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You must begin by experiencing the natural wonder of the outside world. No doubt you can step outside and appreciate some combination of the natural mystery where air, water, land, rock, sea, plants, and animals all come together, inspiring spiritual awe. For their part, our executives were riding together in a short bus through the windy roads of South Dakota, twisting, turning, and corkscrewing through mountainous forest. As the bus traveled, one noted how incredible it was that the fallen branches from the local trees were all piled together in large mounds within the forest. “Why do they do that?” another asked. Without hesitation, a smart aleck executive who shall not be named replied, “to provide habitat for the elusive land beaver.” The tale continues, because the gathered piles were numerous. For miles upon miles, as the bus carried its special cargo of camp and retreat leaders through the forest, they noted with growing awe the vast number of wood piles, and the incredible amount of labor that must have gone into it. “When do you think they do all this?” someone asked in hushed awe, to which the other executive quickly quipped, “At night. The land beaver is nocturnal.”

Here is the thing about the elusive nocturnal land beavers of South Dakota: they work hard, unseen, unbidden, somehow making the world a better place. By gathering the trees’ discarded branches into neat piles, they help remove fuel for fire that might otherwise affect greater portions of the forest. Even if those piles are not intentionally burned and simply decay on their own where they sit, the forest is a safer, better place for it. One caring executive marveled at how the piles provided habitat for local animals, until the driver commented that while that may be true the piles tend to be burned after two to three years. Roast critters aside, the work of the land beaver was inspiring to behold. Great labor went into creating the wood piles, and even if they were destined to be temporary monuments to the land beaver’s herculean efforts, they stood witness to the elusive animal's dedication to improving the forest.

That’s the nature of the land beaver, to be helpful without needing to claim the spotlight. The elusive land beaver is the parent who would pack pepperoni rolls in your carry-on because you had a long day of travel ahead of you. The elusive land beaver is the counselor who would never lose a camper or leave a passenger behind when the vehicle rolled out for an off-site adventure. The elusive land beaver is that volunteer or staff member who regularly goes above and beyond, not for recognition and oftentimes without any awareness of the work s/he has done. They work quietly in the background, gathering whatever sticks or branches may exist in the ministry that might trip others up, making our camp and retreat experiences safer and more enjoyable. Perhaps they even impart some special meaning into otherwise ordinary or mundane activities.

While our executives acknowledge that they may be spotlight-loving, oversized personalities powered by the adulation of campers and staff, as they witnessed the results of the land beaver’s tireless work a change came upon them like that which descended on Ebenezer Scrooge. Seeing the hard work done to protect the forest, one by one the executives admitted that each of their ministries was blessed because of industrious critters like the elusive South Dakotan land beaver. Staff, volunteers, parents, and other supporters make a daily difference in these Christian outdoor ministries, working diligently behind the scenes to help accomplish the awesome work of life transformation that occurs at camp. Camp truly changes lives, and such work is dependent upon the committed alignment of people passionate about helping one another connect to God, nature, and others. Grateful for all the elusive land beavers who create the foundation for the success of these outdoor ministries, our executives broke from their annual gathering, descending upon the local airport en masse to cause chaos and disruption on their way to leading their ministries with a playful, non-anxious presence.

Contributed by an anonymous UMCRM executive.

Unamused by the executives’ shenanigans, Washington looks on, stone-faced.

Pictured: (front row) Bryan Johnson, Jack Shitama, Mike Standifer, Dail Ballard, Gary Lawson, Sharon Cook, Shea James, Todd Bartlett. (back row) Joseph Bradley, Keith Shew, David Berkey, Russell Davis, Warren Hopper, Kelly Peterson-Cruse, Chris Schlieckert, Jen Burch, Alan Rogstad, Ron Bartlow.

Kids love camp worship services because they are fun and provide experiences where campers can encounter the Lord in new ways, realizing that God speaks in music, through sermons and skits, and in the silence or sounds of creation. One of our goals as summer camps is to partner with the local church to ensure that our camp worship experiences build on what campers experience at home. At January’s National Gathering, we will seek to do the same thing for camp and retreat leaders.

Each evening of the event, our worship services will aid us in reflecting on each day’s theme and will do so through liturgy, music, spoken word, and prayer. As a gathering of primarily United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministry leaders, we will have a wide range of experiences that will keep us close to our Wesleyan theology, but will be diverse in musical styles, reflecting the diversity of camp and local church musical experiences. Our worship leader for the event, Chuck Bell, and the other members of the band will lead us musically each night.

Chuck loves to help folks consider ways they can take something familiar and make it unique and provide opportunities for participants to become leaders. Know the chords G, D, E minor, and C? If so, plan to bring your instrument and join in with the instrument choir during a service. If you like to sing, plan to lift your voice in song as part of the congregational “choir,” with and without other instruments. Got rhythm? Be a part of the interactive percussion segment. Not so much a musician? Join us to read, sign, or simply listen and reconnect as Rev. Junius Dotson brings us the Word each night.

This is one table that mom won’t fuss about you singing around!

Established in 2002, Chuck and Kim Bell have been serving in ministry from the start of their relationship. Over the years they have led youth choirs and orchestras, young adult ministries, children's worship services, workshops, youth and children's retreats, small groups, and family dinners at the table together. Blessed with two awesome daughters, Lucy (13) and Blakely (9), their ministry has expanded to include their whole family, as both girls love to sing and play instruments while leading others in song and worship, and are often referred to collectively as Team Bell. Kim currently serves as a Director at Glisson Camp and Retreat Center in North Georgia and serves as a Worship/Main Stage Coordinator for the upcoming National Event. Chuck is a Worship Consultant and CEO of Chuck Bell Music, serving churches, retreat groups, annual conferences, and more, and is the Worship Leader for @the Table. Team Bell loves living in their Hallmark town of Dahlonega, GA with their outdoor cat, Mr. Fluffy Pants, and thousands of their closest friends every summer camp season.

Editors’ note: Trinity/HPSI has been serving United Methodist camps and retreat centers (currently more than 100) for many years and would be glad to talk with you about how they might partner with your ministry, too. Plan to chat with Rod at their booth in the Vendor Hall at the UMC National Gathering, or contact Steve directly at the email listed below. 

HOW TO SAVE MORE UNITED METHODIST DOLLARS

by Steve Claypool of Trinity/HPSI 

Our experience has shown that foodservice represents the greatest recurring purchase expenditure for most camps and conference centers, much greater than most other recurring purchase categories. Consequently, even though greater percentage savings may be found in other areas, foodservice usually offers the largest and most easily achieved savings opportunity, typically amounting to 10 to 20% off normal “street” pricing. We are pleased to have been able to help many United Methodist camps & retreat centers realize that level of savings or more.

A “street” account, historically the predominant structure with foodservice companies and distributors in other industries, allows the sales representative to set pricing at their discretion anywhere above a defined base cost level that they can get the customer to order. We have often heard of representatives with less than full integrity who “low-balled” pricing initially to “get a foot in the door,” then let prices drift up over time as the customer became loyal and trusting and the representative thought they wouldn’t notice. In one extreme case our program brought a 35% foodservice savings opportunity for a camp.

A “program” account (also called a contract or multi-unit or national account), as in the Trinity/HPSI structure, usually has a couple of service level options, with one being just like a “street” account, except for the very significant benefit that the sales representative has no ability to increase or control prices. Instead, the specified pricing structure is applied by the foodservice distributor’s computer system to each program customer’s account.  

NOTE:  Some distributors are offering what they call program accounts that incorporate deviations as described in the next paragraph, but with the continued ability of the sales representative to set prices.  Though this may be somewhat better than a traditional street account, it often just results in the sales representative’s maintaining or increasing margin.

Two main factors result in the substantial savings opportunity of a true program vs. a street foodservice account. The first is “deviations,” or allowances that have been negotiated with many manufacturers based on the tremendous aggregate volume of the organizations (under HPSI, more than 18,000) included in the overall program. Deviations serve to lower the distributor’s ultimate net cost and reduce the invoice price. On a periodic basis the distributor claims and receives reimbursement from the manufacturers for the deviations that have been passed through to the program customers. Not all items have deviations; they are much more common on processed foods than on commodity items. Some deviations are modest, while others can be dramatic, such as those for liquid eggs, paper goods, and trash liners.

The second factor is simply an attractive pre-negotiated margin schedule for all items except capital kitchen equipment that is applied to the distributor’s actual purchase cost including freight to their warehouse. Additional factors contributing to the program savings opportunity can include delivery size and prompt payment incentives and rebates.

The cost of propane is often second to foodservice as a recurring expense for camps and conference centers and sometimes, especially in the northern United States, can be even greater than the cost of foodservice. Propane prices vary widely. On rare occasions we have found camps that have pricing roughly in line with our national account pricing. At the other extreme, we have had reports of savings of $3.00 per gallon and more, and those savings can be achieved with a brief telephone call if your current propane supplier is one of our national account partners. If a transition from the current supplier needs to be made, the national account partners provide tanks with no rental charge, and there is no charge for delivering and setting up tanks.

Many other agreements are available for everything from paint, office supplies, mattresses, maintenance supplies, and sporting goods to credit/debit card processing services, first aid supplies, kitchen equipment and much more. Whatever the purchase category, however, we recommend that each camp/conference center consider each area individually and do whatever is best for your ministry. You may have a friend of your ministry who is sacrificing a reasonable profit margin to sell at a level that is better than national account pricing; or she/he may be selling to you at “street” prices, then donating $10,000 or $50,000 per year to your scholarship fund. Only you can solve that value equation and determine what is best for your ministry.

For help with any questions left unanswered or to request a complimentary analysis to identify your savings opportunities, please feel free to visit www.trinity-usa.net or to contact us at 615-672-0229 or steve.claypool@trinity-usa.net.

Hey Folks,

On Wednesday afternoon we will once again hold our silent auction to raise funds that support UMCRM's Intentional Leadership Groups.

This is an afternoon where the focus is on what you can give rather than what you can get. There will be nice items, great trips, and all sorts of cool camp stuff to bid on. The real purpose is to have a fun afternoon of camaraderie and fellowship while we give financially to the organization that supports our work.

What can you offer?

● Trips and Stays: Do you have a personal cabin or a facility at your site that you could provide for a few nights to support the ministry? If you are open to sharing your gifts with other camps, these offers are really useful and can raise a lot of money.

● Talents/Experiences: Do you offer consulting, grant writing, carpentry, or do you have other talents that you would be willing to share? 

● Art: Do you paint, make jewelry, cross-stitch, or do woodworking? Is your tie-dye to die for? Why not give the gift of your art to the ministry? Conference participants love having something handmade by their friends.

● Consumables: Bring your desserts and treats from your neck of the woods. We love trying things that we can’t get at our specific sites. Examples of this would be maple syrup, candies, pecans, peanuts, etc.

● Wearables: Give your gear or your gadgets. Bring stuff that you would want and give it. Humorous items are always crowd pleasers. Examples: books, shirts, flashlights, etc.

How to Give

If you know an item or two that you would like to offer, please fill out this brief web form so the volunteers organizing the event will be able to better plan the auction. When you arrive, there will be a designated area to place your auction items so you don’t have to hold onto them during the Gathering.

If you need to ship an item, you can send it to:  Life Enrichment Center, Attn: UMCRM Gathering, 4991 Picciola Rd. Fruitland Park, FL 34731

Who Benefits? 

The funds generated will go towards supporting our Intentional Leadership Groups.

And Finally...

As camp leaders we know the importance of fundraising. I am sure that we are all very thankful for the donors that support our individual ministries.  Now we get the chance to exercise our own generosity by enthusiastically taking part in a festive afternoon of giving.

We all have something we can offer. Please send your auction submissions and come to the auction filled with a playful attitude and a grateful heart. As the saying goes: “Bid early! Bid often! Bid High! But, Bid Last!”

If you have any questions about the auction, please contact Auction Coordinator Stephanie Gaines, 256-483-1536

Details about the Workshop:

A 2019 ACA Accreditation Process Workshop will be offered as a National Gathering pre-Conference event, Monday, January 28th from 8 a.m. to 12 noon at the Life Enrichment Center. It's open to all (you don't need to be UMC nor necessarily attending the Gathering to take part.) We're just making it available for your convenience since so many of us will be in one place at one time.  

This workshop is designed for camp representatives who are preparing for ACA accreditation visits in 2019 and beyond. It is appropriate for those who are new to the accreditation process AND those who have been part of an accreditation visit or completed standards training in the past. There's no "update" this year -- if your camp will be visited, someone from your ministry must take this full course.

Register in two places:

If you'll be attending the UMCRM National Gathering, please note on your registration that you are planning to participate in the ACA course. If you'd like to stay over at the Center on Sunday night, you're welcome; there's a very reasonable "Add A Sunday" option on the registration form that includes the overnight and meals. If you're already planning to attend, please also register with ACA so they'll have materials for everyone.

Help spread the word among fellow ACA camps about this opportunity.

If you're NOT attending the UMCRM Gathering but want to attend the ACA Course, you're more than welcome! Click to Reserve a hotel-style room to stay over Sunday night, or plan to join us for a meal or two on Monday. 

Want to learn more about ACA?

If you are unfamiliar with ACA and wanting to learn more about accreditation and other benefits of membership, there will also be an informational ACA workshop during the National Gathering. The event described above is for those already accredited or ready to get accredited next year. But we want all UMCRM folks to be familiar with the best practices in our industry and to access the benefits and resources that the American Camp Association provides. Some of those are free and don't require membership. There are over 70 UMCRM-affiliated sites that are accredited by the ACA, and our colleagues are wonderful about sharing advice, sample documents, and encouragement with one another. Remember you are not alone as you seek to operate a safe and high-quality camp ministry.

Questions? Contact Jen Burch, UMCRM Registrar

Our Denominational Partners at Alton L. Collins Retreat Center:

Sharing Mission, Growing Together

by Dan Benson, Director of Alton L. Collins Retreat Retreat Center

Of the Seven Foundations of United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries, "Partnering with United Methodist churches and agencies" sounds both the most boring and obligatory. I say this being fully committed to the work of The United Methodist Church and as an ordained Elder serving under appointment. But still, on the surface, this foundation might appear to be less engaging than all of the others.

However, what I have experienced at our sites throughout the conference is that we facilitate some of the most dynamic opportunities for congregational visioning and deepening of relationships. Believe it or not, partnering with United Methodist churches and agencies is some of the coolest work we do. Camp and Retreat Ministries [in Oregon-Idaho] also does very cool work officially partnering with Episcopal churches and agencies!

The most common and direct way that we support the work of United Methodist and Episcopal churches is through hosting church board and vestry meetings. When the leadership of a congregation steps outside of their busy lives and sets aside time for one another and their congregation, the results are dramatic. Often I see the participants come into the center, looking weary and distracted, searching for the wifi password in order to keep tabs on all of the projects left behind. In these moments I understand that these people need time away to be open, to listen for the voice of God prompting them to set forth on more grand adventures with God. Over the course of the day, weekend, or week, I see people look less anxious and more energized. I hear people talking excitedly about one idea or direction. I encounter laughter and smiles as new experiences are shared together. I get to see the hand of God at work in their life together. While I had expected to encounter these church council, board, vestry, and committee meetings, I did not expect to see such a significant change in the lives of the participants in such a short time together.

The other thing that I did not expect to see is the sheer number of ways that we support the work of the larger church. We have worked with our conference to host numerous groups and agencies. In my short time here I have worked to support:

• United Methodist Women region-wide events
  
• Certified Lay Minister training (this is a vital ministry for many of our smaller congregations to find ways to survive and thrive amidst changing demographics)
  
• A community of practice around new circuit rider and other models addressing the changing needs and compositions of our congregations
  
• The Love Your Neighbor Coalition
  
• United Methodist Volunteers in Mission
  
• Jurisdictional meeting for the work of General Board of Global Ministries
  
• A gathering of Episcopal female clergy focused on Women Embodying Executive Leadership
  
• Time to Sow, a four-day lectionary preaching planning session to map out and dream about how God is speaking to a congregation for the coming year
  

The change and energy that each of these groups bring as they do their work here is intense and remarkable. These and many other groups use the gift of our camp and retreat sites to foster the work of the local and global church. It is a blessing and ministry to provide space and input into these processes through which our congregations, communities, denominations, and world are transformed to more readily reflect the likeness of God.

For congregations or organizations feeling lost in the wilderness, looking for the spark of God toward the next big adventure, camp/retreat experiences can provide inspiration and direction for what’s ahead. Individuals and teams looking to fan the flames of the Spirit may encounter God’s Spirit in new ways in UMCRM’s beautiful “places apart.” Let us listen together and grow the love of God in our hearts and in our world.

Peace to you,

Dan Benson

Camp has always been a place of connections for me. Connecting with friends, connecting with nature, and connecting with God. At the National Camp and Retreat Leaders Gathering we want to give you opportunities for all three of these, and today I want to focus on the third– connecting with God. As a community we will connect with God through worship and Bible study, allowing God's Holy Spirit to move in and amongst us and to refuel us for the vital work that we do. Worship, though, is more than what happens as a collective community and it begins before we even find our seats.

When we gather in Florida, as you begin your day and as you enter the worship space, you are invited to take a personal journey with God through prayer stations. These prayer stations will be set up during the breakfast hour for those early birds who want to take advantage of the peaceful, quiet of the morning to be with God. Walk the labyrinth, sit at a station to lift your prayers to God, experience communion in the chapel, or follow a guided meditation as you look across the glassy lake. Then as you enter the worship space each day, interactive prayer stations will be set up incorporating the daily themes. Play dough, mirrors, puzzle pieces, and photo booths will help move you from the world into a place of connection with God as we celebrate our place at God's incredible table. Sit with your Creator and be creative through artistic interactions. Humble yourself before your Healer and empty the worries of your heart to the one who hears you. Engage with your Savior as you experience grace in hands-on ways.  

We can't wait for you to arrive at the Life Enrichment Center to experience God's presence and God's grace through all that we do. Are you registered? 

The basis for the word “hospitality” is the Latin root hospes, which refers to welcoming a guest, a word that evolved into meaning "to entertain." Consider that providing hospitality means “making your guests feel at home.” On January 28th, the extended UMCRM community will make our home at the Life Enrichment Center & Warren Willis Camp in Fruitland Park, Florida for a week “@ The Table.” We hope you’ll experience unforgettable hospitality as a participant in the National Camp & Retreat Leaders' Gathering. I want to give you a little preview of some of the ways you’ll be welcomed.

Whether you drive in or board the luxurious coach buses for a ride from the airport, you will be greeted upon your arrival with smiling faces and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Yes, you read correctly -- fresh-squeezed Florida orange juice. Upon receiving your room assignments you will make your way to your housing, greeted by clean rooms and stunning views. Get settled, take a load off, and enjoy the snack that is waiting in your room.

If you are ready for a self-guided tour or to mingle by a campfire, there’s something for those needing to enjoy an active, social, or relaxed afternoon. The dinner hour will bring your first of many wonderful meals provided by the food service team at the LEC & Warren Willis. Meals have been planned just for us and will be sure to please. Don’t forget to note any dietary restrictions when you register so our hosts can be 100% prepared to meet your needs.

After wonderful worship sessions and workshops full of everything you can imagine, we will have a few hours ‘off’ on Wednesday. Take a break and enjoy the afternoon at the LEC with airboat rides, reptiles from Gatorland, games, prayer station Make & Take, music, canoeing, massages, snacks, and so much more. No need to head off-site, Florida hospitality is coming to you! So much to learn, no time to play? That’s okay, we will also offer another workshop time for those who can’t get enough.

On Thursday, to avoid those end-of-camp tears, we are thrilled to close our time together laughing together with comedian Bob Smiley.

The Hospitality Committee is truly excited and honored to be a part of helping to provide a faith-filled, relaxing time away for refreshing renewal as we come together in January 2019.

Can’t wait to welcome you all.

See you in January!

Apryl Miller, for the UMCRM Event Design Team’s Hospitality Committee

P.S. - Is Hospitality one of your gifts? Contact Apryl to find a place to plug in and help out at the Gathering.

Click for more info and registration for the National Gathering!

Are we really sustaining our pathways?

A reflection on the 2018 Sustainable Pathways event

Every year camping professionals gather to discuss important topics in sustaining our ministries. Some years those topics include marketing, finance, or development. This year, those important topics were a little more hard-hitting. With guest speakers Shane Totten, Kate Mosley, and Niambi Jaha-Echols, 2018 Sustainable Pathways participants explored what it means to really care for God’s Creation and how to build our own inclusive ‘Camptopia’.

We started our day with traveling to the beautiful Calvin Center in Hampton, Georgia. Sessions kicked off with the topic of Creation Care and what it means to be good stewards of our resources. We discussed everything from the lightbulb lighting the storage closet in the dining hall to how you insulate your buildings, and the presenters helped us consider next steps in true stewardship. Shane Totten with Southface Energy Institute and Kate Mosley from Georgia Interfaith Power & Light grabbed the interest of those in attendance with their informative statistics and tips to better our communities.

Lightbulbs, Water Usage, and Waste, Oh My!

Some major topics both Shane and Kate hit on included water usage, energy efficiency, waste control, and air quality.  What do these have to do with camping? If you aren’t positive how these things connect with camping, rest assured, they do! How? Glad you asked!

According to Shane, there are quite a few things you can do now to ensure you are taking care of the resources you already have. He suggested starting with light bulbs. By simply changing your light bulbs from incandescent to LED, you will see a great return in energy savings. Have you already made that switch? Maybe consider looking into lighting with sensors. Bri Payne, Executive Director at the John Knox Center, mentioned that switching to occupancy sensor lights has already given them great savings in energy usage.

Have you noticed that your facility is using more water than it should be? Shane Totten suggested replacing your showerheads to ones that use less water. Being good stewards of our resources means turning off the light when you leave a room or thinking twice about water usage. Maybe we should all consider what we use now to be the resources for the next generation. What we are using now is what will end up in landfills or at recycling facilities. Are you okay knowing that those things could either help or hinder the next generation?

Shane shared a few statistics that will surely blow your mind. 133 billion pounds of food is wasted per year. Does your camp use a buffet line or serve family style? How can you cut back on food waste? 40% of the food prepared in the U.S. is never consumed. This means that we are eating only a little over half of what we prepare! Where is all that wasted food going? Hopefully that uneaten food is going into some sort of compost, but Shane shared that one person produces about 4.4 pounds of trash per day. Surely there are some ways your camp community can help cut back on that.

Something Kate Mosley touched on was air quality. Do we really know what is in our products? Do we know what is in the buildings where we serve our campers? According to Kate, there are more air pollutants indoors versus outdoors. Do you know what is in your products, even down to the paint used on the walls? Kate suggests looking for seals on products that validate you are using safe materials. She encourages to look for Green Seal Certified and Greenguard seals.

Kate Mosley also explained the importance of knowing what we are throwing away and why. How do you do this? You facilitate a waste audit. Yes, it sounds time-consuming and not so enjoyable, but very necessary! Think about this: if you don't weigh yourself, how can you maintain yourself? How can you know what you need to put in your body if you don’t already know what is in your body? It works the same with waste. If we aren’t aware of what we are throwing away, how can we adjust what we consume to reduce what we throw away? Kate Mosley suggests using the free Energy Star Portfolio Manager as a place to start.

What about your guests? How can you manage their waste? Kate and Shane both explained the importance of developing a Sustainability Policy at your facility. This could be something as simple as creating a letter you send out to your guests before their stay with a list of things you’d like for them to avoid bringing. Maybe you are planning to cut back on plastic waste so you ask that your guests bring reusable water bottles rather than plastic ones. What about asking your guests to use the plates and cups in the dining hall rather than bringing paper ones, to cut back on paper waste? Starting here can help change the culture at your facility and start making your footprint smaller.  

Building the "Camptopia" from the Roots Up

Switching gears to the second portion of the conference, we dove into another topic that is sometimes hard to navigate: Diversity. Niambi Jaha-Echols from Cross-Cultural Agility joined the conference for the second half to share her insights on creating the perfect ‘camptopia’. How do we do that? Niambi started at the roots. After sharing where the word ‘camp’ comes from, Niambi explained exactly what it means. The word ‘camp’ comes from the Greek word ‘campus’ meaning level ground. Niambi suggested that we do just that and get back to level ground in the camping world. Niambi uses the phrase, ‘Intentional Community Building,’ meaning that inclusion in our camp communities isn’t what we do but who we are. She quoted Albert Einstein, saying that “we cannot solve a problem at the same level that it was created.” This simply means that we cannot make our camps more culturally diverse if we are doing the same things we have always done.

People generally like to be with people who are like us. We all have our own culture, and those personal differences play an important role in understanding culture. Niambi used an example of a vehicle to vividly illustrate this. If someone gets into a wreck, we are typically more concerned with what is in the car than the car itself. What if we would imagine our skin as the “vehicle” in this metaphor? Niambi called her skin her "skin suit," making the point that the outside is only a covering for the more important contents inside. Our culture goes much deeper than our skin tone. Our "skin suit" is just for this lifetime, not for eternity.

Have you ever caught yourself adding new decorations or fresh flowers to a room in your home to ‘add some color’ or ‘change it up’? What happens to those fresh flowers? They usually die, right? Why do they die? They die because they aren’t rooted in our home. Niambi used this painfully accurate example to explain why it is so important to make sure all people feel rooted in our camping environments. If you plop something into a new environment just to mix it up, it won’t survive. We have to intentionally add to our camping environments to make space for all cultures to root; otherwise they will not thrive in our communities. We have to think outside of the box so we don't get trapped in our cultural boxes.

While these topics are large and daunting, it is helpful to remember that these changes cannot happen overnight, and that is okay! Changes may be necessary, but they also take time, so start small and work your way to what is best for your facility and ministry. As Burt Goldman says, “There is only one way to get dark out of a room, and that is to let light in.” Whether that light is literal light from the lightbulbs you replaced to save energy, or the light of new cultures, let it in. Let that light in and let it shine bright, because we are in the business of changing lives for the better.

Paige Railey is the Marketing Director for South Carolina Camps & Retreat Ministries. We’re grateful for her contributions to the UMCRM blog and for allowing those who couldn’t attend this year’s Sustainable Pathways to get a glimpse into the important topics featured. Thanks, Paige!

Many Christians ignore environmental issues because they don’t view it as an important faith-related concern — but what if environmental justice was essential to evangelism? In many ways, taking care of our environment is a direct form of evangelism that many Christians have yet to realize, or have even rejected as truth.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)

This verse is often referenced to justify the doctrine of Natural Revelation and is the damning biblical evidence used against non-believers for rejecting God, even if they’ve never directly heard the gospel message. Christians point to this Scripture passage to show that God’s existence is visibly obvious through the beauty of creation. Is it really? Theologians have often argued that the splendor and wonder of creation — Natural Revelation — is observable proof of God and God’s awe-inspiring power. What happens when it’s not visible? What are the spiritual ramifications of destroying our world?

The concept of Natural Revelation is often taught from a privileged and Westernized perspective, where scenes of picturesque mountain ranges, pristine lakes and rivers, beautiful wild animals, and lovely plants are used to portray the sheer majesty of God.

When the natural physical existence is heading toward death instead of life, how does it point people to God?

For many of us, this is an easy reality to absorb because we love nature and have access to the outdoors, scenic parks, and unpolluted land. But for many around the world, the idea of Natural Revelation is absurd, and often a theological idea that actually argues against the existence of a God. When water is too unsafe to drink, air too toxic to breathe, and the sheer decay of the surrounding environment endangers you and your family, how is God glorified? When the natural physical existence around you is taken away, broken, or heading toward death instead of life, how does this possibly point people to God? The sad reality is that Natural Revelation (as we interpret it to be) doesn’t really exist for millions of people living in conditions where their environment is being exploited for corporate and political gain.

The sad truth is that Natural Revelation isn’t equally apparent to everyone, which is why creation care and environmental justice is so important. Because if we really believe that the earth reflects God’s glory, by not taking care of it and allowing it to become corrupted — we’re essentially keeping people from experiencing the goodness of God.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. (Psalm 19:1-4)

The Bible says that the skies declare God’s craftsmanship. So what happens when people can’t see the sky due to smog and waste? Pollution, destruction, and the exploitation of our world isn’t a victimless crime — it’s intentionally hiding God from others, and the act of making our earth less desirable is blinding others to the goodness of God. If Christians seriously want others to experience God, we should start making the earth a better place — ultimately reflecting the magnificence of God.