Camp Details
APEX is held at scenic Carolina Point, which is nestled in the mountains of the Carolinas. This location offers plenty of space for us to connect during a heated game of archery tag or while relaxing beside a cozy fireplace.
Fun Fact: Carolina Point is located in North AND South Carolina, which sounds like a tax and accounting nightmare but is happily just a cool perk for us. If you want to break South Carolina law, just make sure that you hang out on the right side of the border. Please also remember to follow Rule #4 while doing so.
Additional camp perks reportedly include “THE BEST FOOD EVER.”
Activities
During free time, you’ll definitely want to check out some of Carolina Point’s fantastic activities. The camp offers GoKarts, hiking, frisbee golf, wiffleball, archery tag, basketball, and an OGO Park (picture rolling down a hill in a giant inflatable ball). Water games include a water slide, cliff jump, pool, diving board, water volleyball, paddleboarding, and more.
We’ve designed some activities for you as well, but those are all a surprise.
*evil chuckle*
Theme
Why are you alive? What are you doing with your life? And does any of it really matter?
At APEX, we want to challenge you to live deliberately. We’re not going to tell you to be intentional, or cherish every moment, or do crazy things because “you only live once.” We don’t think that’s helpful.
Instead, we want to challenge you to look at your life from a new perspective. We’ll look at the past and think about where you came from and how it has shaped you and why it matters. We’ll look at the future and talk about death and resurrection and eternity. And finally, we’ll return to the present, and we’ll think about how to live deliberately in light of the past and future. We want you to leave APEX with a solid understanding of what is important in your life right now.
And we want to challenge you to do something about it.
Schedule
4:15am - Pilates by the Pond (led by Caleb Brush)
5:30am - Rectangular Table Discussion (led by Ashleigh Brush)
6:30am - Web Design: A Crash Course (led by Caleb Maas)
6:32am - First Breakfast (led by Caleb Maas)
7:15am - Sock Puppet Theater Production: "The Ballad of the Bird" (directed by Ben)
Just kidding. We'll have a schedule out for you soon.
Speakers
Joshua Luke Smith is a poet for the people. He is a producer, songwriter and natural storyteller. He’s delivered a TED Talk, toured extensively and released his debut album ’The Void’ to critical acclaim. Joshua has spoken at many conferences and events and written for and collaborated with numerous charities including Tearfund, World Vision, Compassion, Christians Against Poverty and Barnabus Aid. With his mantra of ‘Speak into the Chaos’ Joshua seeks to challenge, inspire and encourage change and freedom through his words.
Andrew Pudewa is the founder and director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing and a father of seven. Traveling and speaking around the world, he addresses issues related to teaching, writing, thinking, spelling, and music with clarity, insight, practical experience, and humor. His seminars for parents, students, and teachers have helped transform many a reluctant writer and have equipped educators with powerful tools to dramatically improve students’ skills.
Sarah Shaw is an artist, graphic designer, speaker, and writer who is curious about the gap between the head and the heart. With an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, she enjoys exploring the dynamic intersection between mental health, theology, and creativity. She is the founder of Inklivity where she spends her time “Illustrating the Invisible.” (If that’s got you curious, you can check out her website.) As an Unbound Alumni, she is thrilled to invest in the next generation of students.
Nathan Rittenhouse is a speaker, podcaster, and preacher.
After double-majoring in Physics and Philosophy and minoring in Math, Nathan studied theology and pastoral studies in several institutions and holds an M.Div from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.
Nathan has been preaching and speaking in the field of Christian apologetics at churches, campuses, and conferences for the last 8 years. He is the Co-Founder of Thinking Out Loud. Nathan, his wife Erin, and their four children enjoy the great outdoors and are grateful for the wisdom, support, and opportunities to serve and grow in their local church.
Cameron McCallister is the other Co-Founder of Thinking Out Loud.
He is also one half of the Thinking Out Loud podcast, a weekly podcast about current events and Christian hope. He is the co-author (with his father, Stuart) of Faith That Lasts: A Father and Son on Cultivating Lifelong Belief.
A former staff writer with Christ & Pop Culture, Cameron’s writing has appeared in Christianity Today, Relevant Magazine, Think Christian, and Fathom Magazine. He holds a master’s degree in apologetics from Houston Baptist University. Cameron and his wife Heather live in Atlanta, Georgia with their two children.
