In our 10+ years of doing camps, we have hosted over 500 students from Northwestern Alaska and beyond.
Our Structure
Kattivik is a ministry of Changepoint Kotzebue, which is a campus of Changepoint Alaska.
ChangePoint Alaska is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Our Story
Kattivik Bible Camp began with a simple, but powerful calling.
In August of 2008, Lance Kramer sat in the deep woods of Wasilla, Alaska. He and his family, along with many volunteers, had just completed a week-long state-wide youth camp of 80 students. Praising God for all that He had done that week in the hearts and lives of the students, Lance heard God speak, saying “I want more.” It costs nearly $45k to bring 80 students into Anchorage from 10 villages and out to this remote camp in the Wasilla woods, so Lance was surprised to hear God’s voice, and wondered how more could be possible. However, one thing was for certain, God gave Lance a grand calling. Immediately, he moved his family from Palmer, and back home to Kotzebue in 2009. In July of 2010 with the help of many faithful, obedient helpers from Oklahoma, Lance and Corina started the first Kattivik Bible Camp in Kotzebue. There were 80 students that joined!
It was a little bit scary for the Kramer family leaving their church to start a house church in their living room and host this “fresh from scratch” youth camp, but God kept providing. One of the biggest obstacles of having it in Kotzebue, was all of the town’s distractions. Lance knew this camp must be done in nature, allowing the youth to connect to God’s creation and their culture. The search for a piece of land to have the camp on began, and sure enough, 200 yards through the woods was an open and grassy plain near Knapp Creek, a tributary of the mighty Noatak River. It was perfect, not many mosquitoes, flat ground, and ice-cold fresh water from Knapp Creek proved to be the Holy Ground for the 2011 Kattivik Bible Camp.
To set up a camp that would comfortably have around 100 people on it within the two weeks of camp took a lot of faith, especially since Lance and Corina didn’t have a dime to their name. God did what God always does: provide. In 2017, the Kramer’s church (Workers In The Harvest), joined with Changepoint Alaska. Changepoint has been a huge blessing for Kattivik– providing funds, materials, and volunteers throughout the years.
From 2011 to 2019, campers flocked in each year. There were 50 students from nearly all the villages for the week-long high school camp, then another 50 for the middle school camp. Covid prevented camps in 2020 and 2021, but by 2022 we were ready to start having camps again. Unfortunately in 2022, Lance and Corina were told that they could not have camp at Knapp Creek anymore, and we had to move everything off the small area. Despite that obstacle, we knew that God wanted us to keep having Kattivik, so the search for another piece of land began.
We hosted the 2022 camp in Kotzebue once again, but it lacked the purity of nature and distracted many students with its big grocery stores, restaurants, and a new distraction– phones and social media. In 2023, we hosted Kattivik in Sisualik, 15 miles across the Kotzebue Sound. This was where Lance spent most of his childhood with his Aana (grandma), putting away fish, bearded seals, waterfowl, and berries. Camps were successful there and the huge, open beach and ocean breeze were great for the campers. However, the land which belonged to his late uncle George Gallahorn, now sat in probate.
Like the Levites in the Old Testament constantly moving the tabernacle in the desert, we hosted the last two years of Kattivik 14 miles down the coast from Kotzebue on a good friend’s Native Allotment. This place has been a huge blessing to our ministry. There is easy access to town, minimal bugs, and a beautiful beach to spend our days on. Of course, we need some obstacles to keep us on our toes, the newest one being the fall storms. Each fall, the high winds and waters destroy what was once the meeting place that held over 100 campers and volunteers in the summer. This is a tough challenge for us, because that means that each summer we need to build again from the ground up.
What will the future hold for Kattivik? We will once again have camp on the beach this year, and we’re looking forward to being back! However, we still need a permanent place. A Christian organization has pledged to build ChangePoint Kotzebue a permanent youth camp. What an opportunity! With our eyes back on the Noatak River, this small but local band of volunteers have been searching once again, just like in 2010 for a place where God can meet face-to-face with His young people and tell them how much He loves them.
If you ever have been a part of this story, we cannot express how grateful we are for you and your faithfulness to the Lord. Please continue to join us through prayer over our little corner of the Arctic. God is calling His children back to Him, how lucky are we to be used in such a way!
Why S.P.E.C.S?
Spiritual.
This is the main focus of Kattivik. Through our own personal stories, we have seen the power that Jesus has to change lives and generations. Following a call from God to share what has been so life-changing for us, we continue to have and teach Biblical knowledge and skills at this camp. We want our campers, villages, Alaska, and the world beyond to experience the freedom and life change that we have. God has a plan for each and every person He created. We want everyone to come and meet God at camp, realizing the hope, joy, and love that comes from following Him. Learn more about what we believe.
Physical.
Our bodies are made to be active, especially those that are still growing and have tons of energy. The camp lifestyle is not easy to maintain. You have to chop wood, haul water, hike, do chores, and have the mental discipline to get it all done. Each person has a role and responsibility at Kattivik, we believe that makes up a healthy community mindset. Aside from chores, the campers get plenty of time to hike, play sports, learn NYO, and swim. They are learning healthy ways to get their bodies moving and thriving!
Emotional.
With Alaskan teens suffering from the highest rates of suicide in the country per capita, we believe that the emotional well-being of our campers is incredibly important. Through our daily talking circles, we create a safe space where they can share some of the difficult things that they are currently going through. Whether it be mental health, family situations, destructive thoughts, etc. we want the campers to know that they are not alone, and there are people who truly love them. We also want provide them with resources and a healthy support system.
Cultural.
God has blessed us with our Iñupiaq culture. We get to hunt, fish, camp, dance, eat niqipiaq, create tools and art, speak our language, and more. How awesome is that! At Kattivik, we want the campers to form identities. The first one being a son/daughter of the King, and then their Iñupiaq identity. We believe that God made us exactly as He intended, and that we get to glorify Him by practicing our culture. At our camp, youth will learn the basics of camp life like safe fire starting and upkeep, setting a net, processing fish, identifying, gathering, and chopping wood, and making native foods. We also teach Iñupiaq language, dancing, values, and traditions in hopes that the campers will apply these to their daily lives.
Social.
Kattivik has had people come from every single village in the NANA region including Point Hope, Bethel, and Barrow. We purposefully place campers from different villages together in tents so that they can form friendships that will last a lifetime. When we all get together outside of camp, it feels like reuniting with family. The youth need healthy support systems that they can rely on, and we believe that we are helping them find those at Kattivik. Our volunteers, if not from the villages themselves, come from Anchorage, the valley, and the lower 48. No matter where these campers end up in life, we want them to find a God-centered community that they can rely on.
Safety.
Not included in the acronym, but a high priority of ours is the safety of the students and volunteers that attend Kattivik. Each volunteer is background checked and complete an orientation that ensures they are equipped and trusted to care for our youth. Every activity is also done with the safety of the campers in mind, whether that be talking circles, swimming, food safety, starting fires in their tent’s stove, hiking, cutting wood, etc. We have trained volunteers in CPR/First aid, and we educate everyone in the camp on safety protocols. Only those that are trusted and reliable can carry firearms. Our youth need to be protected, and while camp life can be unpredictable and dangerous, we do what we can to keep them safe.
