KC McGinnis

Photographer

kcmcginnis.com

Mountaintop

Campers make their way up to th...Iowa during the summer of 2019.

Campers make their way up to the hilltop bonfire area at Riverside Bible Camp in Story City, Iowa during the summer of 2019.

Mountaintop is a personal project about how sacred spaces are created. Few spaces in this world are sacred by default; rather, they are imbued with holiness by humans through the formative, transfiguring experiences they encounter there. For generations of evangelical Christians, Bible camp has been one of those sacred spaces.

If you ask an evangelical where they became an evangelical, chances are it was at a Bible camp. It is place where countless youth experience the personal conversion moment that most evangelicals consider a turning point in their lives. Some reflect on it joyfully as a moment when their life changed for the better; others reflect on it bitterly as a place where they were duped into an ultimatum that set them on a course for religious trauma. Either way, it is the density of life-changing experiences within the vernacular of everyday life that makes Bible camp sacred, whether or not the space was formally consecrated by institutional clergy.

Over the course of a summer I photographed a group of high school students who are counselors at a Bible camp in northern Iowa. The project is personal for me because I had my own formative faith experience at around their age, after reading an evangelistic book. I didn’t have much of a faith community for the first few years afterward, and I never attended Bible camps or Christian retreats. My visits to this camp reminded me of just how lonely those years were, and of how meaningful a faith community can be at this age. Of course this is not just limited to Christian camps; day camps in general are proven to grow youth in resilience and in a belief in good outcomes for themselves.

Reviewing these photographs during a pandemic reminded me of how physical touch can act as a sanctifying agent in these spaces. I was struck by how comfortable and intimate the campers were with each other as they held hands in prayer, napped in each others’ arms, braided each others’ hair, and held hands to each others’ faces, as if in the bestowing of a blessing.

A camper prays during a chapel ...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Campers sing fellowship songs a...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

at Riverside Lutheran Bible Cam...Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

at Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp in Story City, Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Campers pray and comfort each o...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Campers extend their arms for a...Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Campers extend their arms for a trust fall exercise at Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp in Story City, Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Campers spray mosquito repellen...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Campers recline in carpetball t...Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Campers recline in carpetball tables during personal Bible study time at Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp in Story City, Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Campers wait to ride horses at ...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Campers gather at the hilltop b...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Campers pray before an evening ...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Campers take personal Bible stu...Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Campers take personal Bible study time at Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp in Story City, Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Campers play paintball with sli...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Campers rest together outside t...Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Campers rest together outside the chapel at Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp in Story City, Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

A camper strokes her hair durin...Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

A camper strokes her hair during a personal Bible study time at Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp in Story City, Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

A counselor prays with a camper...Iowa on Tuesday, July 30, 2019.

A counselor prays with a camper at Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp in Story City, Iowa on Tuesday, July 30, 2019.

A camp counselor shows off his ...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

A camp counselor sprays herself...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

A walkway connects cabins at Ri...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

An camp nurse takes notes at Ri...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Campers raise their hands for a...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Camp counselors gather at River...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Campers pray before dinner at R...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Campers examine pieces of theme...Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Campers examine pieces of themed artwork on display at Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp in Story City, Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Campers help with dish duty at ...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Campers make their way to the c...019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

PLAY

STOP

GRID

FULL
LOVE

Thumbnail of Campers make their way up to the_ Iowa during the summer of 2019.

Thumbnail of A camper prays during a chapel s_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of Campers sing fellowship songs at_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of at Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp_ Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Thumbnail of Campers pray and comfort each ot_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of Campers extend their arms for a _ Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Thumbnail of Campers spray mosquito repellent_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of Campers recline in carpetball ta_ Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Thumbnail of Campers wait to ride horses at R_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of Campers gather at the hilltop bo_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of Campers pray before an evening w_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of Campers take personal Bible stud_ Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Thumbnail of Campers play paintball with slin_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of Campers rest together outside th_ Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Thumbnail of A camper strokes her hair during_ Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Thumbnail of A counselor prays with a camper _ Iowa on Tuesday, July 30, 2019.

Thumbnail of A camp counselor shows off his h_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of A camp counselor sprays herself _2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of A walkway connects cabins at Riv_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of An camp nurse takes notes at Riv_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of Campers raise their hands for a _2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of Camp counselors gather at Rivers_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of Campers pray before dinner at Ri_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of Campers examine pieces of themed_ Iowa on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Thumbnail of Campers help with dish duty at R_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Thumbnail of Campers make their way to the ch_2019. ©2019 KC McGinnis

Public Project

Mountaintop

Copyright KC McGinnis 2025

Date of Work Jul 2019 - Ongoing

Updated Nov 2020

Topics Christianity, Community, Documentary, Editorial, Essays, Faith, Happiness, Photography, Photojournalism, Portraiture, Religion, Spirituality, Teens, Vacation, Youth

10,240

KC McGinnis

Also by KC McGinnis —

Heat Wave

Essay: Optimizing Pigs

Farmer Tariffs

Summer Hunger

Last Night at Byron's

State Fair and Bird Flu

Iowa Congressional Campaigns

Microwind

Factory Farm Emissions

Video

Hot Air

The News

Hardcore Christian

Portraits

Politics

The Washington Post: The struggle over a mask mandate in South Dakota (A1, December 11, 2020)

Overview-2

For ESPN: Iowa high school baseball reopens amid the pandemic

Fairfield: Marianne Williamson's spiritual home in Iowa