A wife and mother of five, Kaitlyn Scott first encountered Jesus Christ as a junior-high student at a Christian camp near the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, where in 2024 alone nearly 300 youth responded to the Gospel.
Today, an author and worship leader, due in part to her early camp experiences, Scott remembers the presence of Jesus in worship as much as the camp’s iconic name.
Camp IdRaHaJe, which is taken from the song “I’d Rather Have Jesus,” is celebrating 77 years of introducing young campers like Scott to the Lord during weeklong forays to the foothills of Bailey, Colorado.
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Shaping who Scott is today, IdRaHaJe was for her and countless other youth a place of conviction, healing, joy, friendships and fun away from the pressures and distractions of school and peers.
After deciding she’d “rather have Jesus” as a teen camper, Scott returned to IdRaHaJe as a worship leader and counselor to guide youth during their time away from parents, maybe for the first time. She remembers a powerful, transformative moment.
“You could sense the tangible presence of God, and the room was filled with leaders and students interceding, warring in the Spirit. Kids were praising God with all their might, and I heard testimonies of students and leaders who heard God’s voice and were forever marked,” recalls Scott.
Her youth pastor allowed the Holy Spirit to move among the youth who were in awe of God’s glory and transformed by His presence.
With four girls and one boy of her own today, Scott is praying the camp remains a place where Jesus is glorified, and biblical truth is honored while youth are away from parental guidance.
But now there’s a problem.
Serving kids since 1948, Camp IdRaHaJe is facing a difficult choice forced on it by the State of Colorado, which regulates it and other residential camps, as previously reported by CBN News.
The new state policy requires camps to allow biological boys in girls’ showers, dressing rooms and dormitories; the same is true for biological girls who, under the new rule, are welcome in boys’ facilities.
IdRaHaJe leaders believe so much in the power of God and camp ministry to change lives that they’ve asked the Colorado agency that regulates resident camps for an exemption. Their request was denied.
“The state is telling this camp that they can either stay true to their biblical beliefs about biological sex and risk losing their license, or abandon their beliefs and mission in order to continue operating,” according to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
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ADF filed a federal lawsuit defending the camp’s right to uphold religious convictions it has held since 1948 when IdRaHaJe Founder, Paul Eiselstein, paid $50 for 15 acres of land on which the Christian ministry first built its sprawling campgrounds.
Today, the camp is spread across 262 acres of wood and meadowlands, facilities and outdoor adventure features.
In 2024, the camp welcomed 2,541 visitors, and nearly 275 of them gave their lives to Jesus.
To read the full story, visit our content partners at CBN News.
Reprinted with permission from cbn.com. Copyright © 2025 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.
