An update on my favorite years of Impact....2023
So I am not sure why "bloger" insists to put the date of my initial post here but rest assured I do not have time travel ability. This was updated after Impact 2023
Every year on the last day of Impact I am asked one question more often than any other.
"How would you compare this year to last year?"
Those of you who attend a yearly camp understand this question. People don't necessarily want to know how you would literally rank that specific year, but they are really asking "how do you think this year went?"
However, as a guy who loves Impact and loves ranking things, I inevitably respond, "I don't know, it will take a little while for it to sink in". And by that response I mean, I will wait and sit here at my computer and actually give it serious thought. As I said I love listing things, and I don't ever take my listings lightly.
Before I start, I want t to make this clear, Impact means nothing if it has no impact on the teens who attend and the way they go about their lives at home. That is a major emphasis of every theme. So, two things to keep in mind before the list begins.
1.) This list does not mean that certain years had a larger affect on our campers, there is really little way of knowing that. My list is mainly about the year of Impact itself.
2.) This list is clearly my opinion, largely based on my perception of how the week went. So, this is really about my experience, yours would be very different.
So, without any more mind-numbing explanation here they are, in my personal order, the 31 editions of Impact's.
31.) 1994 "Give It Away": I guess the reason I always rank this one last, is because I really don't remember much about this week, other than the crazy number of baptisms. I think there were well over 100. For that reason alone I feel guilty ranking it last. But even the last Impact is still great. But this was before Impact became the "playground of imagination" it is now. This was a traditional old school youth camp at a school.
31.) 1993 "Change Your World": Another week I cannot remember much about, but I do remember the talent show we had on the steps of Alumni, that was a train wreck. Perhaps the worst shirt we ever did.
30.) 1997 "Not Of This World": My first year on the board of directors, I simply remember how bad I thought the skit went this week, aside from Matt Elliot as Garth Vader. But this was the actual first year of "Morning Impact" and the year the ball race was born. Before there was ever a Skid vs Rubio, there was Mike vs Todd. And yes modern day campers that is the same Mike as "Announcement Mike".
29.) 1996 "Major League": Every time I think of this year I remember two things: Geoff Moore performing "Home Run" live and having that song stuck in my head for years, and the acting of Jon Shoulders as a Mission Impactable agent in the skit.
28.) 2000 "The Journey": This year is another blur to me except that I remember the tornado the ETS guys created on the first night, and the "Impact Action Team". This was the last year we did video exclusive skits everyday.
"How would you compare this year to last year?"
Those of you who attend a yearly camp understand this question. People don't necessarily want to know how you would literally rank that specific year, but they are really asking "how do you think this year went?"
However, as a guy who loves Impact and loves ranking things, I inevitably respond, "I don't know, it will take a little while for it to sink in". And by that response I mean, I will wait and sit here at my computer and actually give it serious thought. As I said I love listing things, and I don't ever take my listings lightly.
Before I start, I want t to make this clear, Impact means nothing if it has no impact on the teens who attend and the way they go about their lives at home. That is a major emphasis of every theme. So, two things to keep in mind before the list begins.
1.) This list does not mean that certain years had a larger affect on our campers, there is really little way of knowing that. My list is mainly about the year of Impact itself.
2.) This list is clearly my opinion, largely based on my perception of how the week went. So, this is really about my experience, yours would be very different.
So, without any more mind-numbing explanation here they are, in my personal order, the 31 editions of Impact's.
31.) 1994 "Give It Away": I guess the reason I always rank this one last, is because I really don't remember much about this week, other than the crazy number of baptisms. I think there were well over 100. For that reason alone I feel guilty ranking it last. But even the last Impact is still great. But this was before Impact became the "playground of imagination" it is now. This was a traditional old school youth camp at a school.
31.) 1993 "Change Your World": Another week I cannot remember much about, but I do remember the talent show we had on the steps of Alumni, that was a train wreck. Perhaps the worst shirt we ever did.
30.) 1997 "Not Of This World": My first year on the board of directors, I simply remember how bad I thought the skit went this week, aside from Matt Elliot as Garth Vader. But this was the actual first year of "Morning Impact" and the year the ball race was born. Before there was ever a Skid vs Rubio, there was Mike vs Todd. And yes modern day campers that is the same Mike as "Announcement Mike".
29.) 1996 "Major League": Every time I think of this year I remember two things: Geoff Moore performing "Home Run" live and having that song stuck in my head for years, and the acting of Jon Shoulders as a Mission Impactable agent in the skit.
28.) 2000 "The Journey": This year is another blur to me except that I remember the tornado the ETS guys created on the first night, and the "Impact Action Team". This was the last year we did video exclusive skits everyday.
27.) 2001 "Ten" : Our Indiana Jones parody year: This was the year it rained nearly every day especially during junior where Skid, Jon and I had to kill hours of time on stage because the weather was so bad. For the campers wondering where "Tennessee Jon" came from, well Jon Shoulders, a longtime Impact Skit performer played that character this year.
26.) 2020 "TV 31": Needless to say, we did our best. Virtual Impact had little chance of being competitive with an actual week of physical impact. However it was so fun, I actually loved the week, but I missed the campers.
25.) 2002 "Shield About Me": The first year with Rubio on board. This was the year we had a kid dress up like Yoda and kung fu everyone on stage during the skit, that may have been the loudest laughter I have ever heard in person. This was one of the last years their really was no real story to the skit.
24.) 1999 "Unmasked": This was Skid's first year on the board, and a year I will never forget. My mom passed away on the last day of Junior. I remember having to leave and coming back later at the end of senior. I walked in and could not believe how loud you guys were worshiping. That was the year of the new "Awesome God" and "I Belong To Jesus". Keith Lancaster was our worship leader for about 4 years.
23.) 2003 "Deep": I just remember this year being very special as Rubio, Skid and I were sealing our friendship. This was the debut of Flannel Board Theater which would become one of the most iconic Impact video series.
22.) 2007 "The Mighty": The first Impact in Allen had it's high points. The baseball game we hosted for RBI Nashville, and it was the first year we focused on charity giving $10,000 to help start Best Buddies in Tennessee. The theme was fabulous, and challenged teens to do mighty things. Not sure why I always rank this one so low, but for some reason I always do.I think it is because the skit "my primary job at the time" was probably a step back from the year before in my opinion.
26.) 2020 "TV 31": Needless to say, we did our best. Virtual Impact had little chance of being competitive with an actual week of physical impact. However it was so fun, I actually loved the week, but I missed the campers.
25.) 2002 "Shield About Me": The first year with Rubio on board. This was the year we had a kid dress up like Yoda and kung fu everyone on stage during the skit, that may have been the loudest laughter I have ever heard in person. This was one of the last years their really was no real story to the skit.
24.) 1999 "Unmasked": This was Skid's first year on the board, and a year I will never forget. My mom passed away on the last day of Junior. I remember having to leave and coming back later at the end of senior. I walked in and could not believe how loud you guys were worshiping. That was the year of the new "Awesome God" and "I Belong To Jesus". Keith Lancaster was our worship leader for about 4 years.
23.) 2003 "Deep": I just remember this year being very special as Rubio, Skid and I were sealing our friendship. This was the debut of Flannel Board Theater which would become one of the most iconic Impact video series.
22.) 2007 "The Mighty": The first Impact in Allen had it's high points. The baseball game we hosted for RBI Nashville, and it was the first year we focused on charity giving $10,000 to help start Best Buddies in Tennessee. The theme was fabulous, and challenged teens to do mighty things. Not sure why I always rank this one so low, but for some reason I always do.I think it is because the skit "my primary job at the time" was probably a step back from the year before in my opinion.
21.) 2021 "The Secret": If it had been longer than three days this one might have been top ten. A great week with possibly the single most positive skit reaction on the last night ever. Teens were ready to party after the year off. It was just a really sweet atmosphere having 7-12 graders all together again.
20.) 2005 "Escape": I have never heard a louder ovation at Impact than when Col. Roger Ingvulson a former Vietnam POW came out on stage. It was truly a goose bump moment. This was really the first year the skit turned into a drama. There were some really fun late nights, as we searched for the "kidnapped" gnomes. We even filmed a great video, but it was never shown due to the fact that a high profile kidnapping case was in the media at the time.
19.) 2010 "Buried Alive": This was the year that "LT" one of our counselors replaced Dave Clayton due to the birth of David's first son. LT would pass away due to a bizarre illness a few years later. It was also a great drama that year, and possibly one of the best original stories, aside from 2006 and 2019 that we have ever presented.
18.) 1998 "Go West": I simply remember this year as the year Morning Impact hit it's stride. The Impact puppet became a force, and you literally had no clue what was going to happen at any given time.
17.) 2016 "Hyde": This was a great year for lots of reasons, but probably gets ranked this high because of the fantastic morning impact the particular year. It was election mania! Mr T vs Bob Ross which led to a classic final day Morning Impact bit.
20.) 2005 "Escape": I have never heard a louder ovation at Impact than when Col. Roger Ingvulson a former Vietnam POW came out on stage. It was truly a goose bump moment. This was really the first year the skit turned into a drama. There were some really fun late nights, as we searched for the "kidnapped" gnomes. We even filmed a great video, but it was never shown due to the fact that a high profile kidnapping case was in the media at the time.
19.) 2010 "Buried Alive": This was the year that "LT" one of our counselors replaced Dave Clayton due to the birth of David's first son. LT would pass away due to a bizarre illness a few years later. It was also a great drama that year, and possibly one of the best original stories, aside from 2006 and 2019 that we have ever presented.
18.) 1998 "Go West": I simply remember this year as the year Morning Impact hit it's stride. The Impact puppet became a force, and you literally had no clue what was going to happen at any given time.
17.) 2016 "Hyde": This was a great year for lots of reasons, but probably gets ranked this high because of the fantastic morning impact the particular year. It was election mania! Mr T vs Bob Ross which led to a classic final day Morning Impact bit.
16.) 2009 "Hidden": Fantastic theme. The whole idea of hiding our shame and not being who we really are was a much-needed theme. It was framed within the story of a creepy carnival, and Skid did a brilliant job portraying a man trapped by his own past.
15) 2012 "Stranger Than Fiction": This was the year we re-explored the theme of 2006 and talked about how our story should resemble "the book" and not a movie. I wrote a novel that coincided with the theme that every camper received.
14.) 2015 "Abandoned": This was a challenge. I have never thought outer space themes are plausible because it is hard to create futuristic looks on stage. However the set was awesome. The skit was really poor this year until that last night, when it became the greatest end to a skit of all time.
15) 2012 "Stranger Than Fiction": This was the year we re-explored the theme of 2006 and talked about how our story should resemble "the book" and not a movie. I wrote a novel that coincided with the theme that every camper received.
14.) 2015 "Abandoned": This was a challenge. I have never thought outer space themes are plausible because it is hard to create futuristic looks on stage. However the set was awesome. The skit was really poor this year until that last night, when it became the greatest end to a skit of all time.
13.) 2023 "The Fog": Absolutely the fastest week of Impact I can ever remember. It just felt way too fast. Probably one of our best, most creative themes. The skit was very well executed and a great story. There were other elements to this that kind of knocked this particular year a little further down than some would think. However it is still among one of the top 15 Impact's of All Time, there have been 31 now so it's getting harder to crack that top 10.
12.) 2019 "Bound" I am going to put 2019 here. Maybe one of the best theme's ever,,,,but this is my personal ranking. I just did not have the time to enjoy it this year. I loved the theme this year for sure but It was just not a personal fav. However, I will say, it may have been the best skit we've ever written.
11.) 2013 "Honor": Yet another great theme, do we love "doing camp", or letting camp change us? The last night cliff hanger is still a question to all those who were there. Did he throw the quarter in the cave?
10.) 2004 "This Mystery": One of the early skits that actually had a point, and one of the most powerful Impact moments as our counselors recited the book of Colossians. This was the year we all met Aubrey Wood, and also the first year for many of our long-time running gags.
9.) 2014 "RPG": I am not sure exactly why I loved this year so much, I think it was because the roadies this year were particularly fun to hang out with. It was not our best skit, but it was a really cool concept. A very cool set and maybe the most creative from start to finish I think we have been.
11.) 2013 "Honor": Yet another great theme, do we love "doing camp", or letting camp change us? The last night cliff hanger is still a question to all those who were there. Did he throw the quarter in the cave?
10.) 2004 "This Mystery": One of the early skits that actually had a point, and one of the most powerful Impact moments as our counselors recited the book of Colossians. This was the year we all met Aubrey Wood, and also the first year for many of our long-time running gags.
9.) 2014 "RPG": I am not sure exactly why I loved this year so much, I think it was because the roadies this year were particularly fun to hang out with. It was not our best skit, but it was a really cool concept. A very cool set and maybe the most creative from start to finish I think we have been.
8.) 2022 "The Con": After two years of "different Impacts" we finally got a real Impact back, and it was so good. There were some amazing moments to be sure and the last night at both Senior and Junior Impact will go down as some of the best ever, But as good as 2022 was it's hard to put it any higher than this. We created a comic con at Impact.
7.) 2008 "Day Of Reckoning": Easily the darkest theme in Impact history. A study of the prophets. One of my favorite skits too, and perhaps the best character I ever got to play. I love playing the villain.
6.) 2017 "Seek": This was one of the craziest years I can remember, It was just awesome. The skit was just absolutely perfect and I just was blown away by the response. Cinderella meets Treasure Island. The game we crated for campers to take home and play was so fun.
5.) 2018 "Olly Olly Oxen Free": I am stunned that 2018 came off like it did, I was so worried that 2017 was so great there was no way we could follow up so well. The theme was great, and buttons. Button fever caught fire with campers, counselors and adults trading buttons 24/7.
4.) 1992 "Impact": We always have a special place for firsts. This was the first Impact, and while it was nothing like what Impact has become it still holds a very special place in my heart. In that small room where all 150 campers sat, I grew a passion for this event and youth ministry.
3.) 2011 "Hooked": Just about the most perfect theme ever. I remember we came up with this thing like the day after 2010 Impact, I spent one year every night dreaming about this one. The skit ending was powerful. Dave Clayton and David Skidmore killed it.
2.) 1995 "Live To Tell": This was the year it all changed. The year Impact went from church camp to larger-than-life experience. It was the building block for every Impact that followed. It was the first year for a skit, and the year Morning Impact became a thing, although it was not called that yet. I will never forget working with Mark Hayes and Jon Shoulders feeling like something special was going on. Little did I know my life was going to change because of that little skit.
1.) 2006 "The Story": I can't explain how much 2006 means to Impact. I mean if 1995 was the year it all changed. 2006 was the year we realized we could make a camp and could really do something special. More than that, we could do something that was immersive. The Story is a skit that simply made us re-think it all. In 2006 we realized we could do so much more. We could create atmosphere; we could create something really good. What 2006 did was transform Impact into a total creative playground. No shade to other youth camps for sure. You can get a youth camp experience at lots of other camps, but Impact offers something no other youth camp has done before.
7.) 2008 "Day Of Reckoning": Easily the darkest theme in Impact history. A study of the prophets. One of my favorite skits too, and perhaps the best character I ever got to play. I love playing the villain.
6.) 2017 "Seek": This was one of the craziest years I can remember, It was just awesome. The skit was just absolutely perfect and I just was blown away by the response. Cinderella meets Treasure Island. The game we crated for campers to take home and play was so fun.
5.) 2018 "Olly Olly Oxen Free": I am stunned that 2018 came off like it did, I was so worried that 2017 was so great there was no way we could follow up so well. The theme was great, and buttons. Button fever caught fire with campers, counselors and adults trading buttons 24/7.
4.) 1992 "Impact": We always have a special place for firsts. This was the first Impact, and while it was nothing like what Impact has become it still holds a very special place in my heart. In that small room where all 150 campers sat, I grew a passion for this event and youth ministry.
3.) 2011 "Hooked": Just about the most perfect theme ever. I remember we came up with this thing like the day after 2010 Impact, I spent one year every night dreaming about this one. The skit ending was powerful. Dave Clayton and David Skidmore killed it.
2.) 1995 "Live To Tell": This was the year it all changed. The year Impact went from church camp to larger-than-life experience. It was the building block for every Impact that followed. It was the first year for a skit, and the year Morning Impact became a thing, although it was not called that yet. I will never forget working with Mark Hayes and Jon Shoulders feeling like something special was going on. Little did I know my life was going to change because of that little skit.
1.) 2006 "The Story": I can't explain how much 2006 means to Impact. I mean if 1995 was the year it all changed. 2006 was the year we realized we could make a camp and could really do something special. More than that, we could do something that was immersive. The Story is a skit that simply made us re-think it all. In 2006 we realized we could do so much more. We could create atmosphere; we could create something really good. What 2006 did was transform Impact into a total creative playground. No shade to other youth camps for sure. You can get a youth camp experience at lots of other camps, but Impact offers something no other youth camp has done before.
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