Pastor Mic’s annual Man-Camp will take place Oct. 1

Pastor Mic Henton of College View Church has hosted an annual fall weekend event known as Man-Camp every year since he arrived in Lincoln. This weekend camping trip takes place at Woodland Acres, a small wooded acreage owned by College View Church approximately 20 miles outside of Lincoln. Every year, between 40 and 60 junior to high school aged boys--accompanied by fathers, pastors, college mentors and community members--haul their tents, sleeping bags and airsoft equipment to the camping grounds for a weekend of manly activities.

Day One

Friday evening mainly consists of arrival and setting up camp. Each camper is assigned a tent squad determined by grade level. Every squad has a designated college-aged mentor who helps assist and guide the boys during the trip. After camp is set up, the boys shoot a quick round of airsoft before heading off to the firepit for dinner.

Day Two

Saturday morning begins with physical training (PT) at the crack of dawn. Pastor Mic and his team of leaders get the boys' hearts pumping with pushups, squats, races, carrying logs and climbing hills. After breakfast, fathers and mentors join the boys in worship and teach them what it means to be a man after God’s own heart. One father who always attends, Michea Jaquez, said, “The boys have a safe environment to express themselves and learn how to be a Godly young man.”

Saturday afternoon the boys engage in “mantivities,” such as car maintenance, trailer pulling, backhoes, chainsaws and archery. When night falls, the campers consume burgers and root beer and compete in grappling and boxing tournaments.

Day Three 

On Sunday, the airsoft wars begin. With safety a priority, Pastor Mic facilitates games all day long, assigning fathers and college students as refs and captains during the battles. The ample grounds and woods make for great airsoft space and always gets the boys working together as a team.

Man-Camp is a great way to show Adventist youth what it means to be a man. The next Man-Camp will take place October 1 of this year. Pastor Mic says, “If any college boys are interested in going, they can shoot me an email, mic.henton@collegeviewchurch.org.”

By Sophia Jaquez