Staff
Chase Standefer, Executive Director
Originally from Southeast New Mexico, I have spent time in Arizona, Florida, and Northern California working with teens and young adults. I have lived in Southern Indiana since 2016 and serve as the Associate Lead Pastor at Bedford First Church of God. I am passionate about seeing Christ work in the lives of the younger generation.
I live at camp with my wife, Thais, and our two daughters, Evangeline and Emmalyn.
Most of my off time is spent playing sports, hanging out with my family, and exploring the campgrounds.
Nick Thomas, Assistant Director
I’ve been involved with Camp Challenge in some capacity for the past 20 years. I first started out as a camper in third grade and attended camp all the way up until my senior year of high school. I then transitioned into being a volunteer counselor at senior high and junior high camp for a few years. Until I joined paid staff for the first time when I was 23 years old. I was on regular paid staff for two years and then moved on to senior staff for another three years. During that time I was an activity coordinator, media coordinator, and physical operations manager. I’m now the Assistant Director here at Camp and I’m so excited for this new and vital role at Camp Challenge.
A little bit about me outside of Camp. I was raised in Center Grove, Indiana and attended Center Grove schools all my life. I then attended IUPUI and got my bachelors in General Studies with a focus in social and behavioral science with more minors than I was allowed to claim. I’ve attended Meridian Church of God since I was four years old and currently work there with the youth and young adult ministries in my free time.
Kaitie Thomas, Summer Program Manager
Hello! My name is Kaitie Thomas and I am so excited to be the Program Manager at Camp Challenge! Here are a few things about me! I just got married in March 2020! We live in my home town of New Castle, Indiana. I am currently a 3rd/4th grade teacher. I have served as the Children’s Ministry Coordinator for a church and worked summers for a regional Christian campground. I grew up in the Church of God, my dad being a worship pastor (Yep! I am a PK!), which is how I got connected with Camp Challenge!
Camp Challenge is one of my FAVORITE places on Earth! I was a camper every summer for 10 years, and I have come back every summer since. As a high schooler, I helped with younger camps as a CIT. I have been a counselor at various age group weeks over the course of 9 summers, lead worship at some of the younger camps the 2 years after, as well as having had the amazing opportunity to get to co-direct one of the elementary school camps! All of this to say, Camp holds a very special place in my heart. I am so excited to have the opportunity to serve at Camp! I want to continue to help cultivate and nurture the community that is Camp Challenge. I have seen and continue to see God do amazing things here: lives are dedicated to Christ, calls to ministry are received, hearts are transformed, lifelong friendships are made. Camp has had such a huge impact on my life and I want to be a part of providing that for future campers! I cannot wait to see how God is going to work this summer at Camp!
Jay Thomas, Food Service Manager
I grew up in Virginia Beach, VA. While attending community college, I met my wife Maria and started attending church with her family. This was the beginning of my walk with Jesus as young man. Maria and I were married in 1987 and began our lives together living in Shreveport, LA where I started my career as an air traffic controller. In 1997 my career path had us move to Avon, IN with our 2 small children Andrew and Shelby. Andrew, now a corrections officer for the state of Indiana lives in Plainfield and Shelby is married and lives and works in the medical field just outside of Chicago.
We became involved with Camp Challenge in 2014 as our church home (Christ’s Community Church in Fishers) began partnering with Camp Challenge. As Maria and I transitioned into our lives as empty nesters, we felt God calling us towards doing some form of mission work while enjoying our hobby of RVing. Prior to working for the FAA, I was in the food service industry and love cooking for large groups. It quickly became apparent that this was the type of mission work that God had been preparing us for. In May of 2018 we sold our house and most of our stuff and purchased a new RV that we live full time in. We plan to spend our summer months at Camp Challenge and winters in Texas.