More than 800 campers and staff members gathered at Graceland University to create an intentional, sacred community we call Spectacular. This year our theme, “Love First,” invited us to explore some different dimensions of love. Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, we dug into how love is a choice and can be brave, honest, resilient, expansive, and transformational.
One thing we love most about Spec, held annually in Lamoni, Iowa, USA, is its holistic nature. So much care and attention go into each part of the week, and individuals and teams focus on specific areas while holding the shared vision of the whole. In many ways, Spec continues to serve as a living expression of the new communities Prophet-President Stassi Cramm called the church to envision and embody at the 2025 World Conference. We’re already practicing it!
SPEC 2026
Spec is a place where belonging matters. We strive to create an environment that encourages healthy risk-taking, inviting campers to try new things without fear of failure or judgment. It’s a space where the whole person is engaged—spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally—in ways that nurture growth and well-being.
It’s always incredible to try to capture what happens in just one week. We worshipped together seven times, raised more than $4,000 USD in offerings, and presented forty-seven class options. Campers created more than 800 arts-and-crafts projects and fielded 165 teams in volleyball, soccer, softball, basketball, and quiz bowl. More than 350 campers competed in table tennis, tennis, pickleball, wrestling, and the track meet. They also showcased various talents in four shows featuring more than fifty campers. We shared in the Lord’s Supper, and hosted several baptisms, confirmations, and one ordination. Amid all that, we shared countless stories, laughs, meals, and sacred encounters.
Spec is one of our favorite weeks of the year because—though it isn’t perfect—it offers a glimpse of what God’s peaceable world could look like. And being able to share that glimmer and create other opportunities like it is work worth doing. As one delegation staff member reflected, “We are better for having been here and knowing a place like this exists on Earth.”
We couldn’t agree more!