Updated Rankings....The Greatest Weeks of Impact all time.
For years I have reflected, dissected and analyzed just about every aspect of Impact. That's what I do, who I am. Call me crazy, I say passionate. This is the camp that helped bolster my spiritual awakening back in 1995, it means enough to me, to do everything in my power to try and make it better every single year. I know God ultimately controls that, but I'm gonna do my "small" part.
For years the most common question I am asked post Impact is "How did you rank this year?" I always say..."Not sure, I'll have to think about it." The fact is, we all have different taste and the years you love may just be off years for me or the great years for me, may have not been stand out's for you.So what I tried to do in this blog is really dig deep into my analysis. Not because I have an unhealthy addiction to evaluation, although I do. But because I simply like remembering, writing, and ranking. I have always simply based my favorite years on how much I liked them. Honestly I have loved every year, but I am a habitual "list maker". Therefore, I constantly rank things and Impact is no different.
So I tackled this project again some four years after my first blog like this. I did not go into this biased to my personal favorite years. This is NOT my personal list but an objective look. My personal favorites would look different. I broke it down into seven categories and did it on a points system. I should note that the more modern Impacts have an advantage based on the fact that we try to improve the product every year. I classify Impact in six distinct era's, the earlier era's have a distinct disadvantage.
The Church Camp Era 1992-1994. This is when Impact was really just like a church camp or other week long Christian University camps but at Lipscomb.
The Transformation 1995-1997 This was when Impact really started to change, a skit, a set, only on a small scale, but it was not until 98 when it was obviously different.
The Next Level 1998-2003 This was a solid era, where every year seemed to build on the next. None of the Impact's probably had the feel of Impact today but they were the catalyst for what would happen. 98 was also when the praise sessions started to get really "exciting".
The Last of Alumni 2004-2007 These were really great years and 2006 is usually pointed to as maybe the best ever. Three of these years were probably the apex of what we could do in Alumni auditorium. These were the years where the theme just started to permeate throughout the entire week. The last year 07 was of course the first year in Allen, but it just seemed more like 2004-2006 than the modern Impact's. We just had not learned the ropes with Allen yet.
The Allen Trilogy 2008-2010. This trio of Impacts are easily defined by the move to the Arena. Based on the popularity of 06 we really started emphasizing the drama, and Impact just continued to be blessed by God. These three themes were very similar and I always think of them as a trio, in spite of that they were easily three of the greatest years ever.
The Next Level 2011-2017. Starting with Hooked in 2011, things just started to click. Everything got tighter, themes flowed smoother, classes flowed better, speakers stayed on target, it just seems like Impact reached another level. And the sets, words cannot explain how far we have come since we started decorating the stage in 1995. These may have been the flashiest Impacts, but were they the best? Let's find out....
1. 2006 "The Story": 2006 scored high in every major category, no shocker here. This year just seemed awesome on every level. The theme, skit, and assemblies just seemed to go to another level. The last year in Alumni Auditorium and one none of us will ever forget.
2. 2011 "Hooked": This may have been the most incredible theme I have ever seen at a youth event. It was just the apex of what I think we can creatively do at Impact. Of course I am sure down the road if God wills there will be an Impact that out does 2011, and 2006 but it may be a few years
3. 2013 "Honor": This may have been the tightest theme we have ever done. Just great stuff on every level. The keynotes were fabulous, classes on point, morning Impact hilarious, skit top notch....just a great year.
.4. 2009 "hIDDEN": A little surprised, reviewing the year though, I should not be, great year. The theme touched many of the staff and campers deeply. The skit was awesome, and the set and t-shirts scored high.
5. 2010 "Buried Alive": This one fell in my latest evaluation, however I still rank it as the sixth best Impact of all time. Lots of really cool stuff, very original theme, etc...etc...This theme really hit home with a lot of the youth workers especially.
6. 2008 "Day of Reckoning": Thought this one would be higher, but the formula did the work. The set, assemblies, and skit pushed this one up the ladder. I will never forget David Fraze taking us home driving the point in at Senior week.
7. 2016 "Hyde" Perhaps the greatest daily drama ever, the best cast and the most resonating theme. The only thing that keeps this one from the "elite" category is probably the fact that Senior was just not as strong as Junior. There was just an odd feeling at Senior.
8. 2014 "RPG": If this were a personal favorite year, well I would have RPG maybe in the top four? But based on the total package I would have to slot it here, there were some misses and not having our A team on video may have hurt a little. But still what an incredible week, epic theme, t-shirts, trading cards, etc...
9. 2015 "Abandoned" The set was mindblowing and the lobby was just the best one yet. Worship was great, speakers were on point, and the theme was tight. The surprise ending to the skit pushed this one higher, as it was just one of those unforgettable moments.
10. 2004 "This Mystery": A great year many rate higher, perhaps Morning Impacts greatest year. While there was some behind the scenes drama, it was still a great year. Many of the gags we still use today in Morning Impact began this year
11. 2012 "Stranger Than Fiction: This is where I would slot a personal favorite theme of mine. I loved the concept of book vs movie, and I loved the theme. A great year to be sure, but very little stood out to me about it except for maybe the whole book deal.....
12. 2005 "Escape": I knew the ratings would be kind to 2005. This was not the first year the skit had a spiritual ending but it was the first year the skit played out to be a living parable. Who will ever forget the largest Impact ovation ever when Col. Roger Ingvulson walked out on stage? I still get chills thinking about it.
13. 2007 "The Mighty": Shocked this one rated so high, the great speakers, and theme pushed it high. The skit really dragged this week, but it ended great. That last night set change was a great surprise and the campers loved it. One of the best spiritual themes ever.
14. 1995 "Live To Tell" Clearly the best 90's Impact and my personal favorite Impact of all time is here. This was the year Impact started to move from old school camp to Impact as we know it today. This was also the year Impact started booking great Christian bands (a staple from 95-2006). Jars of Clay preformed just for the counselors! And this is the Impact that helped change my life.
15. 1998 "Go West": Another of my personal favorites, no shocker that it scored higher than some of the more modern Impacts. Great atmosphere, and the first signs that Impact was going even beyond where it had been. The worship, and the set leaped forward. A great Morning Impact as well. The first of the "middle age" of Impact (98-2006).
16. 2002 "Shield About Me": Another fun year. Best T-shirt of all time and a great Morning Impact helped. Possibly one of the loudest ovations in Impact happened at the end of the last days skit. This was easily the most ambitious set ever, and who will forget those soft foam swords we gave out the last night?
17. 1999 "Unmasked": The year I missed some of the week due to the death of my mom during Impact. I will never forget the worship that year. This was the year Impact worship went to another level.I had been gone two days and when I came back the worship was insane, teens were literally screaming out in worship.
18. 2003 "Deep": Did not think this one would be as low. Great atmosphere, but it scored in the middle of the pack in the major categories. The first year the skit had a serious ending, but it was still primarily just a venue for inside Impact jokes. The set was cool and the auditorium had this underwater feel.
19. 2001 "Ten": While the stage was fantastic, the skit was funny, the theme which confused some and the t-shirt brought the scores down. The t-shirt's print wore off after the first wash. People still ask me what the real theme was that year. Still a great year though just like the rest of them.
20. 1992 "Impact": Being the first year led to a distinct disadvantage, no set, no theme, no skit. However, of the old school Impact (92-97) this one was just magical. Probably my personal second or third favorite. Eevry camp starts somewhere and this start was great.
21. 2000 "The Journey": Of the "middle age" Impact's (98-06), this one probably had the least impression on me. It did produce two of the greatest t-shirts ever. The tornado ETS created for the opening night will never be forgotten. This was the first year we decided to go big on the first night.
22. 1997 "We Are Not of This World": This year was the transition from old school Impact to the newer style. It was not fully as over the top as the next level of Impact's but there were signs of changes. The first year Morning Impact became officialy "Morning Impact".
23. 1996 "Major League": As I pointed out in the 1997 entry, 1996 was another year where changes started to happen. It still was not the Impact we know yet, but there were glimpses. The skit that year was mostly on video and largely just a repeat of 1995.
24. 1993 "Change Your World": Honestly I remember less about this year than any other. I do remember that this was one of two years were there were nearly 100 baptisms, so something big happened.
25. 1994 "Give It Away": The last place finisher was still a great year, and it is another that is a blur to me. It was 16 years ago. I do remember there were so many baptisms that we had to use a sauna in the baseball locker room. The first year in Alumni Auditorium.
Bonus....here is my personal favorite top ten in order
1. 1995 Live To Tell
2. 1992 Impact
3. 2006 The Story
4. 2014 RPG
5. 2011 Hooked
5. 2012 Stranger Than Fiction
6. 2004 This Mystery
7. 2008 Day Of Reckoning
8. 1998 Go West
9. 2002 Shield About Me
10: 2013 Honor
For years the most common question I am asked post Impact is "How did you rank this year?" I always say..."Not sure, I'll have to think about it." The fact is, we all have different taste and the years you love may just be off years for me or the great years for me, may have not been stand out's for you.So what I tried to do in this blog is really dig deep into my analysis. Not because I have an unhealthy addiction to evaluation, although I do. But because I simply like remembering, writing, and ranking. I have always simply based my favorite years on how much I liked them. Honestly I have loved every year, but I am a habitual "list maker". Therefore, I constantly rank things and Impact is no different.
So I tackled this project again some four years after my first blog like this. I did not go into this biased to my personal favorite years. This is NOT my personal list but an objective look. My personal favorites would look different. I broke it down into seven categories and did it on a points system. I should note that the more modern Impacts have an advantage based on the fact that we try to improve the product every year. I classify Impact in six distinct era's, the earlier era's have a distinct disadvantage.
The Church Camp Era 1992-1994. This is when Impact was really just like a church camp or other week long Christian University camps but at Lipscomb.
The Transformation 1995-1997 This was when Impact really started to change, a skit, a set, only on a small scale, but it was not until 98 when it was obviously different.
The Next Level 1998-2003 This was a solid era, where every year seemed to build on the next. None of the Impact's probably had the feel of Impact today but they were the catalyst for what would happen. 98 was also when the praise sessions started to get really "exciting".
The Last of Alumni 2004-2007 These were really great years and 2006 is usually pointed to as maybe the best ever. Three of these years were probably the apex of what we could do in Alumni auditorium. These were the years where the theme just started to permeate throughout the entire week. The last year 07 was of course the first year in Allen, but it just seemed more like 2004-2006 than the modern Impact's. We just had not learned the ropes with Allen yet.
The Allen Trilogy 2008-2010. This trio of Impacts are easily defined by the move to the Arena. Based on the popularity of 06 we really started emphasizing the drama, and Impact just continued to be blessed by God. These three themes were very similar and I always think of them as a trio, in spite of that they were easily three of the greatest years ever.
The Next Level 2011-2017. Starting with Hooked in 2011, things just started to click. Everything got tighter, themes flowed smoother, classes flowed better, speakers stayed on target, it just seems like Impact reached another level. And the sets, words cannot explain how far we have come since we started decorating the stage in 1995. These may have been the flashiest Impacts, but were they the best? Let's find out....
1. 2006 "The Story": 2006 scored high in every major category, no shocker here. This year just seemed awesome on every level. The theme, skit, and assemblies just seemed to go to another level. The last year in Alumni Auditorium and one none of us will ever forget.
2. 2011 "Hooked": This may have been the most incredible theme I have ever seen at a youth event. It was just the apex of what I think we can creatively do at Impact. Of course I am sure down the road if God wills there will be an Impact that out does 2011, and 2006 but it may be a few years
3. 2013 "Honor": This may have been the tightest theme we have ever done. Just great stuff on every level. The keynotes were fabulous, classes on point, morning Impact hilarious, skit top notch....just a great year.
.4. 2009 "hIDDEN": A little surprised, reviewing the year though, I should not be, great year. The theme touched many of the staff and campers deeply. The skit was awesome, and the set and t-shirts scored high.
5. 2010 "Buried Alive": This one fell in my latest evaluation, however I still rank it as the sixth best Impact of all time. Lots of really cool stuff, very original theme, etc...etc...This theme really hit home with a lot of the youth workers especially.
6. 2008 "Day of Reckoning": Thought this one would be higher, but the formula did the work. The set, assemblies, and skit pushed this one up the ladder. I will never forget David Fraze taking us home driving the point in at Senior week.
7. 2016 "Hyde" Perhaps the greatest daily drama ever, the best cast and the most resonating theme. The only thing that keeps this one from the "elite" category is probably the fact that Senior was just not as strong as Junior. There was just an odd feeling at Senior.
8. 2014 "RPG": If this were a personal favorite year, well I would have RPG maybe in the top four? But based on the total package I would have to slot it here, there were some misses and not having our A team on video may have hurt a little. But still what an incredible week, epic theme, t-shirts, trading cards, etc...
9. 2015 "Abandoned" The set was mindblowing and the lobby was just the best one yet. Worship was great, speakers were on point, and the theme was tight. The surprise ending to the skit pushed this one higher, as it was just one of those unforgettable moments.
10. 2004 "This Mystery": A great year many rate higher, perhaps Morning Impacts greatest year. While there was some behind the scenes drama, it was still a great year. Many of the gags we still use today in Morning Impact began this year
11. 2012 "Stranger Than Fiction: This is where I would slot a personal favorite theme of mine. I loved the concept of book vs movie, and I loved the theme. A great year to be sure, but very little stood out to me about it except for maybe the whole book deal.....
12. 2005 "Escape": I knew the ratings would be kind to 2005. This was not the first year the skit had a spiritual ending but it was the first year the skit played out to be a living parable. Who will ever forget the largest Impact ovation ever when Col. Roger Ingvulson walked out on stage? I still get chills thinking about it.
13. 2007 "The Mighty": Shocked this one rated so high, the great speakers, and theme pushed it high. The skit really dragged this week, but it ended great. That last night set change was a great surprise and the campers loved it. One of the best spiritual themes ever.
14. 1995 "Live To Tell" Clearly the best 90's Impact and my personal favorite Impact of all time is here. This was the year Impact started to move from old school camp to Impact as we know it today. This was also the year Impact started booking great Christian bands (a staple from 95-2006). Jars of Clay preformed just for the counselors! And this is the Impact that helped change my life.
15. 1998 "Go West": Another of my personal favorites, no shocker that it scored higher than some of the more modern Impacts. Great atmosphere, and the first signs that Impact was going even beyond where it had been. The worship, and the set leaped forward. A great Morning Impact as well. The first of the "middle age" of Impact (98-2006).
16. 2002 "Shield About Me": Another fun year. Best T-shirt of all time and a great Morning Impact helped. Possibly one of the loudest ovations in Impact happened at the end of the last days skit. This was easily the most ambitious set ever, and who will forget those soft foam swords we gave out the last night?
17. 1999 "Unmasked": The year I missed some of the week due to the death of my mom during Impact. I will never forget the worship that year. This was the year Impact worship went to another level.I had been gone two days and when I came back the worship was insane, teens were literally screaming out in worship.
18. 2003 "Deep": Did not think this one would be as low. Great atmosphere, but it scored in the middle of the pack in the major categories. The first year the skit had a serious ending, but it was still primarily just a venue for inside Impact jokes. The set was cool and the auditorium had this underwater feel.
19. 2001 "Ten": While the stage was fantastic, the skit was funny, the theme which confused some and the t-shirt brought the scores down. The t-shirt's print wore off after the first wash. People still ask me what the real theme was that year. Still a great year though just like the rest of them.
20. 1992 "Impact": Being the first year led to a distinct disadvantage, no set, no theme, no skit. However, of the old school Impact (92-97) this one was just magical. Probably my personal second or third favorite. Eevry camp starts somewhere and this start was great.
21. 2000 "The Journey": Of the "middle age" Impact's (98-06), this one probably had the least impression on me. It did produce two of the greatest t-shirts ever. The tornado ETS created for the opening night will never be forgotten. This was the first year we decided to go big on the first night.
22. 1997 "We Are Not of This World": This year was the transition from old school Impact to the newer style. It was not fully as over the top as the next level of Impact's but there were signs of changes. The first year Morning Impact became officialy "Morning Impact".
23. 1996 "Major League": As I pointed out in the 1997 entry, 1996 was another year where changes started to happen. It still was not the Impact we know yet, but there were glimpses. The skit that year was mostly on video and largely just a repeat of 1995.
24. 1993 "Change Your World": Honestly I remember less about this year than any other. I do remember that this was one of two years were there were nearly 100 baptisms, so something big happened.
25. 1994 "Give It Away": The last place finisher was still a great year, and it is another that is a blur to me. It was 16 years ago. I do remember there were so many baptisms that we had to use a sauna in the baseball locker room. The first year in Alumni Auditorium.
Bonus....here is my personal favorite top ten in order
1. 1995 Live To Tell
2. 1992 Impact
3. 2006 The Story
4. 2014 RPG
5. 2011 Hooked
5. 2012 Stranger Than Fiction
6. 2004 This Mystery
7. 2008 Day Of Reckoning
8. 1998 Go West
9. 2002 Shield About Me
10: 2013 Honor
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