This week we feature 5 more projects funded by the 2022 Ministry Impact Grants. Eighty-six United Methodist camp/retreat ministry projects from around the United States received a total of nearly $2.5 million in grants from a private foundation. The impacts will continue to ripple out as those ministries steward the gifts for future sustainability.
View the full 2022 Ministry Impact Report
We continue to celebrate the vision, hope, and expanded ministry reach represented in these project reports over the coming weeks and months.
Cal-Pac Annual Conference, Retreat Visioning Launch
The California-Pacific Annual Conference of the UMC used its grant funding to establish vision, goals and a plan for Retreat Ministry in the conference. Four pilot retreats were offered in four of the Cal-Pac districts, along with a retreat for the Visioning Team, which collected extensive evaluative data. Two day retreats for children and youth, referred to as “Camp on the Go,” were offered at two local congregations, facilitated by young adult interns. A new website was launched to promote spiritual retreats, and current and future retreat sites within the conference were assessed. The team eagerly shared the new Retreat Ministry Vision: To offer a banquet of spiritual nourishment with retreat ministry offerings to any person in CalPac who is experiencing a spiritual hunger. And the Mission Statement: To encourage and equip people within the CalPac Conference to retreat from the world into sacred space to connect with God and find balance, returning to the world renewed.
Chestnut Ridge (NC), Dining Hall Expansion
Chestnut Ridge was able to enclose the patio of the dining hall to provide 1100 square feet of additional dining and meeting space. This grant award inspired other major gifts and strengthened the overall donor base. The additional space positions the ministry well for future growth, enabling a greater capacity for future generations to reconnect with God, nature, and one another through the camp experience.
Camp Horizon (KS), Septic Consultation
Horizon hired a sanitation consultant to review the camp's existing
waste treatment facilities and provide recommendations for expansion and
replacement. This much-needed work would not be appealing to many donors, so it was especially wonderful to have support from the grant. The information gained will guide future facilities planning and long-term sustainability for the ministry.
Camp Mechuwana (ME), Art Center Construction
Camp Mechuwana's plan to become a more sustainable facility included replacement of its “summer-only” Art Center with a facility that would accommodate multiple year-round uses, enabling expansion of the art program and use by second-season guest groups and the local community. The grant funded phase one of the building project, including
architect design, permitting, earth/groundwork; foundation, roofing, insulation, and new electrical service. This momentum galvanized new and existing donors and partners, moving the ministry from "Covid survival mode" into new vision for the future.
Lake Junaluska (NC), Confirmation Retreats
Grant funding enabled Lake Junaluska Youth Programming to develop and deliver a 3-day confirmation retreat for 75 Southeast Jurisdiction youth, including marketing, band, speakers, materials, and planning. The revenue from the event will be re-invested in future Confirmation Retreat weekends. The Confirmation Retreat celebrates and honors the step into faith at the completion of the confirmation journey. Youth engage with scripture, testimony, United Methodist history, and the goals is to send them forth encouraged, empowered, and connected with their fellow confirmands. Prior to the pandemic, confirmation retreats were led by an outside organization. This investment will allow Lake Junaluska to meet this programmatic need in-house and carry it forward with a broader reach for future generations.
Watch the blog for more of these in the coming weeks and months.
It's going to take a while to share all of the Ministry Impact projects!
