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  • 03 Feb 2021 7:56 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)

    Why Compass Points?



    Camp people are my people. It took me a long time to figure that out. For years I thought ‘basketball’ was my community, Carolina Tar Heel basketball to be specific. Then it was volleyball, where I located my identity among a group… then university, then teaching, then young clergy. At one point or another I could say with lukewarm confidence: “yeah, those are my people.” I never really fit in, though. 


    I landed my first camp job as a college graduate looking for a place to crash during the summer between my undergraduate degree and beginning work on my master's. It was only meant to be temporary; a summer breathing the fresh mountain air before returning to the academic world in big city life. And I just never left. Summer turned into fall which turned into more than two years before I moved back to the ‘real’ world and reapplied to that master's program. 


    While my vocational discernment led me to serve the local church, I missed camp. Camp people understood the unique intersection of theology and play, discipleship and creation care: renewal, shalom, koinonia, and adventure are the liturgy of camp life, and I thrived there. 


    When I discovered the Compass Points program I was five years into my pastorate and already feeling the effects of burnout. Taking Eugene Peterson’s call to renewal and retreat seriously, I registered for the first course, bought a plane ticket, and felt the weight of responsibility lift off my shoulders when our plane took flight. Not knowing at all what to expect, I found the class a welcome mixture of academic excellence, professional development, wisdom of the collective, and community. Much like the experience of resident camp, my fellow students and I began the course as strangers and parted as friends, transformed and renewed by our time together. Our shared learning experience and shared passion to see camping ministries prosper was a balm to my soul. The community I found within my cohort challenged me to carry the best of camp back into the local church. I took the courses under the guise of “continuing education,” but it functioned more practically as a source of renewal for me, a reminder of my call, and an affirmation of my own identity. 


    Camp people are my people, and the Seven Foundations of United Methodist Camp & Retreat Ministries are the bulk of my work, even in the local church as a pastor. Now, more than ever, this new COVID-reality of our existence begs more attentiveness to the authentic connections which come so easily at camp: connections with God in sabbath, silence, and prayer; environments of genuine grace; sensitivity to other’s needs; embracing life’s teachable moments; learning from the wisdom of the natural world and soaking up the goodness of God’s creation; breaking barriers and redefining boundaries; doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. 


    Compass Points was a path of renewal, healing and inspiration for me. It provided the education, affirmation and community I needed to continue on in faithfulness to the Kingdom of God.



    Rev. Jennifer Bingham Hampton moved to Casar, North Carolina in May 2019 to serve as the first Director of Tekoa Foothills. She is an Ordained Elder in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church and has served as the Associate Pastor at Broad Street UMC in Statesville and the Senior Pastor at Sunrise UMC in Lewisville. She is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke Divinity School, and the Compass Points Certification Program with Columbia Theological Seminary. With son Edwin, and husband Joseph, Jennifer can be found hiking, building fires, floating down rivers, and exploring their home on 117 acres in the foothills of North Carolina.



    If Jennifer's story inspires you to consider embarking on the Compass Points journey, learn more at CompassPointsProgram.org or contact UMCRM's Compass Points liaison, Russell Casteel.


    The next courses, "Articulating Our Mission, Role, and Value," September 12-15, and "Nonprofit Business Management," September 15-18, are registering now! They may be taken a la carte or as part of the Compass Points Certificate Program series. Register here


  • 27 Jan 2021 8:30 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)


    At its January meeting, the UMCRM Association was blessed to welcome two new board members for the 2021-'25 term. Let's meet them!


    Josh Shaw is the Director of Children & Family Ministries at St. John’s UMC in the Memphis Annual Conference. Josh is an Enneagram (2) enthusiast and a Ravenclaw. His diverse interests include teaching choreography, spending time with German Shepherd/Chow Chow mix Queen, and hanging out with nieces and nephews. 


    Josh began his camp journey as a counselor for a local theater camp, which inspired him to seek out his own camp experience. In the fall of 2010, his youth group went to a retreat at Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center. Josh says, "Being in that space allowed me to feel free to be my most authentic self. I returned to camp the summer of 2011 for my first summer camp as a camper. I immediately fell in love and knew that camping was a part of my future."


    Josh has been a volunteer counselor at Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center for many years (2012-2019). His team has led Jr. High 3 for 4 years (and hopefully many, many more). He also serves the Memphis (soon to be Tennessee-Western Kentucky) Annual Conference’s Conference Youth Leadership Team, training students to lead retreats for their peers. Since 2014 Josh has led retreats for older elementary students, confirmands, junior high, senior high, and young adults/college students. 


    Through serving on the UMCRM governance board, Josh is excited to bring a perspective for young people, people of color, and lgbtqia+ people who aren’t often invited to the table by the church. 


    Other fun facts to share with the UMCRM community? Josh mentions:

    • I lived in Romania for a summer.
    • My granny is my best friend.
    • My dream job would be being Bruno Mars’ key dancer in everything!


    Dail Ballard has been serving as the Executive Director of the NC UM Camp & Retreat Ministries since 2011. They are a separate 501c3 nonprofit organization related by faith to the NC Conference of the United Methodist Church. The organization includes camps Chestnut Ridge, Don Lee and Rockfish. Prior to serving as Executive Director, Dail served for several years as the Fund Development Director for all three camps. She is a life-long Methodist and has been involved with camping almost as long, starting out as a camper at Camp Don Lee.


    Dail was drawn to serve with UMCRM by our mission-driven focus and our commitment to the vitality and impact of United Methodist camps and retreat centers. A Speech-Language Pathologist by trade, Dail founded and led a corporation of allied health professionals across North Carolina before entering Camp/Retreat executive leadership. She brings this business acumen, organizational and processing skills, and a passion for inclusion and diversity to the work of UMCRM.


    How were you called into Camp & Retreat Ministry? Dail recalls:

    Before foot surgery, I enjoyed running almost everyday. I would often pray during my treks through the neighborhood. During one of those runs in the middle of one of those prayer times, I literally stopped in my tracks hearing God nudge me that it was time for me to do something else with my life. What that was was not clear at the time. So I began having conversations with friends and colleagues. A position with the NC UM Camp & Retreat Ministries had just come open. I was thrilled. I was nervous. I was leaving a career that had required post graduate schooling and one that I had enjoyed for years. Thrilling and chilling all at once, I tell you! But God was at work. I trusted, and here I am.


    What would you like the UMCRM community to know about you?

    It should come as no surprise that I love being outside. I am a coastal girl through and through and enjoy everything about the flat lands of eastern North Carolina. Winters are challenging for me - even in the south. I much prefer a warm, bright summer day. I will get up for a sunrise and chase an open vista for a sunset. And a full moon?! I will make my way to the shore for a moonrise no matter the temperature! I have three beautiful and bright children who are making their way in this world in their own unique ways. They are my greatest accomplishment on this planet.


    I delight in meeting new people while relishing time with close friends. And, I can laugh at myself as heartily and happily as others do with me. I look forward to serving the UMCRM community and getting to know more people who share a passion for camp and retreat ministries!


    We are grateful for these remarkable individuals' willingness to help guide the UMCRM Association in a governance capacity, sharing their depth of experience and insight while bringing their passion and a spirit of fun to our shared work. Please join in praying for them and for our Association's leadership as they envision a thriving future for United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries.


    Drop them a word of welcome and encouragement at their new UMCRM email addresses: 

    dail.ballard@umcrm.org 

    josh.shaw@umcrm.org

  • 27 Jan 2021 8:06 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)

    What is the BDC?


    Aren’t acronyms just so UMCRM? Of course, and we would not want it any other way! In this case, the “BDC,” or Board Development Committee, is a burgeoning team that will replace the old school “nominations” committee. The biggest difference is that the “BDC” works independently from the Board while keeping their fingers on the pulse of the Board work, its initiatives, and the needs and the vision of the United Methodist Camp & Retreat Ministries Association.


    The BDC will consist of 6-8 members who are gifted with a deep understanding of systems thinking and who appreciate and are committed to the people of the United Methodist Church. This team of leaders will be vision- and value-driven and have a strong understanding of board development. Additionally, these folks are recruited for their lasting connection to our Association, as evidenced by the respect they have in our community and the relationships they have built with a broad base of people. Because of the important nature of their work, each member must be able to participate assertively in conversation.


    Working together, the BDC will identify Board members and an officer slate to be lifted for the Board’s approval. As Jody Oates, of Kaleidoscope Inc. and outgoing UMCRM Board member, has described it,

    “A Board Development Committee will work independently of the Board of Directors to recommend candidates for the Board. With intentional training, review, assessment, and outreach, the Board Development Committee helps assure a fair and equitable process so that the UMCRM Board has the best leaders to serve.”


    How will it work?

    The first BDC will be tasked with establishing operating procedures; however, there are several pieces already in place that were put into practice in the recruitment of UMCRM's two newest Board members:

    • The BDC performs a gap analysis using several methods: interviews with Board members, reviewing strategic initiatives, assessing current gifts/needed gifts, etc.
    • The BDC issues a call for nominees.
    • Nominations are considered. Additional nominees are recruited as needed.
    • Nominees are interviewed.
    • A slate of members and/or officers is brought to the Board for approval.
    • Approved nominees are invited to serve on the Board.

    Establishing the Board Development Committee is another important step for the UMCRM Board as it seeks to address future needs of our Camp & Retreat Ministries community. We are looking forward to working in this way and pray that each of you feels seen and served through this process. Contact Cat Holbert to discuss further.


  • 16 Dec 2020 6:33 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)


    In a “normal” year, most camps have a marketing or promotional timetable that they lean on. That timetable typically starts not in November or December but reaches well back into the previous summer as we take the photos and video clips that will be the raw materials to promote the next summer.


    But…what if there wasn’t a summer?

    What was likely an odd thought exercise that site directors would process over a cup of coffee or a conference workshop has become reality for many camps. Pulling the thread of that reality reveals even more missing pieces. Not only do we not have the raw materials we are used to having, but the photos we do have don’t show campers and staff using the precautions we are likely to still need in summer 2021, modeling the use of masks and social distancing.


    And what about distribution? With many churches not meeting in person, do our materials fit the situation? If you hang a poster in an empty church, does it make a noise?


    With all of these questions piling up in addition to all the other questions we are facing about the actual operation of camps in 2021, I did what any overwhelmed Site Director would do…I asked Facebook. My social media following probably looks like a lot of United Methodist camp professionals’. What started with personal family and friends has morphed over time to include my camp family and friends; alumni, summer staff, pastors, and families that have grown close to me as they have grown close to the site I serve. In many ways, they are the perfect focus group.


    So I asked them this:

    “Pastor Friends: Thinking about camp promotional materials for summer 2021 today. In your current (and near future?) worship situation, what is the best tool I can give you to promote camp?”

    The responses were almost immediate and quite helpful:

    • “Social media images and videos”

    • “I share info with our church and could use something I would email directly to families.”

    • “Maybe a bulletin insert/blurb as we still hand those out for drive-in worship as well as email out.”

    This feedback wasn’t unexpected and it helped confirm my hunches about how to promote camp in meaningful ways this year. In a typical year, our conference makes a printed camp catalog that is sent to all previous campers as well as a collection of materials that is sent to churches (a poster, bulletin inserts, etc.). What our Facebook feedback told me is that we need to align our promotion strategy with the ways our churches are gathering, and that we need to reach our camp families where they are in this moment.


    For us, that means a shift from a printed catalog to a heavier emphasis on our website. The additional benefit of that decision is that it allows flexibility as the pandemic changes through the spring. A printed catalog commits us to programs and schedules that we are hoping to offer when we lay out the pages in December. This year, those ultimately may look different as the summer season approaches.


    This shift will require additional communication, though. Just because you update a website does not guarantee that your audience is checking in regularly enough to register. So as we make this shift, what is the flare we launch to let people know when it’s time to register? Email blasts? Do we need to send a physical postcard? How can we integrate camp messaging into virtual church services?


    The majority of comments I received to my original question were requesting video. If we can make a concise, 2-4 minute commercial that invites people back to camp and also puts minds at ease about safety, I think it can be easily added to even more churches today than would have likely shown it in previous years. To make it usable for as many as possible, we’ll include a quick note about how to play a video through “share screen” in Zoom. Most churches will have mastered this skill by now, but our goal is to remove any barriers that would keep our message from getting out.


    Most camps are already immersed in the world of social media, varying on which platforms they participate in by the audience they serve. If Step 1 of our 2021 promotional plan is to create a better website, and Step 2 is a library of videos to explain changes and improvements we’re making to our site and programs, perhaps Step 3 is our social media plan. In my view, social media success is about frequency even more than content. What information do our camp families need to hear going into this summer camp season that will help them make a decision? What trust will we need to build in new ways to overcome our new challenges? What parts of camp do we need to remind them of, that they may have forgotten?


    This year has been difficult, frustrating, and exhausting. However, there is something life-giving for me in doing this planning. For me, as we prepare to send our message out in hopefulness for the 2021 summer season, it reminds me that God continues to walk with us as we do this work. While it still feels uncertain and scary at times, I trust that God will continue to give me the strength and the wisdom to endure, finding the messages that need to be delivered so we can gather around campfires once again.


    Summer 2021 likely won’t be exactly like summer 2019, but we will be closer. The faithful steps that bring us closer to gathering once again at camp feel like acts of hope.



    Nick Coenen is Site Director at Pine Lake Camp and Retreat Center in the Wisconsin Conference. His 2020 has included creating virtual camp programming, discipling a small cadre of summer staff, raising many thousands of donor dollars to sustain the ministry, fostering stray kittens, helping to lead UMCRM's Bridge Event, and catching and recovering from Covid. 



  • 16 Nov 2020 5:31 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)

    At camps and retreat centers, summer and the spring and fall “shoulder seasons” are usually wonderful times to enjoy outdoor activities on our waterfronts, fields, and trails. Worship is held in outdoor chapels and open-air shelters host meals and crafts. When cold weather arrives, as it does for the majority of us in the U.S., many centers have traditionally shifted programming indoors to cozy fireplaces and heated, electric-lit gathering spaces. However, in this pandemic year, even those sites that can safely and legally open are having to re-think the use of indoor spaces.


    As an appreciator of winter, I want to encourage you to “think outside” the buildings! Winter is an amazing season for outdoor adventures in serene snowy landscapes with less sweating and no bugs. You might even get some much-needed vitamin D from the sunshine and happy neurotransmitters from invigorating exercise. I hear some of you whining already, though. I want to encourage you to practice the skills of regulating your body temperature so you can help yourself and others experience God’s creation through this winter season. Don’t let the pandemic get you down— fresh air and wide open spaces are still out there for us to enjoy.


    Layering – not just a fashion statement

    One key to staying warm while active in cold-weather activities is, ironically, not getting too warm. Overheating leads to sweating, which can lead to chills or even hypothermia. If you’re active in the cold weather environment, you need layers you can strip off and add back to keep your body in the comfort zone. I see you, Floridians, trying to just wear your same summer t-shirt and pop a big heavy winter coat on top. Better to start with a thin, wicking layer that’s not cotton. Synthetic workout clothes or wool base layers work great. Not just the top, but bottom, too—long johns or leggings. Next, add a light fleece or other mid-weight shirt. Then a warm jacket (but not too heavy or bulky if you’re going to be active). This is a great use for those down or synthetic puffy jackets that squish down small. Wear or pack a waterproof or water-resistant outer layer for the very top – you’ll be glad to have it in case of wind or precipitation. Again, not just for your upper body—you’re done if your legs and behind get cold and wet. Even if you don’t need them when you start out, throw a pair of snow pants or rain pants in your pack to be prepared.


    Hydrate or die-drate

    When it’s cold you might not feel thirsty like you do in warm weather, but your body needs hydration as much or more than ever. Cold temps can be drying both to exposed skin and to your insides. A thermos with warm tea or cocoa can be a welcome treat that’s worth the weight. And bring plenty of water – nestle it inside your pack or use an insulated bottle if you’re concerned about freezing.


    Fuel the fire

    Bring lots of snacks, as those calories help your body generate heat. Bonus—things won’t melt, so you have more options than your usual hot-weather fare (yes, please, more chocolate and cheese!) If you’re in sub-zero temps, beware of freezing – hard granola bars and Power Bars may become an inedible brick, so nut mixes or bite-size items might be a better bet.


    Don’t pack too light

    You might need a bigger pack in the winter. If you’ll be in a remote area or out for the whole day or (for the brave!) overnight, you’re going to need more stuff. Make sure you have one more warm layer than you expect to use in case the weather shifts unpredictably, a layer gets wet, or you need to sit still. Leave room for layers you’re wearing that you might want to shed once you get moving.


    2020 Immersion students skate at YMCA of the Rockies: Emilie Schoettger, Sam Richardson, Audrey Jordan, Katie Pryor, TayLa Fugate Take it easy

    If you are going to be hiking, playing active games, sledding, skating, or skiing, start slower than your ideal pace. You want to be warm but not sweating profusely. Adjust your layers once you get going.  Make sure the layers you shed get put somewhere safe (like back in a pack) so they’re dry and easy to find when you’re ready to put them back on. It’s no fun to look for the lost mitten once it’s getting dark and your fingers are cold.


    Head…and Toes

    Give special attention to cold-weather protection for your head and extremities. A warm hat like a fleece or wool beanie is essential (not optional; your hairdo is less important than your health and warmth!) A balaclava and/or neck gaiter can be a face-saver in sub-freezing temps or windy conditions. Gloves are also a must—I like a warm fleece pair with waterproof mitts on top, but regular snow gloves will work if that’s what you’ve got. Even if you don’t plan to get them wet, have a backup plan. You never know when you might need to make a surprise snowball. I like a two-layer approach to socks, as long as my boots still fit comfortably (air space is an insulator, so don’t squeeze your feet with socks that are too thick). Itch-free smartwool is wonderful, but most types of hiking socks work well (remember, no cotton!). Stash a backup pair of socks in your pack. If you (or your campers/guests) don’t have waterproof boots and your winter wonderland is wet, consider a plastic produce bag or bread bag as a waterproof liner between sock feet and sneakers. Not ideal, but neither are cold, wet feet.


    Rest assured

    For rest breaks in summer, we can often plop down on the ground or find a handy rock. In winter a little more planning is needed. For a quick snack or water break, you might want to stay on your feet. If you’re taking a longer rest, sit on your pack or make an insulating seat with a tarp and your spare layers. Don another layer of clothing, too, as it’s easy to get a chill once you stop moving.  


    This same principle applies if you are doing a “sitting still” activity outdoors in the cold, like a worship service, lesson, or meal. Lawn chairs, outdoor chapel benches, or picnic table seats need a layer of insulation to sit on—foam sleeping pads, blankets, or an extra jacket can work; just make sure your participants come prepared. Some may also want a blanket for their shoulders or lap. Older adults and very young children tend to chill faster, so let their comfort be your guide and bring extra items to care for their needs.


    Sun still shines

    If you are lucky like me to live in a place where the sun shines in the winter, you will need to remember your sun sense. You may have seen those ski-goggle sunburns – sun reflected off of snow or ice can be intense. Wear sunscreen on your face and lips, and protect your eyes with sunglasses or goggles. You may want to pack a ball cap or other brimmed sun hat to trade out if your beanie or hood gets too warm. Because of the low angle of winter sun in our hemisphere, adjust your schedule to maximize your daylight. Once the sun sets, everything gets a LOT colder. Where in summer you might prefer an evening worship or shady green cathedral, in winter you’ll want to relocate outdoor events to the sunniest (warmest) spot and schedule for maximum daylight.


    Plan for quitting time

    Head homeward before you (or your group’s most vulnerable member) get too tired or cold. Don’t wait until you’re hours down the trail or it’s getting toward dusk before making your return plan. Even if your group will disperse for the ride home, consider offering warm beverages and snacks with a quick closing prayer back at base camp so everyone can head home content and happy.


    For our physical and mental health this season, we’re going to need to spend more time outside. I hope these tips will help you enlarge your zone of comfort to embrace a new outdoor adventure.  Regardless of climate zone, I hope more of us will consider a hike on a peaceful gray winter day or a socially-distanced outdoor worship in our site’s sunniest spot.



    Jen Burch is the UMCRM Association’s Administrator, which is pretty much a sedentary desk job. Many years ago, though, she graduated from a January course at the Colorado Outward Bound School (including 9 continuous days in the same base layers and a two-night solo in a quinzhee snow cave.) Jen still loves snow and hopes to spread appreciation for the unique treasures of the winter outdoor environment.


  • 28 Oct 2020 6:37 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)



    After what has seemed like an eternity, the UMCRM community finally had the opportunity to come together with the intention to reconnect and refresh. The morning of the first event in our Bridge Event Series started with the Camp in the Community (Holston Conference) Worship Band, followed by devotion with Rev. Gary Lawson (Lakeshore, Memphis Conference). Gary shared from the book of Job specifically about suffering and the fear that accompanies it. Gary emphasized that our God doesn’t promise a life free of pain or suffering in exchange for our faithfulness. Not everything in life is fair, and what we learn from pain and suffering builds and shapes us. We were encouraged not to "waste the pain" but to use what we go through to grow, in turn using those experiences to encourage others.


    Following our morning devotion, people from across the country poured into our round table discussion virtual space. With fearless leader David Weber (Riverside, Florida Conference) greeting folks as they entered the virtual room, it was obvious how much we all treasured the opportunity to reconnect. From discussing the weather to the inspiring moments in our own communities, the true UMCRM-style camaraderie we all know and love was ever so present. We closed the session praying for one another in small breakout groups.


    After lunch, participants joined one of the five virtual workshops. Ranging from philanthropy and development to camp in a pandemic, there was an option for a variety of interests. Jennie Dickerson from Lakeshore shared her insight on creating a culture of philanthropy at your site. Jeff Parsons of Bay Shore Camp and Family Ministries (Michigan) dove into the details of camp operations in the midst of COVID-19. Marlene Urban-Funk from Camp Wrightwood (Cal-Pac) helped us reconnect with our bodies through mindful breathing and being. Jody Oates with Kaleidoscope, Inc. shared the importance of effective governance and ensuring those important positions are filled correctly. Lawrence Jay from Rolling Ridge Retreat and Conference Center (MA, New England Conference) provided insight on how to lead meaningful and spiritual online retreats. The educational opportunities provided a little something for everyone, whether program staff, board members, volunteers, or executive leaders.


    Our keynote speaker for this first event was none other than Michelle Cummings, the Big Wheel and founder of Training Wheels and a known leader in the Team Development industry. One great thing about our UMCRM community is that everyone fits in and all are welcome. From the start of Michelle’s keynote it was clear that she is “one of us.” She gets the passion we all have to build community through experiential learning. Michelle not only made every person feel welcome and included, she truly connected with our group. She shared strategies to engage your virtual audience while she effortlessly modeled that by keeping us all engaged. While she elaborated on ways to creatively use the Zoom platform, our chat box was full of people commenting on how their minds were blown by her ideas. Michelle showed a group of people who are professional team-builders and ice-breakers how to take it to the next level and embrace the virtual world we are currently living in. Following the keynote, there was competitive hilarity as she led several teams in a Virtual Scavenger Hunt experience. While engaging us in play, Michelle also gave participants the tools to design and implement similar activities in our own settings.


    To close out the day, the Camp in the Community Worship Band and Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi (Western PA) led worship with beautiful song and a message from the Gospel of John. Bishop Moore-Koikoi elaborated on how Jesus challenged traditions and the norm in order to save lives, encouraging listeners to practice out-of-the-box faithfulness within our ministry. “There are people all around us who need us to dare to break the traditions and norms and do something extravagantly creative and outrageously unconventional in order to reach them where they are and to bring them to a place of wholeness.” She went on to say that this is not a call to ignore the state guidelines regarding COVID, rather that this is a season where we have to challenge our status quo, asking ourselves if anything we are doing is standing in the way of someone experiencing the healing and empowering love of God. 


    One participant in this first event said, “At the end of the day, I had a feeling of contentedness that I don’t often have. I’ve been feeling really disconnected from people and from the mission, and some of that was reconnected in a meaningful way.” If you attended the event but didn’t share an evaluation, we would love to hear your feedback: Evaluation form


    As the design team, our ultimate goal was to give people a space to “Be Whole, Live Well, and Come Together.” We truly hope that goal was accomplished and we absolutely cannot wait to bring you a new Bridge event in November. If you missed this event, you can still get in on the experience. Register today for access to the next 3 live Bridge events (November 18, January 20, and February 17), plus the recordings from all four events in the series. Special thanks to all those who bravely dove in to experience the first Bridge Event. Hope to see many more of our community members at the next one!


     

    Reflection by Paige Helms, for the Bridge Event Design Team:

    Sarah Ratz (Beersheba Springs, TN), Chair

    Nicole Armstrong (NY & Lazy W)

    Nick Coenen (Pine Lake, WI)

    Sharon Godbolt (Cal-Nev)

    Paige Helms (SC)

    Cat Holbert (DSW)  

    Apryl Miller (Gretna Glen, EPA)

    David Weber (Riverside, FL)

    Whitney Winston (CITC, Holston)



  • 27 Oct 2020 4:50 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)

    The events of 2020, including the protests surrounding the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the growth of #BlackLivesMatter, have made many of us examine the cultures of our camps and retreat centers as we relate to race and racism. Recognizing this need, UMCRM created a monthly gathering for camp and retreat professionals to have a place to learn about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values and practices in our ministries. Using this knowledge, this group will develop tools and strategies to help all UMCRM ministries grow in DEI literacy and practice.


    Earlier this month, 20 UMCRM professionals met with Dr. Carmen Phelps, the lead DEI and Racial Equity Consultant for Project 986 Consulting. Dr. Phelps comes to UMCRM through support from the Legacy of Leadership Fund. She brings over 20 years of experience partnering with various organizations to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion values. She will walk alongside this learning/volunteer group over the next six months or more.


    The most recent educational session with Dr. Phelps was a starting point for our future discussions. As an introduction to anti-racism work, participants reviewed key terminology and concepts so everyone would have a shared language for future conversations. Dr. Phelps then led the group in a gallery tour of the history of the cultural, societal, and economic status of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) in the United States. The overview spanned from the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to the British colonies, through Emancipation and Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement, up through current social justice movements. Dr. Phelps also provided a framework of levels of racism and ways we interact with these in our everyday life, including examples ranging from microaggressions to structural racism baked into systems of government, education and housing policies, and the church. The exercise helped the group tap into both the facts and feelings surrounding white racism in our society. 


    Meeting monthly, this group of professionals will continue to grow in our work to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in UMC camp/retreat ministries. No matter where you or your program is on the journey, you are invited to engage in this work and join this group. The next steps include developing shared principles, solidifying a vision and mission for the group, and focusing our efforts in the short term so we will have concrete action steps to implement  for summer 2021.


    To join this group of colleagues in dedicated time for learning and creating sharable resources for the whole UMCRM community around anti-racism, email jessica.gamache@umcrm.org to express your interest.




    John Spelman is Executive Director of Aldersgate Camp and Retreat Center in Rhode Island, where he has integrated a social justice focus into the center's programming. This summer John and the Aldersgate summer staff created an amazing Anti-Racism Series of educational videos on their YouTube channel. 



  • 21 Oct 2020 8:12 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)



    Before the dark times, before the empire, for over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice. Over 10,000 Jedi – padawans, knights, and masters – roamed the galaxy, from the core to the outer rim, and even to the mysterious reaches beyond.


    In their shared mission to defend and protect all sapient life, these thousands of Jedi mutually relied on the expertise and wisdom of just a few masters chosen to sit on the Jedi High Council. Five masters (including Master Yoda) accepted a lifetime commitment to the Council; four masters were chosen as "long-term" members of the Council, to serve until such a time as they felt they should leave; and three masters were chosen to limited-terms; creating a High Council of up to 12 members.


    Not every Jedi aspired to sit on the Council, of course. Quinlan Vos and Qui-Gon Jinn were less interested in discussing and discerning diplomacy as they were in being actively involved in missions across the galaxy. While certain diminutive masters might emphasize that a Jedi craves not adventure or excitement, there were definitely those in the Order who preferred such to sitting in council meetings! But the Order found the centralized leadership of the Council necessary, so a group of masters who were wise and/or willing to learn were chosen to serve.


    A summation of the Order's core values dating back to texts as ancient as the Rammahgon and the Aionomica, the Jedi Code was a critical guide to the administrations and leadership of the Council. Though it was less than perfect*, the Code provided direction to any Jedi looking for guidance in a galaxy in turmoil...


    We may not be in that galaxy far, far away, but I hope you can identify yourself as a Jedi of Camp and Retreat Ministries! Thousands of us roam the nation in our shared mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, particularly through our passion for, and expertise in, camp and retreat ministries. 


    A few weeks ago, Russell Davis shared a blog post about the organizational changes to our UMCRM Board. UMCRM Association Structural and Legal Changes Russell shared a great amount of detail therein about the changes and the history leading to them. I wanted to add one particular emphasis to what he has already shared. 


    Like the Jedi Knights of the Old Republic, there are thousands of us in national Camp and Retreat Ministries who are gifted, talented, and called to minister in a great variety of ways, but we are not all the same. We all have areas of particular interest, passion, and strength. As an organization, our Association wants to best empower our members to be the best CRM Jedi Knights we can be. We want to Resource one another, Advocate for our ministries and their powerful impact upon Christian discipleship, Inspire transformative leadership, and help one another to Network together, for stronger ministry and greater impact. (Capitalized words reference UMCRM’s mission statement.)


    Every organization needs leadership. Some models of board leadership, particularly for small organizations, invite people to join the board in order to empower them to volunteer, lead, and manage the organization's efforts while also being responsible for the "fiduciary" responsibility of a board of directors. Being on such a board grants some degree of authority and responsibility, and board members endeavor to fulfill a function equivalent to volunteer staff: coordinating events, managing members, handling finances, tracking resources, etc. I often hear such boards called "management" boards, as they work to manage the work of the organization.


    However, as an organization grows – perhaps not as large as 10,000 Jedi! but, still, "larger" – a single board cannot effectively manage and maintain all the activities of an organization while also maintaining accountability for its fiduciary responsibilities. In such situations, roles become more delegated: boards are tasked with governance/leadership, taking responsibility as a board of directors, while staff work to manage activities, often with the direct involvement of a larger number of volunteers. One form of such leadership is "policy governance," such as the model described by John Carver that our board is using as inspiration as we implement a new form of governance.


    In the end, in switching to policy-governance we hope for the same result as the Jedi Council. While a smaller number of 8 to 12 will meet to do the work of governance – directing our shared mission, creating strategies to accomplish our hoped-for ends in the world, evaluating the impact of the organization, essentially refining “the Code” of our organization – we hope that far more of you Jedi will be empowered to join together in accomplishing the Association’s mission to strengthen camp and retreat ministries nationwide. 


    A core principle of Carver's model of policy-governance is that the small number of board members cannot possibly oversee all the activities of an organization. That's the point! While board members focus upon governance, the organization's staff works with many, many more capable, passionate, and excellent volunteers to accomplish the mission in the world.


    As we work to make the shift to implement this policy-governance model, it is our great hope that Jedi like you who may not feel called or passionate about being on a board will find yourself instead excited about and volunteering in ministry with UMCRM in other ways. We hope to empower many more of you to consider getting involved: from national event planning, to creating and providing services to Association members, to creating resources for leadership development, to making testimonial videos about the power of camp, to sharing effective camp resources, to any other number of activities that UMCRM may pursue in our mission to "resource, advocate, inspire and network to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries."



    *The code, as written, is clearly too absolute and contributed to the fall of the Jedi: "There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge." During the years immediately preceding the Fall of the Order, Jedi younglings learned a variation of the code during their initiation that some Masters, such as Depa Billaba, rightly found more accurate: "Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge." Such an alternation does not try to negate the existence of one thing, but does identify another as preferable. Perhaps, had the Council been more adaptive in its leadership, it might have discovered that elimination of emotion was not the ideal; even the brash Anakin Skywalker laid out that compassion was at the heart of a Jedi's mission! Teaching one another to find peace in the mist of emotion might have helped bring Anakin peace, might have brought greater fulfillment to another Jedi in love with a Duchess, and could have prevented both the fall of the Order and the Republic! But the imperfections of the Code aren't the main topic here.



    Rev. (Obi)-Ron Bartlow is Vice Chair of our UMCRM Board and an overly enthusiastic Star Wars fan.

  • 20 Oct 2020 2:07 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)


    I’ve attended the sessions at conferences where our colleagues encourage us in the methods, meaning, and practices of donor development. In all of these sessions I’ve heard something along the lines of, “You can do this! State your need and folks will give.” It all seemed very Field of Dreams, “If you build it, he will come,” to me. To extend the movie metaphor, I relate most to that girl in the stands choking on a hot dog, because the idea of me asking someone for their hard earned money has always been a bit terrifying.  


    Enter COVID-19, a cancelled spring retreat season, a summer without campers, and a fall retreat season full of cancelling groups. Suddenly the financial need was very real, very evident, and very much needing the attention to get over my own fears of making an ask. 


    In the Susquehanna Conference, our camp and retreat centers operate as one camping ministry together.  We share budgets and resources, and collectively we knew that this pandemic meant we would need to make spending cuts, dip deep into reserves, make hard operating decisions, and ask our community of supporters to give financially so that these sacred spaces could weather this unexpected storm.  The latter of these action steps was quite intimidating as, honestly, we’d never done more than send out an end of year appeal letter to raise money. Suddenly in 2020 we were facing the reality of needing to raise $100,000 in order to sustain the ministry. If, like I was, you are still metaphorically choking on the Field of Dreams hot dog, I am here to encourage you. 


    Quickly and methodically, we formed a small Donor Development Team that included two board members, a conference staffer with donor experience, our conference Director of Camp and Retreat Ministries, and myself as a representative of our center director team. Next, we identified two obvious initial tasks: we needed a reliable way to track donors and our online giving platform needed an overhaul. Our dormant donor management software was rebooted and organized, and we secured a new user-friendly online giving platform that we added to our website. Finally, a campaign plan was laid out and we created a designated campaign page for the website to transparently explain what we were asking for and why we were asking for it. 


    We launched our Camp Comeback Campaign on June 13, the day we should have been kicking off our 2020 summer camping season. Four months later, we are only a few thousand dollars away from that $100,000 goal. How have we done it? We’ve asked, and people have given. It really is that simple.  Maybe that’s why our donor development pro colleagues keep saying it!  


    It has been humbling and deeply encouraging to see the support come in. From the spare change a six-year old camper sent in a hand-addressed envelope, to others giving thousand dollar gifts in honor of the life-changing personal experience they had at camp decades ago – every gift reminds us that amidst this challenging season and a summer without campers present, people continue to need, love, and radically support camp. In truth, fundraising in this season has been a major motivator to me. Camp was way too quiet this summer, and I was deeply missing the summer faces, memories, and experiences. It was hard to remember why I do what I do when my summer tasks had turned from afternoon slip-n-slides and campfire worships, to cutting brush and clearing out the depths of the dreaded camp closets. Every gift that has come in during the Campaign has been a reminder of why I do this. Each giver was a witness to the fact that camp continues to matter, even when we can’t gather. We will come back after this pandemic ends, and it will be because people who love camp got us through a really challenging time. 

     

    One of the most unexpected and highly successful methods we’ve found for raising funds has been the use of matching gifts. The Campaign kicked off with Matching Monday, a simple social media driven event over the course of seven weeks. We asked folks to put up matching gifts starting at $50, gradually increasing to the final amount of $5,000. With the seven weeks of giving planned and the donors to offer the matching amounts secured, we knew we could raise $18,800 over the course of the campaign event. Every Monday on our centers’ Facebook pages we announced the matching amount with a Canva-created graphic, and every Monday our community of supporters donated any amount they could to help us meet the match, understanding that their gift was doubled as soon as they gave it because it was a matching gift. We assumed it might take us several days to reach some of the matching amounts, but our community showed up week after week and met the matching amount in mere hours every Monday. After seven weeks we had raised well over $20,000, we had stayed engaged with donors over a significant span of time, and the donors started off the Campaign with the knowledge that they could make a significant impact by giving together.


    Take it from me, as a complete fundraising novice who was massively uncomfortable with the thought of asking people for money: you CAN do this! The donor pros are totally right – you just have to ask people to give. Truly, it’s as simple as picking up the phone to connect with a volunteer, staff alum, camper parent, retreat leader, local church leader, or family member, and asking them to support the missions of these sacred spaces. 

     

    We are camp people. We are a creative bunch!  We are also often pressed for time, money, and resources. Surround yourself with a team of other creatives willing to develop and lead mini giving events, tap into free and available resources (hello, Canva! hello, colleagues with donor insight), and get your plan in place. Make the ask, and as each donor gives, may you be reminded that your ministry is needed, beloved, and important….and that seriously asking folks for money isn’t nearly as terrifying as it sounds. 



    Emily is the Center Director of Wesley Forest Camp and Retreat in central Pennsylvania. A longtime camp person, Emily’s favorite camp activities are campfire worships, building relationships with summer staff and campers, and eating Gushers from the Snack Shack. She’s a big fan of backpacking, Dolly Parton, and baking. She lives at camp with her husband, their two Springer Spaniels, and a few chickens.  



  • 14 Oct 2020 3:05 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)

    This summer, Camp Alta Mons launched Camp @ Home—a 100% online and free-to- all camp program created to help connect kids, families, alumni, and supporters to a summer camp experience. It ran for 9 total weeks and was a huge success. Here are my top 10 pieces of advice that I learned from my summer creating, producing, and publishing this online content. 


    As a baseline: We utilized Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and our website to spread our message. All of these platforms are free or low cost. If your camp doesn’t have all of these, make sure to create accounts ASAP! Your campers are looking for you online and they want to see your content. Make sure to connect with them in as many ways as you can!


    1. Make A High Quality Video

    This one is mega important, so it has 3 parts!

    Can you hear me now?

    Make sure you use a microphone or stand close enough to the camera to capture sound well. No one likes videos where you can barely hear the person speaking or where there is a lot of background noise. Do your best to film in quiet areas where the speaker can be heard clearly.


    What to film on?

    Using a DSLR camera will produce a higher quality product than a phone camera (in most cases and depending on the type of phone you have.) Whatever device you choose, make sure to utilize a tripod. Shaky videos are distracting and mistakes like fast zooming, blurry transitions, and uneven pans take away from the overall quality of your video. If you do decide to film on a phone, make sure to film landscape (side to side) and not portrait (up and down.)


    Taylor with milk and cookies from a Camp@Home episodeFOCUS!

    Make sure you focus. Blurry videos are hard to watch and if you’ve invited guest speakers/surprise guests, you likely only have one opportunity to capture the footage. Make sure to check if someone is in focus before they begin speaking. Also, remember to mentally focus! It can be easy to take filming lightly and brush off the impact that you are having. Standing alone in front of a camera can be sad, but your message matters! Make sure you focus and get into the correct headspace before speaking. Pretend like the campers and staff are right there in front of you and give it your all.

    2. A Pretty Preview

    When filming a video, make sure to take a “thumbnail” photo for both Instagram TV (IGTV) and YouTube. When you upload videos to these platforms, they auto select a thumbnail if you don’t add one. These images can often be blurry and seemingly random; your video will look much better with a thumbnail that you chose. 


    3. Be Descriptive

    For both IGTV and YouTube, utilize those description spaces! Include Bible verses referenced and names of those speaking. Type out as much information as you can to make it as easy as possible for folks to connect with your content. Pro Tip: When uploading videos to YouTube, make sure to check “YouTube for Kids” so that your campers with restricted access to YouTube will be able to see your camp’s content!


    4. Schedule & Save Time

    At Camp Alta Mons, I use Buffer.com to schedule our Facebook and Instagram posts. Buffer does not work well for videos, but it is a great resource for posting photos. You can schedule things ahead of time and check your daily posts off your to-do list in one day. It’s a free resource that offers paid plan upgrades. You can also “premiere” videos on YouTube at a specific date/time. 


    5. Name It & Promote It!

    Create a campaign. Draw people in! Title things in an organized fashion and follow a consistent structure. Post every Bible Study every Monday at 10 AM or campfire livestreams each Wednesday at 6 PM – whatever works best for you. Create a hashtag for your followers to use when they connect with your content. Do as much as you can to build excitement for whatever it is that you are advertising. The buzz will generate more interested individuals. 


    6. Campy & Consistent

    Patterns in imagery and design help create a consistent look that folks will recognize and connect with week after week. Reach out to your staff to see who has a knack for graphic design and utilize their talents and skills. It’s fun for everyone to follow along with graphics that speak to the heart of camp.


    7. Be Authentic

    Represent your camp brand well and honestly. Be true to who you are and what your camp represents. For my camp, this includes enthusiastically singing songs with hand motions and doing everything with the goal of letting campers know that they are loved by God. 


    8. Film Advice

    Learn to edit your films and practice several times before uploading your first one. You can make short teaser videos or promo material for something else. In your videos, utilize music (follow proper copyright protocols!) and B Roll (supplemental video footage; think shots of a campfire while someone talks about a campfire) to create the best video possible. And most importantly, keep it SHORT. Long videos lose engagement from parents and campers alike and are hard to follow along with. Be concise and to the point! A 5 minute song or dance is way too long. 


    9. Instagram Specific Advice

    Instagram can be a bit difficult to work with—or at least to understand. Make sure that you have a link in your bio and that link directly correlates with what you are promoting at the time. Typing out URLs in the text of a post is NOT a good idea because followers cannot click on and follow that link. Always make sure your “link in bio” is up to date! Also, IGTV is not editable. Proofread your caption/description and title before you hit post! There’s no going back unless you delete and re-post.


    10. A Final Word to Camp Folks

    Take a shower before you go on camera. Look clean and neat. If you're like me and you're living at camp during a pandemic, your day-to-day vibe may not be camera-ready. Have some fun showing off your collection of camp t-shirts or other fun “you” accessories. Plan ahead so your outfit will work well with your background. Put your best foot forward as you do the most that you can to help camp reach as many people as it can.


    If you’re interested in checking out what Camp Alta Mons did this summer, head on over to www.altamons.org/camp--home to see all of our online content and the details of our Camp @ Home Box delivery!



    Meredith Simmons is the Program Director at Camp Alta Mons in southwest Virginia. Meredith graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in physics, which we're sure has deeply guided her work at camp. She enjoys the natural beauty and hiking opportunities of living onsite. An avid hiker, backpacker, and Girl Scout, Meredith hopes to one day thru hike the entire Appalachian Trail. Like many of us in 2020, she's learned a lot of tech skills the hard way. 


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