By Linnea Doughman
Kamp Love Cedarville was founded in the fall of 2023. The first Kamp was held at Hocking Hills State Park, where a small group of students spent a weekend seeking the Lord while camping in tents and eating Costco muffins in the cool autumn air.
Since the fall of 2023, Kamp Love Cedarville has grown into a weekend retreat where over 100 students gather each semester and worship the Lord.
Nate Weidner, a senior Business Management major, is one of the three Kamp Love Cedarville founders. Before Kamp existed, Weidner had seen community modeled intentionally during high school and he desired to continue fostering an intentional community of Christians at Cedarville.
“Knowing what the Scriptures [say,] to know and pursue God … this relationship that God invites us into—to be honest with him, to know that he’s all these things—is so amazing,” Weidner said. “I had the desire to see other students know that they can walk with God intimately, and we could do it together in community.”
Weidner’s words reflect the four C’s incorporated within Kamp Love’s mission: camping, connection, community and Christ.
A regular weekend at Kamp in the spring time looks like worshipping the Lord until 2 a.m., having small group sessions, participating in the Lovelympic games and sleeping in a cabin surrounded by Cedarville students. With every moment that passes, it is obvious that each student is passionately seeking the Lord in every aspect of their life.
For Sophomore Business Management major Mia Rose Hess, Kamp is one of her favorite times of the semester. Hess intentionally grounds herself at Kamp by spending time with the Lord, prioritizing prayer and reading His Word without the distractions of schoolwork.
“My favorite thing to do at Kamp is sitting with my Bible and having nothing else to do,” Hess said. “On the day that you’re in the middle of the retreat, you have nothing else to do but to meditate [on God’s Word].”
Hess encourages any and all Cedarville students to attend Kamp Love, specifically because of the opportunity it provides to sit and meditate on God’s Word, while simultaneously building intentional friendships.
Sophomore Finance major Cody Dennison went to Kamp Love for his first time this spring.
Dennison reflects on Kamp as an opportunity to participate in something different from what normally happens at Cedarville.
“Nightly worship sessions occur, student speakers share messages about different ministry opportunities and testimonials, small group leaders share about how God’s been working in their life and there are team games,” Dennison said.
Dennison assures anyone that is contemplating going to Kamp, that it will be a weekend of growth in some way, shape or form.
Sophomore Primary Education major Julia Rupersberg attended Kamp for her 4th time this spring. Officially committed to being the Kamp productions leader in the fall of 2026, she is looking forward to continuing the Kamp tradition and participating in a space that fosters intentional community.
“It’s so good to draw closer to the Lord and have community with others,” Rupersberg said.
Rupersberg concluded that the intention with Kamp relationships is that they can last throughout a student’s time at Cedarville and a lifetime.
“[The friends that you make at Kamp] are friendships that you can bring back,” Rupersberg said. “It’s not just a one-time thing like a summer camp community. We want Kamp to be an opportunity for people to create relationships that they can bring into the rest of your life. Come to Kamp because it is not just for the weekend, it’s for the rest of your life.”
Linnea Doughman is a sophomore English major with a concentration in Editing and Publishing. In her spare time she loves writing creatively, going on strenuous hikes, capturing special moments through photography and thrifting with friends.
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