Ministry Event Spotlight: Faith and Sports Camp
This August, Hillside will hold its first ever Faith and Sports Camp, in partnership with Fortis Academy.
We asked Hillside Member and Fortis Academy Founder, Coach Josh Levine, to tell us a little more about what led to this idea and why he’s excited for Faith & Sports Camp!
Q: How long have you attended Hillside Church?
Josh: I started attending Hillside in 2016.
Q: What inspired you to launch the Faith & Sports Camp
Josh: At Fortis, we have held a sports day camps for a couple years, but it never included the faith element. Sports can be a great way to teach leadership and character. It seemed natural that we should consider interweaving faith and sports. A faith-based sports camp is a great way to reach youth athletes and teach them about Jesus. Youth athletes tend to be more receptive to the Gospel when it is within the sports context.
Q: What will happen at Faith & Sports Camp?
Josh: The camp will consist of….lots of sports! Campers will rotate through a variety of sports throughout the day—from kickball and soccer to football and basketball. We will use the gym, indoor classrooms, and outside spaces. Throughout the day, we will also do Bible lessons that connect sports, faith, and character formation. One of our Fortis coaches, Robert Purpuro, will be the lead coach at camp. In addition, Hillside members Chris Palmer, Hannah Dillon, Aaron Haid, Eric Johnson, Kay Houghton, and Luke Houghton will be assisting. There will be some Fortis college athletes that will also make an appearance.
Q: What is your desired outcome for the Faith & Sports camp? What are you hoping kids will experience or come away with?
Josh: Our goal is to have kids have an absolute blast playing sports at Hillside for a week, but more importantly, we hope that kids and their families learn about Jesus, the Bible more broadly, and about Hillside Church. We want to help strengthen the body through sport and mind through faith formation.
Q: Why would you encourage parents to sign their kids up for Faith & Sports Camp?
Josh: When I first started teaching leadership and character to youth athletes, I always ran them hard before the lesson. It helped put them in a proper state of mind to absorb the lessons. In this camp, we will be teaching some great Biblical lessons and using sports and physical activity to help the athletes be in a positive mindset. I would also encourage families to use this as an outreach opportunity. Many families that would never dare step into Hillside on a Sunday morning will send their kids to this camp – so go invite your son or daughter’s friends, sports teams, etc.
Hillside Faith and Sports Camp 2025 is schedule for Monday-Friday, August 4-8 from 9:00A-4:00P at Hillside Church. It is open to athletes grades K-8. Learn more and register here.