This year, Chikaldara Youth Camp (CYC) by Leads Outreach Ministries, (Nagpur, India) marked their 50th anniversary of successful Camp ministry.

Leads Outreach is an indigenous holistic mission which strives to build up the lives of people irrespective of their caste, religious, social, economic background, with clear vision from God to enhance spiritual, moral and social transformation of their lives to make them responsible citizens of the country and of the kingdom of God.

In June 2024, 266 young people joined together from various cities (Nagpur, Sewagram, Khamgaon, Pune, Mumbai, Buldana, Jhansi, Lucknow, and Bhopal) for the 50th camp – ‘Awaken’.

It all started back in 1972 when Rev. Sudnyan Bansod came to Nagpur and was deployed by Youth for Christ to the Evangelical Fellowship of India to work as a co-ordinator for the city-wide year long program from June 1972-May 1973.  He then started working among the youth of the city where he began to plan and initiate several programs for youth in Nagpur. 

Wanting to create a program and place where young people could gather for a time away from their homes after they finish exams in school and college, Sudnyan began to pray, and on the 21st of May 1974, 48 young boys and girls arrived at the spiritual life centre for the first summer youth camp in Chikhaldara. For many of these young people, youth camp was a new concept and they had no idea what it was all about. It didn’t take long for them to get settled into the fellowship, and the messages, group discussion sessions, and personal counselling played an effective role that began to change their idea of being a Christian. God was at work in their hearts.

Since then, CYC has met together each year seeing young people from different and diverse backgrounds coming and experiencing dramatic transformations in their lives as they respond to the Word of God and commit themselves to Jesus. Sustaining CYC annually has required sacrifice, determination, motivation, willingness and inspiration from both Sudnyan and his wife, Shamala.  

God has used the Youth Camp ministry to reach out to lost souls and draw them closer to Him, which is the greatest blessing of all. Through CYC broken people and broken hearts have been made new by a loving and redemptive God. 

Sudnyan and Shamala’s three children, Swanand, Swamini and Swahini, and their families, now carry the baton forward building further on the foundation that has been laid for them.

As they celebrate the 50th year of the camp ministry, it is a celebration of what God has done, a celebration of what God is doing, and a celebration of what God will yet do.