We were lucky to catch up with Josh Barrera recently and have shared our conversation below.

Josh, appreciate you joining us today. We’re complete cheeseballs and so we love asking folks to share the most heartwarming moment from their career – do you have a touching moment you can share with us?

As a ministry we have a desire to never turn anyone away, due to the inability to pay. That’s why we have our MISSION 42:1 Scholarship Fund. We use this fund as a means of making sure every child has the ability to experience Jesus in a camp setting.

In 2010, we were busing campers from the Nashville Rescue Mission, one of our ministry partners. There was a camper there who had been at the mission for a while with his mom. It was evident he needed camp and had a transformational experience. But it’s what happened when we dropped him off that created transformation in my own life.

We were on the bus headed back to the mission after a long but exciting week of camp, we passed a billboard advertising the powerball. I asked him, “what would you do if you won the powerball.”
His response? “I would rent a hotel so my mom and I could have a nicer place to stay.

It was in the overwhelming moment when that response hit me like a freight train. This is exactly why we exist. To provide campers with transformational experiences at camp. But because there is a need for people to be in the outdoors and learn about Jesus.

I am extremely grateful to serve at a ministry that focuses on relationships. First with The Lord and next with others.

If you’re interested in learning more about our MISSION 42:1 Scholarship Fund, I would love to give you a personal tour of our facilities and share how the Lord is moving in and through the ministry of Deer Run Camps & Retreats

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Deer Run is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that seeks to provide excellent camps and retreats that inspire a transformational relationship with Jesus Christ and strengthens relationships with family and friends.

My life was truly impacted and transformed in what we call, “The Valley”. That’s where my passion comes from. I was a camper, a volunteer, on Camp Staff, Part-Time Staff and eventually Full-Time serving as a Camp Director. I am also a part of our Fundraising and Development team as an ambassador for our ministry seeking people to come alongside what Jesus is doing here.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Show your team consistency and how fun you are! Managing a team is fun and hard but will teach you a lot about yourself.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

Absolutely! This past summer we had 112 campers be baptized in our spring fed lake. There is no better feeling than knowing campers are coming to know the Jesus who created them in His image!

This is also a family thing. My wife and I get to serve alongside each other, my sister in laws have served here and our nieces and nephews are campers. It’s such a joy to be doing this together. After all, we’re better together!

Contact Info:

• Website: DeerRun.camp
• Instagram: jjab1411
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jjab1411/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/josh-barrera-23b806aa

Image Credits
By The Clarks