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By now you’ve likely heard the good news that UMCRM is hiring its first Director! This is something our camp and retreat ministries family has dreamed of since beginning the association five years ago. And now we’re looking for the very best candidate to lead UMCRM into the future of its support of our camp and retreat ministries. You can help to spread the word of this opportunity by sharing this Director Profile.

Your UMCRM Board wants this search and hiring process to be as transparent as possible. To that end, I’d like to share with you more about the grant funding, the search process, the search task force, and the qualities we’re looking for in a Director for the association.

The Grant - Funding for this position comes from a grant given by a Foundation that values children, the outdoors, and United Methodist ministries. The Foundation wishes to be unknown in its giving. This is a five-year commitment that will fund the Director’s salary, benefits, travel, and office expenses. Those expenses will be fully funded for three full years, after which funding will reduce to two-thirds in the fourth and one-third in the fifth and final year. This unbelievable generosity and faith in our association will give us the opportunity to establish ourselves more fully and to develop funding to continue the position into the future. The board is deeply grateful to the donor!

The Process - The UMCRM Board has set a search and hiring timeline that includes an application deadline of August 15th and a projected start date of November 1st for the new Director. The position has been advertised broadly: in our own S’more Mail, through the communicators of each annual conference, through the communications of our sibling associations of the Outdoor Ministries Connection, and through three non-profit job sites: Indeed, Work for Good, and The Nonprofit Times. We’d like to leave no stone unturned in our effort to find the best candidate for the position.

The Search Task Force - One of the strengths of UMCRM is the ability to draw on the volunteer expertise of our members. To ensure the transparency of the search and hiring process, the board has recruited a volunteer task force to conduct the search, the interviews, and to recommend a candidate to be hired. This Search Task Force consists of three board members, two members of our association, and one participant with denominational perspective. The group includes clergy and laypeople, a range of ages, and varieties of expertise. Each UMC jurisdiction is represented. The task force is co-convened by an association member and a member of the board. It will receive all resumes and collateral material submitted directly through the email, apply@umcrm.org.

Members of the Search Task Force:

• Todd Bartlett, co-convener - Executive Director of Camp and Retreat Ministry, Oregon-Idaho Conference

• Kim Carter, co-convener - Director, Camp Tanako, Arkansas Conference

• Abi Fuesler - Student, Brevard College Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education

• Mike Selleck - Retired, Director of Connectional Ministries, North Georgia Conference

• Pam Harris - Principal Consultant, Run River Enterprises

• Jody Oates - Principal Consultant, Kaleidoscope, Inc.

Please be in prayer for these volunteers as they serve our association. Their work will be confidential and accomplished as a team. Please do not contact Search Task Force members directly; rather, honor the time and energy they have already committed by submitting your resume directly through apply@umcrm.org and by addressing any clarifying questions about the position to me at russell.davis@umcrm.org.

The Director’s Position - We have never had a Director of our association before. In the absence of a history of the position, it is easy to substitute the faithful performance of those who have served in similar positions. We may recall the way those serving us through Discipleship Ministries performed their duties, or how those in conference staff positions served well, or, perhaps, even the good work of former chairpersons of our association board. Those understandings were definitely where we started as a board in trying to define this new position.

But as we worked, we realized that the person who will best serve UMCRM moving forward won’t be a traditional executive director or consultant-type. We are seeking a leader who will be able to leverage the expertise of our membership by identifying and connecting that expertise to association strategies and initiatives, and by managing association projects to their successful conclusion. The person we hire will certainly have other attributes as well, but this is a core competency. In short, we’re looking for the “Great Go-Between” instead of the “Great Idea Person.” This is language borrowed from 7 Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don't, a research study by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) based on the famous research method used by Jim Collins in the book From Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t. 

Two measures from the ASAE study stand out for UMCRM in our Director search: 1) Dialogue and Engagement and 2) CEO as Broker of Ideas. Each of these measures of successful associations fits with our association’s efforts to develop a culture that engages the expertise of the membership in the work of UMCRM. So the idea of hiring a Director who can help the association function better, rather than being the source of expertise or the one who does all the work, is a core value in our search for the best candidate. 

I hope this is helpful to your understanding of the work of the board these past several months. We want to be transparent in everything we do, but especially as this important work moves forward. As always, I’m available to answer any questions you might have about this exciting time in the life of our association. russell.davis@umcrm.org

May God guide and honor our efforts to support our camp and retreat ministries across the country…

C. Russell Davis, Chairperson

Forming Faith at Camp the Methodist Way: Enthusiastically Square

My poor campers. It happens every morning at camp (and I mean, every morning)... If the risen sun shining through their cabin windows isn’t enough to rouse them, they have to suffer through the indignity of my overly enthusiastic, off-pitch rendition of this little ditty:

“I’m alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic!

I’m alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic!

I’m alive, awake, alert;

I’m alert, awake, alive;

I’m alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic!”

John Wesley would probably roll in his grave if he heard me! Not just due to my performance (which I admit might distress the dead as much as it does sleepy-eyed campers), but in linking him with the word “enthusiastic.”

In Wesley’s day, barely a century removed from the English Reformation and its conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism, the term “enthusiast” had become a negative critique. It was used of certain Protestants whose theology or religious practice was reminiscent of the suspect-to-them mysticism of Catholicism. “Enthusiastic” (from the Greek, “possessed by a god or spirit”) was one of the derogatory terms that followed and frustrated Wesley, used by others to dismiss him and the spiritual revival he led.

Yet here we are today, ministry leaders and volunteers around the nation enthusiastically gearing up for summer camp ministries that will invite participants into a deeper relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Indeed, we are fulfilling part of Wesley’s original vision of his ministry, “to spread scriptural holiness throughout the land” (if we, like him, define “scriptural holiness” as the fulfillment of the great commandment to love God and neighbor). Many of us are enthusiastic for the work, enthusiastic to be responding to the call of God, enthusiastic to be partnering with the Holy Spirit to nurture spiritual formation in people young and old!

In the last decade, my understanding of “enthusiasm” in the religious sphere has become synonymous with appreciation, gratitude, and acknowledgment of the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in my life. As a life-long Methodist, I am part of a holiness tradition that has always taken the Holy Spirit seriously; we believe we are a Spirit-filled people; that God’s presence illuminates and motivates our lives and actions. Today, I would say that we are enthusiastically open to the Spirit’s movement and guidance!

In responding to the movement of God’s Holy Spirit over the centuries, the people called Methodist have formed and followed some particularly sound methods of faith development. In previous blogs, I reflected on our heritage’s emphasis upon holistic faith formation that recognizes the interconnectedness of the spiritual experience. (View “The Third Rule” and “Shoulders & Knees.”) Today I aim to show how, led by the Spirit, we Methodists have developed some distinctive organizational structures for both thought and community.

First, we are a bit "square" when it comes to theological reflection. While faith is more than belief, belief is still an important aspect of one’s faith; one that is nurtured, challenged, and formed throughout our lives. We do not arrive at a mature system of belief – a deeply held interconnection of thoughts on God, Creation, humanity, Scripture, etc. – instantaneously. We reflect upon what we know of God (e.g. “theology,” or knowledge of God). Traditionally, Methodists approach theological reflection with an understanding of four interconnected, mutually dependent resources, what Wesley scholar Albert Outler named the “Wesleyan quadrilateral”: Scripture, tradition, experience, and reason.

Methodists are enthusiastic about this spirit-filled approach to theology. We value the Spirit’s inspiration of Scripture; not only for the Spirit’s presence in the past (during the creation and canonization of the scriptures) but also in the Spirit’s presence in the present as we read and interpret. We look to our own experience of the Spirit, discerning where and how God might be speaking a word to us today. We reflect upon what we can learn from the traditions of the church, recognizing that even the Bible comes to us via tradition. Through it all we integrate our God-given capacity for reason, since God did not give us minds just to check them at the door of faith!

While scholars rightly insist that Scripture is primary for John Wesley, they generally acknowledge that Wesley brought all four elements of this so-called “quadrilateral” to bear in his own theological reflection, and invited others to do the same. For Methodists, these four sides are a Spirit-influenced frame for the lenses through which we read Scripture and see the world; a frame that develops as we grow in faith.

Our heritage is born from a tradition of Spirit-filled revival, and Camp and Retreat Ministries owe a portion of their creation to the revivalist tradition of camp meetings in the 19th century. Sensing a need for ordinary Christians to experience the presence of the Holy Spirit more directly, camp meetings gathered people together outside of their usual churches and homes to hear the Word of God read, sung, and expounded upon. These experiences very often led participants to make a commitment in response to what they heard. These camp meetings were an experience of the “creative dislocation” I have shared about elsewhere [The Prophet Elijah’s “Creative Dislocation”], and were at least partial progenitors of camp ministries. In such experiences of “creative dislocation,” Scripture, tradition, experience, and reason are experienced by participants in new ways that help form their faith.

In addition to the stability of our square-ish theology, our heritage is also one of organized community structure. Over time, through practical needs that required logistical organization, the Methodist movement formed a three-tiered structure many of us can recall: Society, Class, and Band. As a quick summary:

• the Society was the location for preaching and teaching, where a large group of Methodists from the local (Anglican) church parish would gather midweek to hear more teaching about God and faith than they experienced in Sunday’s sermon;
• the Class was an organizational unit of about 12 that owed its origins to the need to collect money, but became a place for the smaller group of participants to account for their commitment to the three rules (sometimes supplanting the place/role of a band);
• the Band, with its roots in the Holy Club at Oxford, was a much smaller group of like-minded individuals who went deeper into their faith and behavior, including a focus upon its members’ “backsliding” (penitent bands) or their service as leaders (select bands). Whereas classes were diverse, bands were also more intentionally homogeneous.

The logic and effectiveness of this structure have enduring merit. The deepening levels of intimacy from Society to Band allow for greater trust and accountability among participants, building relationships that can help foster behavioral change. (Remember, Wesley was early in teaching that behavior can influence belief.) While we can learn concepts and theory in larger groups, to truly embody them we need to practice with the help and evaluation of others. Interestingly, this practical structure was not imagined and devised in advance of the movement, but developed in response to the growing needs of communities yearning to grow in faith.

Though perhaps not of conscious origin, I have actually seen much the same structure in camp and retreat settings. Many of our events feature times when the large group gathers with featured speakers or special leaders, who teach from Scripture and their own life experience. But we don’t expect the large group gathering to be enough to foster faith formation; we re-gather in “small groups” to further read Scripture and reflect upon it together. Sometimes we see even smaller groupings, where mentoring and leadership development occur.

I would share one example from my current location in ministry. Two years ago we initiated “Leadership Camp” for a small number (12) of Senior High youth. Each day the youth gather as a large group (Society) for reflection together, learning about healthy leadership from Scripture and other sources. They spend a couple of hours each morning working in pairs to serve, helping lead activities with elementary campers. Half return at a time to reflect upon what they learned and what they did (Class). We don’t, perhaps, get as deep as the “band” level might, but I am blessed to bear witness to their faith and leadership formation over the week.

Our Spirit-fueled enthusiasm, Wesleyan quadrilateral for theological reflection, and organizational structure may no longer be entirely unique to Methodism, but they were distinct developments of our heritage that continue to guide our efforts at faith formation to this day.

This is the third in a series of three reflections on the influence of our Wesleyan heritage upon the spiritual formation that occurs at camp, allegedly written by Ron Bartlow, interim Director of Camp and Retreat Ministries in the Desert Southwest Conference and a member of the UMCRM Board. In trying to confirm his authorship we were informed he was “dead, asleep, inattentive, and apathetic.”

Forming Faith at Camp the Methodist Way: Shoulders and Knees

(our holistic approach to faith formation)

I vividly remember my strangest experience of a camper behavior. My third year volunteering at summer camp, I was warned that a camper, whom I’ll call Bobby (mostly because I cannot recall his real name), had the occasional habit of sleepwalking. But I wasn’t prepared for what happened after lights out that first night!

After a rambunctious campfire with lots of singing, my cabin of 5^th and 6^th grade boys was late in settling down. Younger than I am now, I was still in good spirits despite the late hour when I finally laid down to sleep myself. It felt like only minutes had passed (though it was a couple of hours) when I was jarred awake by the sound of a boy singing:

“Head, shoulders… [pause]

head, shoulders… [pause]

eyes and ears and mouth and nose;

head, shoulders…. [pause]”

Getting out of bed, I found Bobby sitting up in his sleeping bag, his eyes closed. I watched as he raised his hands to the side of his head:

“head, shoulders…” his hands dropped limp beside him as he paused, then came up again:

“head, shoulders…” and his hands dropped limp beside him again.

Bobby wasn’t sleepwalking, he was sleep-singing! None of us could believe it! I gently woke him up, and once he was aware of where he was he lay down, rolled over, and returned to sleep. (No doubt you can identify what was missing from Bobby’s song. I assume that because his knees and toes were buried in his sleeping bag he simply omitted them from his version.)

I’m sharing this story not only because I find it a humorous anecdote, but because I want to connect it to our history of faith formation. One of the incredible aspects of our Methodist heritage is that from the start it took pains to approach spiritual formation holistically. For Methodists, the faith in which we are formed is more than just the beliefs we hold.

John Wesley, founder of our Methodist movement, is often identified as a “practical” theologian. Wesley did not set out to create a well-organized system of belief (e.g. a “systematic theology”); rather, he brought his theological understanding to bear on the real lives of Methodist participants. As he did so, both the theology and actual practices of Methodism embraced an understanding that faith is greater than just what one believes. Faith is an interconnected web wherein the whole person (inclusive of our thoughts, emotions, actions, bodies, and relationships) connects with God, with the communities in which we live(1), and even with Creation at large.

John Wesley and the early Methodists seem to have understood this deep interconnectedness and built our faith tradition around holistic spiritual growth. Wesley would not have us leave out knees and toes; whether inadvertently because they are out of sight, or intentionally because some deem them of less importance. When John and Charles Wesley and the other members of their “holy club” at Oxford began their methodical approach to spiritual formation, they focused not only on the spiritual, but also the physical. The members of the group naturally gave attention to their personal and communal acts of piety (such as prayer, worship, and even their study of Scripture), but they didn’t stop there. With John’s encouragement, they also made “acts of mercy” a focus of their spiritual formation; they made it a priority to serve and do good to others. They went so far as to do what was otherwise unthinkable in their day, and visited strangers in prison! To this day, Methodists are convinced that the path of Christian perfection, the journey toward spiritual maturity, involves not just spiritual contemplation but also real-world activity. As part of our pursuit of living out the great commandment, we care for one another in ways that nurture body, mind, and spirit.

I find further emphasis on our approach to holistic spirituality within the lyrics of a lesser-known hymn by Charles Wesley. Entitled “At the Opening of a School in Kingswood,” and published in the 1778 edition of A Collection of Hymns for the Use of The People Called Methodists, the song encapsulates our holistic means of pursuing faith development:

Unite the pair so long disjoined,

Knowledge and vital piety:

Learning and holiness combined,

And truth and love, let all men see…

The lyrics may be viewed as a commitment on the part of the singer or as an appeal for God to take action, but in both cases the expression makes clear that a holistic faith integrates knowledge and piety. Mature faith connects what we think with what we do. Methodists have always taken education and action seriously, that is part of the reason why there are both universities and hospitals founded by and still named after our movement. Faith involves belief and behavior, body and spirit. (Indeed, John Wesley’s understanding of the holistic care of souls motivated him not only to open health clinics in the Methodist Societies, but also to write a medical text!)

I was not only nurtured within, but am an enthusiastic fan of this holistic understanding of faith. Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor of one of United Methodism’s largest congregations, Church of the Resurrection in Kansas, points out that this approach balances head, heart, and hands, influencing preachers like me to educate the mind, influence the heart, and motivate the will (2). What we think or believe, how we feel, and what we do are all intimately wound together, and healthy approaches to faith formation take this balance seriously – “head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes”!

Long before the behavioral health movement began teaching it, John Wesley was leading Methodists in discovering that behavior/action can both come first and actually influence belief, thought, and mood. (One might cite John’s experience with Moravian bishop Peter Boehler as the seed of this. Spiritually distraught after his failed mission in Georgia, Wesley was encouraged not to quit preaching; rather, Boehler encouraged him by saying he should “preach faith until you have it; then, because you have it, you will preach faith.”) Whatever the origin, the society and class meetings of Methodism emphasized accountability for participants’ behavior as an important step in their faith formation. When it comes to our Methodist history of faith formation, ortho-praxy (right practice) has always been holistically interconnected with ortho-doxy (right belief).

Other theological principles of our Methodist heritage integrate this holistic approach, too. We often put an emphasis on John Wesley’s articulation of grace as the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives (name the three with me, now: prevenient(3), justifying, sanctifying!), but Wesley's theology was not just about the grace of God given to us. Wesley's theology revolved around both grace and holiness. Indeed, many of the modern denominational offspring of the original Methodist movement are those churches accounting for the "holiness movement" of the 19^th century.

I’ve been coming to better understand the ongoing balance of grace and holiness in my life in this way: I receive with joy and thanksgiving the grace of God and then try to extend that grace toward others, while at the same time the holiness of God inspires my personal pursuit of holiness. (Although I can’t directly pinpoint this articulation in Wesley’s work, this is how I have internalized his teachings: I expect much of myself, and seek to extend much grace to others.) As my faith grows, I grow both in what I receive and in what I give.

Once again I can observe and celebrate that this holistic approach to faith formation is an integral part of many ministries of The United Methodist Church, our camp and retreat ministries included. Consider how at camp we often…

• …embrace experiential learning. We regularly balance learning with doing. Camp curricula integrate modern pedagogical insight to teach to multiple learning and/or emotional intelligences. Worship leaders invite participants into worship experiences while also teaching about why we do such activities. Camps integrate active service projects alongside Jesus’ teaching that we are to love our neighbors.

• …debrief, bringing theological and psychological insight to bear on camp activities. Before, during, or after campers face their fears and climb the rock wall or step off the zip-line, we lead them in reflection on the action and its relationship to other fears in their lives. So many of our camp and retreat center staff expertly help to connect a camper’s experiences during the day to larger themes of self-esteem, personal development, and faith formation. It’s what you do!

• …care for the camper’s physical safety and comfort as an integral part of their experience of spiritual formation. Come on, how many of us haven’t heard that the food was one of the best experiences campers had during their week? Many of our staff can cite Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in relation to the work we aim to do with faith formation. Even if we can’t, our staff seem to intuitively know that we must meet basic physical and psychological needs – helping campers feel safe, cared for, and that they belong – before we can help nurture their experience of deeper formation of faith and self.

• …encourage new behaviors in the expectation they will inform belief. I’m among those who look at the zip tower and assert that there is no way I can do that; but, with encouragement, I have stepped off the edge. (Twice, for the record. And that really is enough.) Some leaders encourage their campers to keep a gratitude journal (writing down things they are grateful for) recognizing that writing what we are thankful for can actually influence a sense of gratitude. Homesick campers can be encouraged to think of what they want to have happen during their week at camp, and in contemplating their hopes they help vision them into reality.

These are just some of the ways that our camp and retreat ministries realize our Methodist approach to faith formation. Like the intricately connected joints in our shoulders and knees – where ligaments, muscles, nerves, and bones work together with our conscious self – we strive for interconnectedness in our efforts at faith formation. We balance head, heart, and hands; we aim to unite “knowledge and vital piety;” we integrate belief and behavior together as we seek to inspire formation in faith. We look to the whole of a camp’s experience as part of God’s ongoing work in and with us, to help participants pursue holistic faith formation.

Happy camping, Methodists!

Footnotes:

1. When Wesley writes, “I know of no holiness but social holiness,” it is his assertion that our faith, and any formation we experience in that faith, is deeply entwined with others. John Wesley, Hymns and Sacred Poems (1739), Preface, page viii: “‘Holy Solitaries is a phrase no more consistent with the gospel than Holy Adulterers. The gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness.”
2. This three-fold saying is not original to me. I do not have a notation of the original source, but many others have used this handy alliterative phrase.
3. Wisely advised to utilize this oft-used modern term for the first movement of grace in Wesley’s theological articulation, the author still wishes to point out that Wesley’s “preventing” (by which he means the movement of grace before, e.g. pre-, the event of justification) would be in better keeping with the verb form of the other two.

About the author:

This is the second in a series of three reflections on the influence of our Wesleyan heritage upon the spiritual formation we seek to nurture at camp. Author Ron Bartlow insists he has some level of expertise to share these ideas with our UMCRM community. This entry, handwritten on a saloon napkin, was delivered to our offices wrapped around the leg of a sorely aggrieved jackalope.

Dear Camp and Retreat Ministry friends and colleagues,

As many of you may have heard by now, the United Methodist Judicial Council made some important decisions last week. My hope is this letter will inspire you to seek an understanding of how this moment in our denomination’s path will impact your ministry setting and those you walk beside in mission. 

Need some more context? Following the called Special General Conference in February, the Judicial Council, United Methodism's "Supreme Court," was called upon to rule on the constitutionality of the Traditional Plan approved by that General Conference. Read more from United Methodist News Service

First, I would like to share my understanding of the Judicial Council Decision 1378. Of the 15 Traditional Plan petitions that were passed in February at the special called General Conference, eight were ruled constitutional and seven were ruled unconstitutional. The parts of the Traditional Plan that will be implemented as church law, effective January 1, 2020 (and later in 2021 for the Central Conferences – outside of the US) will bring a more detailed definition of what it means to be a “self-avowed, practicing homosexual” to the Book of Discipline, mandate specific penalties for clergy who violate the rules around conducting same gender unions, and provide clarity on the parameters of the complaint process. The parts of the Traditional Plan that will not be implemented include: tighter accountability for Bishops, stricter requirements of Boards of Ministry (example – conducting an examination of each candidate to ascertain whether an individual is a practicing homosexual), and mandated financial penalties for Annual Conferences that are not in compliance with requirements around human sexuality. An additional decision was passed (Decision 1379) and declared constitutional allowing local congregations and clergy to enter into a disaffiliation agreement for “a gracious exit” from the denomination.

The effect of these decisions is being felt in various ways and at varying degrees across our camp and retreat connection. There is not one correct interpretation or plan for moving forward that applies to all of our UMCRM sites. However, in order to truly come alongside one another in this next season of ministry, it is vital that we stay in relationship with our local communities and in healthy, compassionate, open-minded communication with the leadership of our Annual Conferences. Gracious communication about these matters and an unwillingness to criticize those with whom we disagree are necessary to the integrity of our collective ministry. I would also like to hold up the opportunity of finding support and counsel in your UMCRM colleagues as we navigate the course together.

As this journey continues, I hope that we can all remember these important sentiments:

• Although there is a divide within our denomination, this divide is not between people who love Jesus or people who believe in the Bible and those who do not love or believe. No, it is a divide between Christ-following people who have come to different interpretations about how the Bible is to be read and applied. Our role in camp and retreat ministries is to be a place for all Christ-following people (and those who do not yet know Christ), where they can have the space to come to their own understanding of God’s mysterious and wondrous plan for their life.
• Within the congregations that we serve, all across the country, there is a wide diversity of people with equally wide perspectives and convictions. By our camp and retreat centers being safe, sacred places set apart from everyday life, we can be a source of inspiration for others to become more attentive to the diversity of thought that surrounds us. Through worship, play, and relationship, people from a variety of perspectives and experiences are together, practicing living in holy community. This is an honest expression of sharing the truth that “You are loved.”
• Finally, United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries will continue to have a crucial and wonderful ministry to offer to the world for the sake of Jesus Christ, in a unique way that no one else can. We can’t shy away from proclaiming the importance of our ministry. Now is the time to find courage to reach out to donors and find new ways of promoting your ministry so these holy places of “creative dislocation” continue to grow in the future.

James 5:16 – “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.”

I am with you in this, friends, and I pray for you daily. Together, let’s continue to pray for our denomination, Bishops and Cabinets, local church leaders, congregations, and one another. Let’s pray for continued guidance along this complex route which we find ourselves traveling, giving thanks that we are traveling it together. I am grateful to be alongside you in this journey.

God bless,

Jessica Gamaché
UMCRM Board of Directors, Vice-Chair

Jessica Gamaché is the Camping Coordinator for the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference. She has served on the UMCRM Board since 2015. 

Two years ago I chose to simplify my practice of establishing rules with campers down to giving them “three simple rules.” As you read them, you’ll no doubt find them familiar, but with a significant alteration:

1^st: Do no harm.

2^nd: Do good.

3^rd: Participate.

If you grew up in The United Methodist Church and/or are aware of our heritage (or, worse yet, were victim to one of my confirmation or new members classes!) then you know these as the General Rules of the United Societies, with an editorial adjustment to the third. For over 200 years, the people called Methodist have made use of these “rules,” not because they are obligations to be followed, but because like a ruler they delineate how to measure the fruit of our commitment to living as Christians.

In my ministry, Wesley’s expression of the third rule has often been a source of consternation and obfuscation. Wesley’s original words for the third rule are that we are to “attend upon all the ordinances of God.” Many pastors rephrase this to “use the means of grace,” while bishop and scholar Reuben P. Job succinctly shortened the idea to “stay in love with God.” For the purposes of camp behavior, I simplified it down to “participate,” recognizing that the very acts I was about to invite campers to take part in were those self-same “means of grace” and “ordinances of God” by which our faith is formed and our love for God nurtured.

John Wesley, his brother Charles, and other members of their Holy Club at Oxford received the derisive “Methodist” nickname from their “methodical” use of a variety of spiritual practices. In establishing the General Rules, they maintained this constant use of the means of grace as a “rule” to measure spiritual maturity. They recognized that it is in and through such activity that faith matures. For the same reason, as someone called by God to nurture people into a deeper Christian faith, I invite campers to participate in our camp activities because they are spiritually formative; all the more so when we pursue them with intention!

Consider for a moment the significant power of the sacraments in a camp experience. I can remember being a teenager near the fireplace when our youth director led us in communion, inviting us to serve one another after a retreat focusing on every individual’s self-worth. Since then, I have been to many camps where the week wraps up with holy communion during a particularly inspirational and moving evening worship. I’ve borne witness to commitments to Christ, and even callings to ministry, happening at such times. In much the same way, when campers gather together in community to experience the baptism of a fellow camper, the sacramental act can have a powerful and lingering impact on their understanding and living of Christian faith.

Of course, there are more faith-forming practices than just the two sacraments. Many are a regular part of our camp experiences. For simplicity, and to ensure this author doesn’t wax on endlessly, let us consider just those listed under the third rule in the General Rules:

• Public worship
  Worship is often a daily occurrence at camp, and sometimes more! Camp planners and curriculum writers work with intention to bring elements of worship to bear around particular themes. Counselors and worship leaders engage campers in active participation. Often campers are included in leading elements of worship.

• Ministry of the Word
  Many of us are diligent to ensure that camp participants encounter Scripture in different ways. Not only may they read it, hear it, or hear it discussed, as the Rules suggest, but campers may also find Scripture integrated into an art project, skit,  or a walk through the labyrinth.

• Communion (referenced above)

• Family and private prayer
  Camps build in intentional time for participants to experience prayer in different ways. We may sing grace before meals, pray the Lord’s prayer during worship, take time in silent prayer, pray at the close of a small group, or even pray for a friend in need.

• Searching the scriptures
  Interestingly, the General Rules mention the Bible twice. In this case, the phrase has to do with seeking to know something about God, and specifically Jesus Christ, as we read the Bible. As we engage in Bible study, discussion, and even worship, we often seek to find how God is speaking to us and what we are learning about Jesus, even in stories about other people.

• Fasting or abstinence  
  Okay, this practice is probably not a focus you intentionally think about often; and yet this practice of choosing to limit ourselves from other things is actually something we practice at camp. Consider the power of silence, when we abstain from talking, during prayer or a walk through the labyrinth. Or consider the beneficial (and even statistically documented!) benefits of abstaining from cell phones and other digital devices for a week at camp.

We do these things at camp, often with great intention, because we know they play a part in nurturing spiritual maturity. Our efforts may come as recommendations from a curriculum, be based around a theme or experience, or even connect to outcomes we seek to measure; but in the end, these practices are a part of our Methodist heritage precisely because they help to form faith.

“There’s nothing particularly unique about that,” you might suggest, echoing centuries-old critique of Wesley’s description of what a Methodist is. You would be right. Other Christian camps also integrate these activities into their day. But the intentionality with which we pursue these practices, the “methodical” way we integrate them into our camps’ daily schedules, are a distinct and important echo of our heritage as it is brought to bear on faith formation at camp.

(In two future posts, “Shoulders and Knees,” and “Enthusiastically Square,” I will share thoughts on how our heritage of faith formation is both holistic and structurally sound.)

This is the first in a series of three reflections on the influence of our Wesleyan heritage upon the spiritual formation that occurs at camp. Author Ron Bartlow, the Director of Camp and Retreat Ministries for the Desert Southwest Conference and member of the UMCRM Association Board of Directors, has a passion for our Methodist heritage, a lifetime of camp experience, and a white light-saber. Ron has meticulously crafted each blog post and aged it in a charred oak barrel for the smoothest texture possible.

An announcement from Alan Rogstad, Executive Director, Camp and Retreat Ministries, Pacific Northwest Conference –

The Pacific NW Conference and The Twinlow Board of Directors are excited to announce the installation of Kristen “Moonie” Moon as the new Director of Twinlow Camp and Retreat Center! After a nationwide search process, we are very pleased to have hired someone from of our local PNW camp system! Kristin first came to PNW Camping Ministries as a Lazy F staff member, and later went on to fill the position of Assistant Director of Twinlow Camp in 2014.

From Kristen:

As a kid growing up in Wyoming, I attended Baptist camps. It was there that I found the perfect place to nurture my love of Jesus and nature. I was always somewhat of a “wild child” and camp served as a perfect outlet for me. Camp also provided a strong Christian community to be a part of. Fast forward to my college years when I became a summer staff counselor at Lazy F Camp & Retreat Center in Ellensburg, WA. It was at Lazy F that I first heard the call to ministry. It was through that call that I soon found myself moving to North Idaho to work at Twinlow Camp & Retreat Center as Assistant Director. Five years later I am now blessed to be transitioning into the role of Director.

When I am not working at camp I spend most of my time in the outdoors either rock climbing, surfing (yes, we surf in North Idaho), or snowboarding. I have always been able to connect to Jesus, myself, and others best when playing outside. Because of that I am excited to be serving as Director of Twinlow Camp!

Kristen brings the perfect mix of experience, energy, and vision to her new role as Director of Twinlow. Please join us in welcoming Kristen!

I've appreciated the chance to dialogue with my UMC peers and with peers from other denominations about the similarities that we share and the different challenges that we face.  I also really appreciated the experience in our Biblical and Theological reflections class of working through the challenges in our different denominations and that we are not alone in those challenges, but share the opportunity to work together.

We so often forget that our camp’s “problems” are not just ours; everyone else is experiencing and navigating the same challenges. To be in Compass Points and to have an honest space where conversations about our difference led us to that common ground was SO refreshing. 

This has been a hard week for our beloved United Methodist Church. Barring a miracle, decisions made at the Special General Conference will fracture the church I’ve loved, for which I’ve worked my entire adult life, and that nurtured my faith from childhood.

Even so, this year over a million children, youth, and adults will visit our United Methodist camps and retreat centers. Faith will be birthed and formed in countless lives in our ministries across the country. The work to which we are called continues to have eternal value as we invest in disciples who will transform the world.

There is a quote we use in our leadership program, ELI, in North Georgia, to which I’ve become attached. It is attributed to French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.

Now, more than ever, the people called Methodists (and the world beyond) need to grow in our longing for the endless immensity of God’s love. We in Camp & Retreat Ministries are uniquely equipped for that work because the context of a temporary community helps us practice being the body of Christ for one another.  Campers and retreat participants leave longing for the immensity of God’s love and better equipped to build a church in which it may be made manifest.

It is time for us to do our best work! So as we wipe away tears, pray for one another, and clasp hands with all our beloved and gifted siblings in God’s family, please remember that UMCRM stands ready to offer resources, inspiration, and a network of colleagues in support of your ministry. Within our association are folks who have dealt with every challenge you might be facing, people who have your back. Let’s continue to be there for one another. The need is greater than ever for sacred places apart, fruitful partnerships in the church and community, and space to experience the endless immensity of God’s love.

May the Lord lift up God’s countenance upon you and give you peace,

Russell Davis

Chairperson, UMCRM Association

Congratulations to all of the United Methodist Camp/Retreat Ministries who received 2018 Solomon Cramer Grant funding for your innovative, youth-serving projects. 

Baltimore-Washington Conference Retreat & Camping Ministries  ($3,000)

                The camp partners with Baltimore Metropolitan District and seeks to eliminate barriers to summer camp experiences for youth in Baltimore who are impacted by high rates of violence and poverty. The program offers Spring Break Camp which is a 1-week camp offering arts, crafts, worship and activities. Residential Summer Camp offers week-long programs at West River and Manidokan throughout the summer and reaches a predominantly African-American population.

Camp Chestnut Ridge ($3,000)

                This camp launched a new Traveling Day Camp in order to expand summer camp opportunities for youth from underserved ethnic populations who may not otherwise be able to attend camp. The lower cost of the Traveling Day Camp, and the central location within the community of Chestnut Ridge will allow for more children who do not regularly attend camp to have a camp experience. Chestnut Ridge strives to create a diverse population among campers, and is located within the community of the participants, which helps overcome issues with transportation.

Camp Chippewa ($3,000)

                This camp has encompassed the mission to provide an atmosphere in a simple, outdoor setting where individuals can experience the presence of God in nature, for a relationship with Jesus Christ and others, nurture one’s journey as a disciple of Christ and experience spiritual and personal growth and renewal. Camp Chippewa offered a high-school camp for the first time which focused on leadership and was held at their camp site.

Camp in the Community ($3,000)

                This camp is a week-long day camp for children in poverty. The camp operates in partnership with a host church located in an impoverished community within the Holston Conference. A high-quality summer camp experience is offered to those who could not otherwise afford to attend summer camp.

Cedar Crest Camp ($3,000)

                The camp has a two-fold initiative including empowering immigrant faith communities in the Tennessee Conference and to inform and transform the camp culture to better serve the children of these communities. Through this initiative, children from immigrant areas were shown support, love and empowerment. Space was created to facilitate cross-cultural conversation within the camp experience to better inform staff and campers about the richness of sharing in multiple contexts of life experiences.

Don Lee Camp & Retreat Center ($3,000)

                The initiative seeks to build greater partnership and collaboration between UMC churches, local school and the AME Zion Church to strengthen, develop and renew congregations and communities in an effort to make disciples. The Voyages initiative offered camp experiences in a local church setting. The churches worked together to provide this experience to 200 children who were able to experience camp within local churches.

Go Camp NTC ($3,000)

                The camp provided camping opportunities for kids in underserved communities in North Texas which focused on faith formation, community outreach, and nature conservation. The camps were mobilized to bring the experience to communities where they would not otherwise have camp experiences and offered a way for those populations to connect with the United Methodist Church.

Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center  ($2,000)

                The Camp Hope series is dedicated to at-risk youth from difficult, impoverished and/or minority populations. There are nine camps that focus on drug and/or alcohol abuse, anger management or sexual abuse. The funding focused on Camp Grace, which is a week-long camp for girls age 12-15 who have experienced sexual abuse.

Next Generation Ministries, the Missouri Annual Conference ($3,000)

                The initiative provided on-site camping ministries as a tool for children, youth, and young adults to encounter Christ. The camp was brought to local churches, which focused on low-income families who would have difficulty with the cost and transportation to a camp site. Local church volunteer staff help to provide one-on-one Christian mentoring and participate in reflection and discernment exercises with campers.

Pecometh Camp & Retreat Ministries ($2,000)

                The Directors’ Leadership Week develops a combination of secular and spiritual skills that develop principled Christian leaders who are prepared to serve. The program fosters a relationship between Pecometh and the local church to develop young leaders. Campers are chosen by their church with the understanding they will be placed in a position of leadership within the church in the following year.

Applications for 2019 Solomon Cramer grants are due by March 1!

View the application

"@ the Table" keynoters Beth and Travis Allison are camp pros and Canadians. How do United Methodist Camp/Retreat Leaders welcome such esteemed guests? 

With this heartfelt song, sung to the tune of "O Canada!"

O Allisons

Our friends from the True North

Teaching their ways to all camp mavericks

With each CampHacker post we see

Camp Code becomes ingrained

Their podcast shows help us make

staff trainings better than poutine!

God keep them both, awesome and free

O Allisons, we stand and clap for thee!

O Allisons, we stand and clap for thee!

Creative credit to Heather Withrow and Matt Williams.