person as either male or female in His image (Gen. 1:27) and that the differentiation of the sexes, male and female, is part of the divine image in the human race (Gen. 1:27),” is one of 17 doctrinal statements affirmed by IdRaHaJe.
