Travis Hartjen has served faithfully as Dean of the Alpha Teen Retreat since 2005. Each June for the past 21 years, Travis and his wife, Tara, along with their children, Jenna, Molly, Jake, and Luke, have journeyed from Texas to Arcadia. They all looked forward to this week, as it felt like a family reunion—a time to reconnect with the counselors and their families and work together to minister to the teen campers.
Travis, a graduate of Concordia Seward, served as Director of Christian Education (DCE) in the Houston and Austin area before becoming a Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) and now church planter in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.
Travis first came to Camp Arcadia back in the 90s when he spent three summers working on staff during his college years. He was known for his silly antics on stage during the staff talent shows, where he starred as Captain Obvious. He has many fond memories from his time on staff and was honored to return to Camp as a Teen Week Dean when his friend, Chip May, the director of Camp Arcadia, invited him to speak.
As a young DCE, Travis was relatively new at speaking and teaching to large groups of teens. Travis remembered feeling both nervous and excited for his first year as Dean, and was determined to bring lots of energy and enthusiasm to the week. By Tuesday, he was losing his voice and got through the rest of the week with the help of endless cups of hot tea provided by the kitchen staff. By the end of that week, everyone knew that Travis was the perfect fit for this retreat as he demonstrated his unique ability to relate to the campers, inspire the counselors, and encourage the staff.
Executive Director Chip May shared,
“I have been blessed to work with one of my best friends for the last 21 years. To be able to serve together and have our families grow up together has been a highlight of our year. Travis is so good at connecting with teens through his storytelling, self-deprecating humor, and his ability to take the gospel seriously but not himself. I will dearly miss his ministry at RKD, but know that God will continue to bless Travis’ ministry planting churches.”
Throughout the years, Travis continued to capture the attention of the teen campers by sharing funny and heartwarming stories from his own life. “He connects with the campers authentically by sharing his stories of brokenness and forgiveness,” said Mike “Ike” Eichberger, long-time teen week counselor. Another veteran counselor, Emily “Oxi” Zuzek, adds, “Travis is willing to make a fool of himself and be vulnerable in front of the campers to create that important connection. He makes them feel special as he notices them throughout the week and picks up on their cues to shape his messages. He always finds ways to relate to them at their level.”
The supportive and encouraging community present at Camp Arcadia has kept Travis coming back each year. He recalled,
“Something I love about Camp is that it gives kids who are often overlooked and forgotten back home a chance for a fresh start and an opportunity to shine. One of my favorite memories from years ago was witnessing the transformation of a camper who didn’t fit in that well at the start of the week. Once he shared his talent of operatic singing, he became the superstar for that week!”
Travis was instrumental in cultivating a welcoming and encouraging culture at Camp, with his instruction to counselors and staff to go above and beyond to ensure that all campers felt like they belonged.
“We know that teens are living in the hyper-competitive world of junior high and high school, where your status is determined by the lunch table you get accepted into. The teen retreat experience is an opportunity to step out of that environment and be immersed in an intentional Christ-centered community. The counselors and staff pour into the campers and make them all feel included and cared for. I always remind the counselors that for many campers, this week is going to be one of many great weeks, but for a handful of campers, this is going to be the greatest week that they will have during their high school years.”
In addition to serving the campers, Travis has invested lots of time in building strong relationships with the counselors. In turn, the counselors have formed a close-knit community and return each year to serve together. During the off-season, they connect online with Bible studies and conversations about their lives. Kristin Hardy, Alpha Week Senior Counselor, worked with Travis throughout the year to plan for the teen retreat, and the two have become close friends over the years. She shared, “Travis has been such a blessing to us, the counselors, and our families. He brings us together like a family with his encouragement and his sharing of the Gospel. He has been there for my family during difficult times. I love that my sons, former teen campers, are excited for Bible study, partly because of what Travis has instilled in them.”
From 2005 to 2025, Travis boldly shared the good news of God’s grace with over 2,000 campers. He enriched the lives of the many counselors and staff whom he served alongside. His legacy of connecting with teens and assuring them of God’s love will endure for years to come. In his final message to the Alpha Retreat campers, he urged them to simply abide, abide in Christ. We give thanks to God for Travis’s ministry as the Alpha Retreat Dean and wish him blessings on his continued pastoral work.
