From Summer Camps to Citywide Change: The Evolution of Doxazo Ministries
Last week, we introduced you to our July Tenant Spotlight, Doxazo Ministries, and shared their current mission: to help churches recruit, raise up, and retain the leaders who reach our kids. But how did a small neighborhood sports camp grow into a citywide discipleship network?
Doxazo’s story is one of listening, adapting, and responding to the needs of Topeka.
The Early Days: Serving Through Sports It all started back in 2005, when two high school students began hosting sports camps for kids in their neighborhood. The vision was simple: provide a safe, fun environment where every child could know they matter to Jesus. For the next decade—including a long tenure in the Hi-Crest neighborhood starting in 2012—that vision defined their work.
A Pivot with Purpose When Doxazo became an official non-profit in 2019, they continued expanding their impact. But like many organizations, the events of 2020 served as a turning point. As the team spent time in prayer and conversation with local pastors and community leaders, a staggering reality came into focus: only 10% of kids in our community currently have a church home.
That statistic shifted the trajectory of their mission. They realized that to reach the other 90%, they needed to support the local church more directly.
Supporting the Supporters Starting in 2022 with the Youth Discipleship Network (YDN) and 2023 with the Children's Discipleship Network (CDN), Doxazo began to refine their focus. After hosting their final summer camp in 2024, they fully transitioned their energy toward being the resource our local churches need.
Today, they are partnered with 30 churches and over 40 youth and children's ministers. By running initiatives like Ministry Launch and Student Launch, they are no longer just running programs—they are building a foundation of leaders who will influence the next generation for years to come.
Want to learn more? Doxazo’s transition from a camp-based model to a support-based model is a beautiful example of how an organization can adapt to better serve its city. You can read more about their core philosophy and mission statement here.
We want to hear from you! Do you have a question about this transition or the work Doxazo is doing today? We’d love to answer it! Head over to our Facebook page and drop your question on our latest post, or if you prefer a more private conversation, feel free to email us directly at crc100@crcnet.org. We’ll be sharing answers and insights from the Doxazo team throughout the month!