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  • 08 Oct 2020 11:40 AM | Jen Burch (Administrator)


    The past eight years (has it really been that long!?) since the launch of the UMCRM Association have flown by, pandemic time notwithstanding! It’s more difficult to see through “Covid lenses” a time when the biggest threats to camping ministries and our United Methodist camp and retreat community were the possible elimination of the camp staff position by Discipleship Ministries and the actions of a divided General Conference.


    From Event to Association

    I began my service on the board as the association was launched. Initially under the leadership of Jack Shitama, and followed by Kelly Peterson-Cruse and me, the board has spent the last eight years transforming an organization established in 1991 as the National Camp and Retreat Committee, Inc. (NCRC). The incorporation of the NCRC was pursued by active volunteers who had been working together since 1976. The NCRC’s original purpose was to plan and implement a national event every two years. Over the years that work expanded as passionate board members saw and addressed ministry needs in coordination with the camp staff person at Discipleship Ministries. The NCRC board has functioned as a management board, volunteering to implement programs on behalf of United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries across the country.


    The move to reorganize as an association was a natural evolution acknowledging, 1) the expanding and essential work that had been done for years, and 2) the possible elimination of Discipleship Ministries staff support for that work. It was a prescient decision by those board members who preceded us, especially former chairs Mike Huber and Jack Shitama, and I/we owe them a debt of gratitude. The volunteer board, operating out of a management model, expanded its scope of work, recruiting and coordinating the vast talents of the new membership association to broaden the impact of the organization. As our mission says, we sought to “resource, advocate, inspire, and network,” to “RAIN,” on behalf of camp and retreat ministries. And though we began doing completely different work, we believed there was no need for structural change for NCRC, Inc. We assumed that with a change of name to UMCRM, a couple of bylaws tweaks, and some new policies and procedures, the board could continue its new work.


    That assumption changed in the winter of 2019 as we were invited to submit a grant request to a family foundation for funding a full-time director for the Association. In truth, we began to feel the challenges of the decentralized nature of the recruitment and nomination process of jurisdictional elections as early as the departure of Ian Hall, our Treasurer, years before, when we realized we had no one on the board with the skill set to replace him. At-large positions allowed us to recruit for expertise, and we found ourselves able to operate fairly well, even though our desire for expanded operation continually outstripped our ability as a management board to ever feel “on top of things.” But as we anticipated the funding to be able to hire our first full-time Director, we realized that the board would have to change from its management model or risk falling into micromanagement and conflict. 


    “Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”Matthew 9:17 NRSV


    A New Model of Governance, and a New Structure to Support It

    For the sake of clarity of responsibility, authority, and accountability – for ourselves as a board and for the Association Director we planned to recruit and hire – we decided to adopt a model of board policy governance. Knowing that we would always have members who would bring vision to the board table, we made the decision not to follow Carver-style policy governance strictly. Instead, in addition to developing policies to guide both board and staff operations, a la Carver, we chose to retain authority with the board to set “strategic direction” (but not strategy - this is an interesting and intentional choice, call me if you’d like to know more!) in partnership with the Director, and to delegate authority for finalizing and implementing strategic plans to the Director. This clear delineation of authority and responsibility would allow for the board to focus solely on the association’s governance and visioning work, and for the Director to assume responsibility for moving the association in the direction of vision set by the board.


    We decided to include additional funding in our grant request for the director’s salary that would enable us to hire a nonprofit lawyer to manage the name change process for us. The lawyer advised us that the prospect of successfully acquiring a separate letter of determination from the IRS would be difficult for several reasons, including: the change of the nature of the organization from a committee to an association, the NCRC's previous inclusion under the UMC IRS letter of determination, and our desire to move the new organization to a less-restrictive state. He suggested that we establish a new non-profit organization with the UMCRM name and then apply with the IRS, simplifying the process and making the case for the IRS more compelling. We decided to go that route. While we were at it, we streamlined the bylaws and established governance policies to reset the structure and operations of the board.


    The New Structure, a Lot Like the Old Structure

    The most significant structural change is the number of board members. We’ve reduced the size of the board membership range from 15-17 down to 8-12. The move from full day-to-day operational management by the board to a staff-led organization governed by a policy board has allowed us to downsize, and we were further motivated by travel and meeting cost savings of thousands of dollars per year. In addition, though the board is authorized by its bylaws to establish committees, it currently has no plans or needs to do so. The operational volunteer committees that previously worked for the board (Education, Development, Membership, and the Event Design Team) will work for the association under the supervision of the Association Director. Streamlined board governance frees up more volunteer time and talent to accomplish the association’s many projects and initiatives.


    While reviewing our bylaws, we learned from our attorney that while as an association we have “association members,” that the NCRC, Inc. was not organized as a “membership corporation.” So our annual meetings of the association to vote to set budgets, to elect board members, and other official board business were held without legal standing. They weren’t illegal, they just weren’t necessary to accomplish organizational goals. Running an organization with “members of the corporation” and ensuring that membership status, quora, and proxies were in place would add a layer of complexity unintended by this or any board. The new UMCRM, Inc. has been organized as a nonprofit corporation “without members,” even though we are a membership Association. It is the responsibility of the board to represent the fiduciary and missional interests of its owners and membership.



    So, What Does This Actually Mean?

    The board and staff are working hard to ensure that the transition to the new UMCRM, Inc. corporation goes smoothly enough to be unnoticed by our association membership. I want to list some of the more important and interesting implications of our organizational changes below. If unanswered questions remain, I invite you to contact me at russell.davis@umcrm.org, or to contact any of our board of directors.


    Transition Process

    • UMCRM, Inc. is established and currently inactive
      • We received our separate IRS 501c3 status this summer!
      • Its initial board members and officers are the same as our current board for NCRC, Inc.
    • The Association will continue to operate as we have been as NCRC, Inc. through the end of the year
      • NCRC, Inc. will be dissolved effective 12/31/20
      • All NCRC assets, contracts, and records to be transferred to UMCRM, Inc. effective 1/1/21
      • Closing by year’s end will ensure that our 2020 990 filing can be NCRC, Inc.’s last
    • UMCRM, Inc. will have its inaugural annual meeting (the board meeting at which it elects officers) on January 7th, 2021

    Board Membership and Nominations

    As we pursued the goal of a smaller, more nimble board of directors, we sought to honor, to the greatest extent possible, the 

    nominations of jurisdictional representative board members, the established operational and communication expectations of 

    the association, and the service of all board members. Once we began meeting again in September, post Covid summer, we realized that we have neglected to reevaluate the nomination process for our at-large membership. That work is underway, with the goal of establishing a recruitment and nominating process that is transparent and external to the board for use this fall as needed.


    Our current board of directors and officers for NCRC, Inc. is listed below. They are also the initial board for UMCRM, Inc. as it begins operations on 1/1/21.


    Current NCRC, Inc. Board

    Abi Fuesler At-Large Class of 2020 1st Term

    Russell Davis SEJ Class of 2021    2nd Term

    Brant Henshaw At-Large Class of 2021 1st Term

    Cat Holbert WJ Class of 2021 2nd Term

    Jody Oates NCJ Class of 2021 1st Term

    Sam Richardson NEJ Class of 2021 1st Term

    Sharon Godbolt At-Large Class of 2022 2nd Term

    Jeff Parsons NCJ Class of 2022 1st Term

    Ron Bartlow WJ Class of 2023 1st Term

    Sarah Ratz SEJ Class of 2023 2nd Term

    Arthur Spriggs At-Large Class of 2023 2nd Term

    Joel Wilke SCJ Class of 2023 2nd Term


    Initial/Current UMCRM, Inc. Board (named in 1023 filing)

    Abi Fuesler -- Director 

    Russell Davis - Director 

    Brant Henshaw – Director

    Cat Holbert -- Director

    Jody Oates -- Director 

    Sam Richardson -- Director 

    Sharon Godbolt -- Director

    Jeff Parsons -- Director 

    Ron Bartlow - Director 

    Sarah Ratz - Director 

    Arthur Spriggs -- Director

    Joel Wilke – Director 

    Initial/Current UMCRM, Inc. Officers (named in 1023 filing)

    Russell Davis - Chair

    Ron Bartlow - Vice Chair

    Sarah Ratz - Secretary

    Brant Henshaw - Treasurer

    Jessica Gamache - Executive Director


    • Board size range defined by bylaws changes from 10-15 to 8-12.
    • The reduction in board size has happened with natural attrition and board members’ decisions not to pursue additional terms of service.
    • Members completing their terms of service in January will bring the board into compliance with the single “elected” representative per jurisdiction as proscribed by the NCRC bylaws amended in January of 2019. (Those bylaws also prevented the early termination of “elected” jurisdictional reps, leading to the short-term non-compliance with a specific provision of the NCRC bylaws.) The revised UMCRM, Inc. bylaws maintain representation of the “historic” UM jurisdictions by one board member each. The maximum number of at-large positions allowed is reduced from 10 to 7, with the minimum number reduced from 5 to 3.
    • The revelation by our lawyer that our jurisdictions have no authority under either the old or new bylaws to elect members of the board leaves us with undefined nominations processes for both Regular and At-Large board members. The board is currently at work defining new processes for both types of board members that will be transparent and handled by a group external to the board.
    • The board is committed to the pursuit of diversity in its membership. By its nature, a governance board represents the interests of the association’s “moral ownership” (those whose interests are served by the association). Board members, therefore, do not “represent” any region (jurisdiction) or subgroup. But the unique experiences, perspectives, and understanding each board member brings to the work of governance enables their decisions to better serve the association, making diversity a critical priority, both in board membership and across all the volunteer work of the association.

    In Closing

    As previously mentioned, we anticipate that most of these changes will be enacted without being noticed by the association membership. In large part, that’s the motivation for my writing this blog. So many changes have occurred in recent years in the way our association operates, always with a view to serving our mission effectively and sustainably. In a little over a month we’ll celebrate the one-year anniversary of our Association Director! One big change we’re introducing this fall is Association membership for everyone in United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries, abandoning membership dues for what we hope is generous donated support from all of us. 


    This collection of board-related structural and operational changes all in one spot is for your convenience, explained as fully as your attention might allow(!?), and offered with invitation of your comments and questions to ensure understanding. Please feel free to contact me at russell.davis@umcrm.org.



    With gratitude for the opportunity to serve you,




    C. Russell Davis, Chairperson

    UMCRM Association Board of Directors



  • 23 Sep 2020 12:21 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)


    Many in the UMCRM community are familiar with Michelle Cummings and her fun and innovative facilitation style. Whether you are a seasoned team-builder, experiential teacher/learner and game leader or someone newer to the field, time spent with "Big Wheel" Michelle Cummings will energize you with new ideas and fresh skills. 


    As founder of Training Wheels and co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Personify Leadership, Michelle is a well-known expert in the Team Development industry. She is an accomplished author and sought-after speaker on leadership, team-building, and experiential learning. Michelle's wide variety of facilitation tools and activities have collectively changed the way trainers and educators work.


    Cummings holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Kansas State University and a Master's in Experiential Education from Minnesota State University at Mankato. She lives in Littleton, Colorado with her husband, Paul, and two sons. In a non-COVID year Michelle travels extensively to deliver innovate programs for camps and nonprofits, and to train professional associations, corporations, universities, and more. 


    Register today for the "Be Whole, Live Well, Come Together" event series, and be sure to attend the first one on October 21st when we will hear from Michelle Cummings.

  • 09 Sep 2020 12:46 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)

    We are in the middle of a time where some togetherness is exactly what we need.

    As camp and retreat leaders, we thrive off of what we do best: cultivating

    community and spaces set apart for people to grow.

    UMCRM has created a virtual Bridge Event to do just that.

     

    This is a call to all camp and retreat leaders who are craving community.

    This Bridge Event is specifically designed for our fellow camp folks to be whole, live well, and ultimately come together.


    A group of UMCRM volunteers has worked to put together a monthly virtual event series for any and all camp/retreat leaders who are interested in joining. These four events align with each other, offering different keynote speakers, worship leaders, and workshops for each event.

     

    When will the monthly events take place?

    The Bridge Event will include four virtual events held on Wednesdays, October 21st, November 18th, January 20th, and February 17th. Participants will be able to tune in from the comfort of home, office, or personal space. Different sessions will be available at several times throughout the day.


    General Schedule: (times shown in Eastern Standard Time)

    7:00am    Morning Devotion (recorded for later viewing)

    12:00       Vendor Hall Open

    2:00pm    Workshops (up to 1.5 hrs)

    3:00          Vendor Hall Open

    4:00pm     Special Guest Speaker, Breakout Sessions following

    7:30          Evening Worship (later watch parties in various time zones)

     

    How much will this cost?

    The cost per participant is just $60 for the whole series. This includes all four virtual events and access to recordings of each event. There will also be a virtual vendor hall to connect with UMCRM-friendly businesses and services. Wait, there's more! Registrants will also receive worship boxes by mail, available while supplies last. Times are financially hard right now, so in order to ensure that everyone is able to attend, scholarships are available upon request. Even if you missed a previous event, register now to get access --it's still a great deal.

     

    What is the worship box?

    While supplies last, registrants will be mailed a box of materials curated by our leadership team. These hand-selected items are meant to inspire you to create your own sacred space to worship during our virtual events. Share your inspirations by posting a photo of your worship space using the hashtags #umcrm and #UMCRMtogether on social media.


    Where will these events happen?

    Our leadership team has created the events within PheedLoop, a virtual conference platform. This platform will allow us to offer a virtual vendor hall, keynote speakers to broadcast their presentations, worship leaders to share, and workshops to happen. Once you register, you will receive more details on accessing the events, including a "what to expect" video. 

     

    What if a participant is only able to attend some of the events and not all four?

    Recordings of each session will be made available to all registrants. The registration fee is the same whether you register in September or in February, because it includes all-access to the 4 events. However, we hope community members will be able to join in person as much as possible --the networking chat feature, live Zooms, and lunch table conversations really help it feel like we are together in person. Come as you are and join live as you're able!



    Still have questions? Drop us a line at bridge.event@umcrm.org


    Register now!



  • 04 Sep 2020 4:09 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)



    Committed, adaptable, creative, faithful, hardworking, generous, compassionate. The staff and volunteers of United Methodist Camp/Retreat Ministries (UMCRM) demonstrate so many of the qualities that define effective leaders. This season, those attributes were tested in familiar ways and new ones that stretched even the most resilient among us.


    Of the nearly 170 United Methodist Camp/Retreat Ministries in the United States that offer summer camps, the majority (about 90%) did not offer traditional summer camp for the 2020 season.1 Directors, Executives, and boards of directors led painstaking decision-making processes which took into account guidance from the American Camp Association, CDC, and Association of Camp Nurses, local pandemic regulations and conditions, church and organizational values, priorities and finances, and site and staffing concerns, all filtered through prayer.


    Even while sacrificing the service, fun, engagement, and revenue that are part of summer camp, many camp/retreat site staff and volunteers were able to keep on in ministry, sharing God’s good news of love and actively serving as hands and feet of Christ in new ways in their communities. Some offered virtual camp experiences online and through Camp-In-A-Box activities campers could experience from home.2 Some welcomed small family retreats to the holy grounds of camp to provide respite, connection, and experiences of God’s creation.3 Some utilized commercial kitchens to cook for hungry neighbors.4 A few sites created monastic residential communities with young adults exploring their faith and call.5 Others repurposed camp/retreat buildings as quarantine housing6 or distribution sites for food and supplies. Some were able to offer short-term day visits to help people find renewal through safely-distanced hiking, fishing, swimming, horse riding, or service projects. Many reached out to support families and children who needed to remember someone cares about them.


    The few (about 12) UMCRM sites that were able to offer residential camp in the 2020 summer season did so with trepidation, thoughtfulness, and humility. In a recent UMCRM Community Conversation, several leaders from around the country shared trials, joys, and lessons learned from summer 2020. All of the UMCRM sites that operated this season took a rigorous, layered approach to COVID-19 safety protocols, including low-contact camper drop-off and pickup, increased cleaning and sanitizing of spaces and equipment, dividing campers and staff into discrete and non-mixing “cohort” small groups, daily health screening, decreased capacity and time in indoor spaces to allow for physical distancing, wearing masks, increased hand-washing, eliminating off-site activities, and adapting food service systems. This summer season demanded new inventions like creative hand-washing stations and adapted games that incorporated physical distancing. Staff created new practices, new forms, new communication and record-keeping strategies, new systems for managing the flow of people in our spaces. Counselors became experts in managing masks and hand sanitizer in addition to the usual sunscreen, appropriate footwear, and bug spray.


    Some of the COVID guidance provided to camps changed as the summer progressed, so resilient leaders worked hard to stay abreast of local regulations on practices like mask-wearing and group sizes, sometimes needing to adapt operations in the middle of a session. Communication with camper families before, during, and after camp felt graver, less light-hearted than it usually would. A few Directors noted that even our youngest campers were remarkably adaptive and resilient with all the new rules and changes. Families were even more grateful than usual for their children to be able to experience camp and were supportive of all the measures our camps put in place to make it work.


    One unexpected blessing that Directors reported from this strange summer was a marked decrease (and even absence) of the usual illnesses and injuries. Maybe everyone was just that much more careful this year? Maybe all of that hand-washing really does make a big difference to our health?!


    Perhaps it should come as no surprise that camp, in its simplest form, still works. Even stripped of fancy off-site trips, guest speakers, specialty programs, and other bells and whistles, building community and having fun in a “sacred place apart”7 are truly the core of the camp experience. For young people who spent much of the spring and early summer quarantined at home with limited social interaction, time at camp this season felt like an especially welcome joy and adventure. For those who spent way too many hours inside in front of screens, a week of fresh-air activity in a slice of God’s beautiful Creation was especially sweet. When church and youth group activities had become virtual or nonexistent as a result of the pandemic, relevant Christian faith formation among a small group of peers was more needed than ever. For the thousands of campers who missed out on United Methodist summer camp in 2020, our ministry leaders missed you terribly, and they are hard at work to find ways to provide camp and retreat experiences for you just as soon as we can do that safely.


    Leading summer camp in a “normal” season always involves late nights, early mornings, surprises, challenges, lots of preparation and stress. Those features were multiplied many-fold in this pandemic summer, and the relief and gratitude for a successful camp season cannot be overstated. When asked whether, if they could go back and decide again whether to hold summer camp, the majority of our Directors who ran camp said a resounding “yes.” They said “yes,” even knowing the financial strain of operating with limited capacity, “yes,” fully aware of the extra work and rigor and sleepless nights that were part of leadership in a COVID summer. Camp staff and volunteers do what they do because they believe in the power of the camp experience to live out God’s love for every child, to be places of safety, fun, learning, acceptance, challenge, and joy. Both those leaders who operated summer camps this season and those whose wisest choice was to remain closed, were guided by those commitments.


    Many donors who contribute to Camp/Retreat Ministries have witnessed the power of camp and are committed to making sure those experiences are still around for future generations of children, youth, and families. In places where camps remained closed in 2020, many families who could afford to donate a portion of their registration fees generously gave back to support their camp through the financial loss of the summer season. Donors have stepped up to help these vital ministries to weather this unprecedented year when camp and retreats are not able to offer our usual programming and host the groups that sustain our operations. We salute the wonderful supporters of United Methodist Camp & Retreat Ministries who give time, talent, treasure, and prayer to sustain these sacred places and their dedicated staff. If you have not had the opportunity to give to your favorite camp this season, please reach out to see what their current needs are and how you can help.


    The UMCRM Association brings our nationwide community together to be a resource and advocate for those amazing staff and the generous volunteer deans, board members, and others who support their ministries. Together we are learning how to serve in the midst of a pandemic, mitigating risk and caring for God’s people and sacred grounds to the best of our abilities. If you would like to join the Association or support our mission, find us at UMCRM.org.


    1  Based on estimates by the UMCRM Association.

    2  Camp in the Community, TN Doorstep deliveries: 1,400 kids experience church camp at home and Camp Alta Mons, VA Montgomery County camp finds way to send camp experience home are just two examples of UMCRM camps that used this model.

    3  Camp Wanake, OH Wanake Camp & Retreat Center and Buckhorn Camp, CO Summer Family Camping were among the sites that provided experiences for small family groups. 

    4  Camp Magruder, OR is one example: https://www.facebook.com/104908182943341/videos/273571057177382/

    5  Two examples are “YAISC” at Camp Wrightwood, CA Young Adult Intentional Spiritual Community (YAISC) and the intern program at Camp Dickenson (VA) Summer Interns ​2020

    6  See Alton L. Collins Center (OR) Eagle Creek facility gives COVID-19 patients space to quarantine

    One of the “7 Foundations of Camp & Retreat Ministry”: http://umcrm.camp/about-us/7-foundations/





    Jen Burch (M.Div.) is Association Administrator for UMCRM and edits weekly S'more Mail e-news. Jen is a former Director of several United Methodist Camp/Retreat Centers and youth-serving nonprofit organizations. She's staying physically-distanced but virtually connected from her home in Colorado.

  • 26 Aug 2020 7:55 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)


    “Mecan has been an excellent youth leader in GNJ, leading a growing, successful youth retreat ministry in the local church. Mecan has the passion and energy to bring people together which she balances with the administrative gifts to bring projects from vision to completion. We are in a season of great opportunity to rebuild camping and retreat ministries and I’m thrilled that she will be taking the lead.” 

     – Eric Drew, Executive Director, Next Generation Ministries of the Greater New Jersey Conference

    Mecan (pronounced Mc-Can) Payne and her husband Corbin have been serving in ministry together since the moment they met in college, and they can’t imagine their journey taking any other direction. They have one rambunctious toddler and two crazy pups that keep them on their toes 24/7. Mecan and Corbin are both often described as coming in “like a wrecking ball;” they are passionate and very energetic in their calling to ministry!


    Mecan’s passion for empowering younger generations has led to the creation and growth of multiple youth and young adult programs in several local churches in the Greater New Jersey Conference. Mecan holds a degree in Youth Ministry, with concentrations in Psychology and Theology, from Eastern University. Her experience in developing programs, leaders, and powerful worship experiences has led her to a new role as Camp Program Director at The Pinelands Center in Browns Mills, NJ. Mecan is excited to reach children, youth and their families through the ministry of camping and is soaking in every moment, lesson and resource that relates to her new position.


    When not serving in ministry, Mecan enjoys spending time outside with her family, drinking hand-crafted coffee, reading true crime books and teaching Christian yoga.


    Ryan Clements, Youth & Camping Ministry Coordinator, writes, "We're excited to have Mecan on board and to represent GNJ camping. Together with [Camp Operations Director] Ed Figueroa, we feel that camping and retreats in GNJ are in good hands."


    Welcome to UMCRM, Mecan!


  • 12 Aug 2020 3:27 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)




    Across the UMCRM community, we share a drive to grow and learn. Take your leadership to the next level by tapping into a supportive network of like-minded colleagues and friends. The 2020-2021 season of UMCRM Intentional Leadership Groups (ILGs) will focus on finding inspiration and progress through connection with others who are seeking to grow in similar areas. This year, ILGs will meet as open discussion cohorts; convened by an individual but guided by the group as a whole. Each ILG cohort will meet once a month for 9 months; September through May.


    In a time of constant change, when adaptive leadership is utilized every day, this model of open discussion cohorts will allow you and your group to discuss the topics that are relevant to you. Two cohorts are currently open for you to join:

    • Retreat Center Directors’ Connection

      • First Thursdays of the month at 1pm ET / 10am PT (starting September 3rd)

      • Convened by Lawrence Jay from Rolling Ridge Retreat Center, this cohort will discuss topics and issues impacting leaders at retreat centers. If you lead a year-round retreat center and/or would like to strengthen your retreat ministry, this group is what you are looking for.

      • Sign up for the Retreat Center Directors’ Connection cohort


    • Camp & Retreat Fundraisers

      • Second Thursdays of the month at 1pm eastern / 10am pacific (starting September 10th)

      • Convened by Jennie Dickerson from Lakeshore Camp, this cohort will spend time sharing ideas and resources aimed at ensuring our ministries remain as fiscally solvent as possible. We will be stronger and more creative together for our own ministries while also identifying ways to help our neighbors who do not have existing fundraising programs.

      • Sign up for the Camp & Retreat Fundraisers cohort


    Are you interested in spending intentional time each month with others who are interested in the same area of leadership growth as you?

    Suggest a cohort theme and/or mark your interest through this form.



  • 29 Jul 2020 6:46 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)

    1. Look online at your conference or camp welcome statement (or lack thereof). Is it very clear that you welcome staff, campers, and guests with disabilities?


    2. Look at your employment materials. Does the non-discrimination clause include disability?


    3. Look at your job descriptions and application forms. Do they describe each position in terms of the core skills that are needed? For example, a lifeguard needs to be able to get quickly to the water, swim well, and have the strength to pull someone to safety, and to be able to communicate clearly to remind, warn and to organize a rescue, but someone at the camp office needs a different set of skills, as does someone working in housekeeping. It makes the most sense to mention potential barriers (e.g., rough terrain) and let the applicant explain how their needs could be accommodated.


    4. Look at your staff training. Is disability considered a part of diversity training, not something that you do for others with "special needs"? Consider ways to be inclusive of those who may have invisible disabilities.


    5. If you address disability, do you have a person with a disability (better yet a youth and an adult with a disability) do the training?  (Would you rely on a Caucasian to do anti-racism training?) Note that disability simulations have not been considered a good thing for many years and should be avoided. 


    6. Look at your facilities and physical accessibility. Is it evident that each time you undertake a project you plan for and incorporate accessibility whenever at all feasible, especially with structures? Do your long-range plans include accessibility?  




    Special thanks to Lynn Swedberg for these suggestions! Lynn is an occupational therapist and UMC Deaconess. She serves as liaison for and consultant to the DisAbility Ministries Committee of the United Methodist Church. Lynn has consulted with many UMCRM sites and is an amazing resource for us all. 

  • 17 Jun 2020 5:11 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)




    I can’t blame my board member for jinxing it, but in early March, with fears of COVID-19 growing and rumblings of group cancellations, she predicted that the situation would worsen quickly, and within a week, our onsite operations at Rolling Ridge Retreat and Conference Center were closed by order of Governor Baker of Massachusetts.


    For our facility, and probably for yours also, the past three months have been a rollercoaster with the ups and downs of the PPP loan adding to the adventure.  Because of the fluidity of information and delays from our bank, we missed funding from the first round. When our loan was finally approved in the second round, I still wasn’t sure how we would be able to spend 75% of the money on payroll in an 8-week period with our facilities closed and the majority of our staff on furlough and transitioned to unemployment.


    While I listened to countless webinars on PPP, none addressed the concerns I had as a retreat center director. I reached out to Horizons Stewardship and began to raise the issues that I was hearing from others in camping ministry who were also questioning how to maximize the PPP loan with summer camps looking to be cancelled. After an online meeting, they agreed to offer a webinar on PPP loan specifically addressing the needs of those in camping and retreat ministry.  


    Between the time of our initial conversation in mid-May and the date of the webinar on June 3, 2020, restrictions on PPP loan forgiveness were changing as the House had just passed amendments which were going to the Senate.  Thankfully, the proposals would benefit camping and retreat ministries.


    The full presentation with Ted Batson and Stan Reiff of CapinCrouse, and Joe Parks and Rhodes Logan from Horizons Stewardship, can be found here.


    The primary changes in the new law H.R. 7010, The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 simplify the PPP loan forgiveness process and greatly increase the parameters of the forgiveness: 

    1. Extension from eight weeks to 24 weeks for capturing forgivable PPP loan expenses. 

    2. Relaxation of staff headcount because of restrictions or reduction in business so unable to bring staffing back to pre-pandemic levels. 

    3. Reduction of  the SBA’s 75% payroll cost requirement with a new statutory 60% payroll cost requirement.

    4. Extension of the time to rehire workers from June 30, 2020 to December 31, 2020.

    With the reduction of payroll costs from 75% to 60%, forgiveness is now "all-or- nothing," but the extension to 24 weeks makes forgiveness more realistic for camp ministry sites. For seasonal camps with no summer staff in 2020, the suggestion is to first calculate forgivable payroll costs, and if 60% is not reached, consider bringing on staff in new temporary roles (i.e., donor development). The key principle in whether a site should bring back staff is to balance the needs of the camp with the needs of employee.


    While the 60% for payroll is non-negotiable, the remaining 40% of the loan provides camps and retreats the opportunity to invest in the future through proper cash management in either full forgiveness, pending expenses for utilities, mortgage, et al, or as a low-interest loan.  


    Because the rules of engagement for PPP have changed with reduced payroll over an extended period, more options emerge from a stewardship perspective for the 40%. For many of our sites, recovery will take more than a year. It is important for us as ministry leaders to keep our eyes on the big picture as we make wise decisions, while remembering, as Stan Reiff says in the video, “Our dependency is not on the PPP loan, but on God, who gives us enough for what we need.”  


    With the PPP situation still fluid, it is important to stay dialed in with the latest updates. Keep in touch with your bank, as they are the ones who will determine whether your expenses are forgiven. Most importantly, fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, and our constant companion on this rollercoaster ride.




    Rev. Dr. Lawrence Jay is the Executive Director of Rolling Ridge Retreat and Conference Center, one of four CRM sites of the New England Annual Conference. An ordained American Baptist pastor, he has been involved with camping and retreat ministries in both California and Massachusetts since 2006.


  • 17 Jun 2020 4:17 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)


    Sadness, excitement, fear, relief, anticipation, anxiety, hope … these are all emotions that camp and retreat leaders have expressed when I’ve asked them, “How are you feeling about making the hard decision to not hold traditional summer camp this year?” Many expressed the surrealness of feeling all these emotions at the same time. As I’ve interacted with United Methodist camp/retreat ministry staff over the past three months, the feeling that I have had most often is the feeling of inspiration. I am inspired by the tireless efforts camp leaders put into the decision-making process. I am inspired by the outpouring of support from our camper families, volunteers, and donors toward our ministries that have needed to cancel or modify summer camp. I am inspired by the way our community of United Methodist camp and retreat leaders have come together to support one another. And most of all, I am inspired by the way all of our summer camps have gotten creative in providing ministry experiences this year. 


    UMCRM member ministries are learning new ways to provide clean/safe spaces. They are spending weeks preparing and shipping “Camp in a Box” materials. They are figuring out how to implement cohort camping and recording videos for virtual camp experiences. They are reaching out to serve their communities with meals, masks, and other symbols of Christ’s love. The creativity and adaptive leadership on display inspire wonder at the quality leaders that God has called into camp and retreat ministry. 


    During these past several months, every Director, Board member, and staff member worked hard to gather, synthesize, and interpret information for their context. We leaned into our mission and calling, weighed risk, agonized over contingencies and outcomes, and prayed for guidance. No matter where we landed in our decision-making about Summer 2020, none of us are alone in those decisions.


    Of the 170 UMCRM ministries that were anticipating a 2020 summer camp season, we have learned  that: 

    • 139 have canceled traditional summer camp programming

    • 19 have modified or shortened traditional summer camp programming 

    • 6 are planning to hold a full traditional summer camp program, 

    • 2 sites have decided to suspend their operations indefinitely 

    Each and every decision made during these months required courage. God called us into unfamiliar territory, and our UMCRM community members stepped up to the challenge. As the journey continues, the call for courageous leadership remains. The road ahead will bring with it additional challenges and hard decisions. We will continue to feel sadness, excitement, fear, relief, anticipation, anxiety, and hope; perhaps all at the same time. Whatever lies ahead of us, I feel confident that our community will continue to inspire and lift up each other as we journey together. The UMCRM Association will be here to help share resources, show up for one another, and pool our collective courage and creative energy for the benefit of all.



  • 16 Jun 2020 2:37 PM | Jen Burch (Administrator)

     

    Leadership can be challenging and sometimes lonely, even during the easiest of times. That is why the National Gathering of United Methodist Camp & Retreat Leaders is so vital to so many of us. In January of this year, the Design Team met at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado to begin putting together a gathering that would help all of us elevate the ministries we steward. The team began lining up some amazing speakers, workshops, worship experiences, and a vendor party to top all vendor parties. Then Covid-19 hit.


    As the weeks turned into months, we still held onto a glimmer of hope that we might be able to find a path to host our planned January 2021 event. Over the past several weeks, a task force was formed to explore the various options available to us. Ultimately, the UMCRM Association Board unanimously accepted the recommendation to postpone our National Gathering until 2022. The postponement also brings with it the need to relocate where we gather. We will share more details of the 2022 Gathering with you as they develop.


    While we have pushed pause on gathering together as a full UMCRM community for nineteen months, it is “pause” and not “stop.” Even as you read this, a team of volunteers is being formed to explore new and innovative ways to meet your needs for education and networking over the coming year. We can’t wait to see where the Spirit will lead us!


    Kim Bell & Matt Williams, National Gathering Co-chairs



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