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)