The world is good at attaching names to our physical, mental or medical characteristics…..cancer, disabled, autistic, blind, deaf…..you’ve heard them. But this worldly tag doesn’t change the fact that God celebrates each of us as His unique creation. Here at Camp Barnabas we celebrate that, too. We are a God-centered organization that upholds the truths of God’s word and shares it with all who attend the camp.



Nestled in the rolling foothills of the Ozarks, our 123-acre facility includes trees, creeks, pastures and all the wildlife that goes with them. Our goal is to provide a typical camp experience – bugs, chants, cheers and incredible new friendships – in an environment that helps the campers as much as they need and still empowers them to control the process. 



To that end, our staff resolutely pursues activities that push the limits of what the outside world says is impossible for these incredible people who are our campers. We take every summer camp activity apart and put it back in a way that is doable for anyone who wants to participate – no matter what limitations are placed on them outside our camp grounds. Things like a high ropes course, canoeing, horseback riding, and swimming. Every summer, beginning June 1 and ending August 14, we hold nine sessions of summer camp, each targeted toward a specific special need.



People with developmental challenges, post-traumatic burns, blood disorders, cancer, very low vision or blindness, physical challenges, complete or partial loss of hearing and many other diseases and challenges benefit from the inclusive environment of Camp Barnabas. 



Named for Barnabas, a follower of Christ whose name means “son of encouragement,” we are a non-denominational Christian summer camp. This principle of encouragement – enlarging the spirit, encouraging the heart - helps everyone connected with our ministry meet life with courage. 



We are a 501 (c ) (3) organization with 8 year-round staff positions, over 130 summer staff positions and 1,800 volunteer – Christian in Action (CIA) – positions. Our greatest asset is our stakeholders – those who financially and prayerfully support our program. The hours and dollars they give to our program are priceless. They make it possible for us to watch lives transformed and these transformations keep the entire staff, both volunteer and paid, passionate about fulfilling our dream that people with special needs have a place where they can just be kids. 



What we are not:  We are not a hospital, we are not a mental institution, we are not a therapy center. We are a Christ-centered organization that has made adaptations to our activities that allow children and adults with special needs to experience the true love of Jesus wrapped up in the fun of camp. We provide well-qualified medical staff to meet the needs of our campers, along with a 1:1 counselor-to-camper ratio to accommodate the varying levels of ability of those who attend the camp.



We invite all people with special needs to embrace life as Jesus made them and reach their fullest potential.