Leveraging a best-in-class outdoor recreational and camping environment, Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca exists to promote and provide Christ-centered education, recreation, and inspiration for individuals and groups of all ages. Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca offers year-round, Christ-centered programs that support the ministries of local congregations, nurture the faith of individuals and families, and motivate people toward congregational involvement and living in their God-given vocations.
Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca is a year-round camp, retreat center, and family campground affiliated with the Iowa District East of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. To learn more about the beliefs of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, please click here.
Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca Statement of Belief:
Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
What will be taught at Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca regarding gender and sexuality in its summer camp program?
Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca operates its summer program under the beliefs of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Furthermore, we value the use of God’s natural creation as an opportunity to give children and youth a fun-filled outdoor experience, and as catalyst for sharing and teaching the Bible and the Christian faith.
Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca does not seek to dominate your camper’s experience with teachings regarding sex and gender. Our staff do not engage in conversations and discussions that are sexually explicit or sexually stimulating. We also do not wish to expose or scandalize innocent campers with conversations they may not be ready to have, or conversations their parents would not want them to have. However, as young people encounter and experience the world, they have questions, and those questions can come out at safe, friendly, and supportive environments such as summer camps. Please understand that the topics of sex and gender can arise in large-group settings, smaller cabin-group settings, and at an individual level.
At Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca, we will reinforce the following biblical teachings as needed, and as appropriate:
We believe that the term marriage has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, lifelong, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Gen. 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. This also means that campers will be assigned housing based on their biological sex.
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor consistent with the beliefs and practices of Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca.
We will teach the truth in love at Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca. If asked to distinguish between God’s will and sin, we will reinforce the following biblical teachings as needed, and as appropriate:
We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matt. 15:18-20; 1 Cor. 6:9-10).
We want all campers to know the love of God for them in Jesus Christ, and proclaim this gladly to all of our campers. We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 6:9-11).
We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Camp Io-Dis-E-ca as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca’s campers, Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca expects all full-time and summer staff, and anyone who serves as program volunteers, to respect and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality (Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:14-16; 1 Thess. 5:22).
