Blog

A Job Well Done

Jim Daly recently reflected on his career in Camp & Retreat Ministries during an airport layover. He and Anita were enjoying some time away after his retirement and their move to a new home. The plane ticket, by the way, was a freebie after being stuck for 12 hours with mechanical trouble on their way home from the National Camp Leaders’ Gathering last January.

Jim was serving in child care with the Red Bird Missionary Conference when he received a call back home from someone connected to his wife’s family asking if he would be interested in coming to camp. That call came in the spring of 1980 and began a career in Camp & Retreat Ministries that would last for 36 years.

In 1980, Jim found himself serving as Manager of Lake Louise United Methodist Camp, a facility belonging to the Western Michigan and Detroit Conferences. He served at Lake Louise until the winter of 1989, when he moved to Western New York taking on the dual role as Conference Camping Director and Director of Camp Asbury in Silver Lake. In the fall of 1998, Jim became the Conference Camping Director of the former Central Pennsylvania Conference, serving in that role until the fall of 2007. Early in 2008, Jim went to Michigamme United Methodist Institute, a district-owned site, to serve as Director; and subsequently joined the newly formed Upper New York Annual Conference in the spring of 2013 as Director of Skye Farm Camp & Retreat Center in Warrensburg, NY.

One of the significant changes in Camp & Retreat Ministries Jim reflected on was how the efforts of the National Camp Committee, as the group began to organize in the early days, brought a standard product to the ministry. Jim experienced the transition from the old manager-style position to the director style which offered more of a career track for people. Now, he observed, young people are aiming towards it. “The organization...has found a common voice, so to speak; but at the same time, we reflect the changes of the United Methodist connection as a whole. As the connection struggles with various social issues, our camping ministries have begun to do that too,” Daly said.

The biggest life-changing part of being involved in Camp & Retreat Ministries for Jim personally was being a graduate of the first Certification class for United Methodist Camp & Retreat Ministries. In fact, Jim was part of the test group before director certification was officially offered to the camping community.

He reflected on the life-changing impact Camp & Retreat Ministries has had on both campers and staff, where lives were pointed in a new direction or individuals received special care from staff that showed the love of God. Knowing that he has left behind in a couple of places a project or two that is still functioning and doing what it was designed to do is a source of satisfaction for him. Jim stated that in those cases, people don’t necessarily even know he was involved. He never liked to be in the limelight, preferring to serve in the background.

When Jim served as director of Camp Asbury in the Western New York Conference, a young kid came for a week of summer camp with some very troubling and disruptive behavior issues. Jim asked the staff, “Is he going to make it for the whole week?” The staff responded, “We’ve already figured that out. He’s going to succeed.” As Jim walked into the dining hall one day, he heard the most beautiful piano music, and realized it was the young kid playing. Needless to say, he had a successful time and stayed for the entire week.

Jim has also enjoyed being a ham radio operator on occasion, and shared that communicating with people in that way allows one to get to know someone without ever seeing them or knowing what they look like. At a ham radio event, he heard a voice that he just knew was a woman he had been talking to. Never before having had the opportunity to meet her in person, he found her there in a wheelchair – a brittle diabetic. She said to him, “You convinced my son Joey to go to camp!” Jim then remembered challenging Joey over the radio by saying “Joey, I dare you to come to camp.” Joey did come to camp, and he came back the next year as well. Because Joey came from a dysfunctional family and he was convinced that his mother was going to die while he was at camp, Jim and the staff made it possible for Joey to talk with his mother every night on the ham radio.

If Jim could pass a few words of wisdom on to other camp and retreat leaders, they would be, “Don’t burn your bridges behind you” and “Learn to be a better listener”.

In retirement Jim is looking forward to having more free time to spend with Anita doing activities they both love, including visiting with grandkids.

Thank you, Jim, for your years of service and for a job well done.

I admit it. The words “no more Apportionment dollars” struck fear deep in my heart. Early in 2015 we heard the word that starting in 2017, camp and retreat ministry was no longer a priority to receive Conference funding. I was watching about 20% of our revenue disappear before my eyes. The Board and staff started working to implement and improve sustainable business practices, and I was tasked with improving our fundraising abilities. Given my extremely limited knowledge and experience with fundraising, I knew it was time to find continuing education.

Just about then, S’more Mail included a link to the Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising class, offered through the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Perfect! Until I saw the price tag. A class for over $1,000, not including room/board and travel? That’s just not in my budget. But my Board Chair saw the value in it and said I should go ahead and register. I am so glad that I did.

Preparing for the class was pretty easy. There were a couple booklets and articles to read – which seemed kind of thin for four days of material – but the course was incredibly rich and in-depth.

The four sessions focused on both theological grounding for fundraising and the practical details of how to implement it well. We looked critically at our organizations/congregations, and at our own personal history of money and giving. Of course, we learned several tools for organizing and implementing our fundraising efforts. Throughout, there was a strong emphasis on the concept that fundraising really is ministry, and not just a tool that lets others do ministry. We emphasized the need to work out of a theology of abundance, not scarcity.

The final expectation of the class is to complete an independent project – which for me will be to implement an annual campaign. If I hadn’t taken this class, I would have been able to do this anyway. I would have done an acceptable job. But because of my experience in the class, I will be tackling three specific tasks I wouldn’t have otherwise done.

First, I will be converting our overwhelming, complicated, line-item budget into a narrative budget. Most people don’t understand line-item budgets, and they certainly don’t make any of us feel warm and fuzzy. People don’t give to budgets, but they do give to mission and ministry. A narrative budget allows you to tell the stories of how the money changes lives.

Second, I will be engaging our Board members in peer-to-peer fundraising. I do not expect my Board members to raise a set amount of money, but I will be teaching them how to share their own stories of why they give to camp. This should build the confidence of our Board members while simultaneously helping us find new donors.

Third, I will be planning personal visits, some with our historically generous donors, and others with my clergy colleagues. And as I meet with clergy, my real goal is to build ongoing connections with congregations and to find more contact information for potential donors. (But I’ll take any of their financial donations too!)

I still have to raise 20% of our budget, but things have changed. I have tools in hand, and my confidence level has risen significantly. I’m thrilled to have teachers I can turn to if I get confused, and I know I’ll stay in contact with some of my fellow students as well. I am no longer afraid; I’m actually kind of excited to get started.

I have lived in cities all my life. I was born in the East Village in Manhattan, then moved to San Francisco when I was five years old. Living in a concrete jungle has its advantages, but clean air and trees aren't included on that list. When I was eleven my father dropped me off at a summer camp up in the Sierra foothills for a week long stay. I felt excited to try something new, but also nervous at the same. Little did I know that this camp would forever alter the path of my life and that I would learn to call this place home.

The campsite was called Lodestar. When you arrive there is an ancient wooden sign at the mouth of camp proudly displaying the name like a badge of honor. As you drive down the dusty, rocky road you start to see all the tent cabins that generations have slept in. These tent cabins are from a bygone era; the only source of electricity is the single bulb that illuminates the sacred space. Canvas covers all the windows and doors and the friendly smell of dust greets you when cross the threshold. Upon your arrival at the main camp, you are greeted with open arms by cheerful and excited staff members. As the years melted away, I became one of those staff members.

At camp anything seemed possible. Back home, I enjoyed solitary activities like reading and playing with Legos. I had one or two good friends but not much of a social circle beyond that. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined myself doing the things I did at camp. I learned to dive into water two days after I had arrived. Four days in I was jumping out of a tree forty feet in the air (with the proper equipment). I was shooting arrows with compound bows and never hitting the targets, but having more fun than I ever had before. Even my social skills managed to get boosted in the years I was at camp. Everyone was equal under the stars. The same rules applied to everyone. I found myself talking to girls and groups of people that, being a shy nerd, I wouldn't even have looked at back in school. I was making lifelong friends I would keep to this day.

The most magical thing about Camp Lodestar after all these years is that the staff that works there now is essentially comprised of campers I met on that first day. We still enjoy camp, but on a level that requires us to not be takers of what camp has to offer, but givers. Every morning we gather with our small groups and discuss a lesson for that day. We pass down lessons to the kids on the value of human kindness, empathy and learning to acknowledge fear for what it is and not letting it control them. At the beginning of the week, we give each kid a sizeable rock and a sharpie. Every day of camp, we ask them to write something that they are afraid of on their rock. The last day of camp we walk the kids down to the creek and ask them to throw their rocks in the water and yell “I will not let fear overcome me!” Seeing them bursting with confidence and a sense of community, we are proud to be their leaders.

The kids who pass through have never been to camp before, let alone been around trees and wildlife. Every time one of the kids arrives it’s almost as if a tiny genesis occurs in their minds. All of the brand new sensory data overloads them and it is great to watch them take it all in, from the towering pines and red iron infused dirt to the little nettles that always seem to get stuck in our socks. Teaching them these skills and watching them grow is better than participating in the activities that I did as a camper. One activity that always sticks out for me is our daylong hike to the river. Usually the inner city kids are not too thrilled at the prospect of a five mile hike and on the first leg of that journey they do nothing but whine about how tired and upset they are. However, once we get to the river and they realize how much fun is to be had in these outdoors, I find it truly difficult to blow the whistle signaling the end of the day.

At the end of it all, I would not trade anything for the times I have had at Camp Lodestar. The week I get to spend up there every summer is worth paying for. I am truly a different person because of camp. If it had not been for camp, I never would have learned to take risks in my life. Being a leader at camp taught me to tolerate everyone for who they are, to put myself in another's shoes and to have a generous spirit. I owe it all to those 75 acres up in Wilseyville, California.

As your United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministry Association (UMCRM) continues to work toward a new program of Certification in Camp and Retreat Ministry with recognition in the church and our various Annual Conferences, we have partnered with the Compass Points Program (www.compasspointsprogram.org) to offer meaningful continuing education to our membership.

Compass Points is a two-year program offering a certificate of completion through Columbia (Presbyterian-affiliated) Theological Seminary in Atlanta. Participants take 6 courses offered in pairs, do an administrative visit to a site of choice, and close with a capstone event at their association’s annual or biannual gathering. Each course requires a portfolio piece/project to be completed following the class. Tuition is minimal at $250 per course and $100 for the site visit and capstone event.

The next opportunity to get started with the Compass Points program will be THIS September at the Life Enrichment Center in Fruitland Park, Florida. The Articulating Our Mission, Role, and Value and Personnel and Leadership courses will be offered back-to-back on September 13-19th with our own Cat Holbert (Lazy W Ranch, Cal-Pac) co-teaching the first class and Melissa Cooper (Life Enrichment Center, FL) co-teaching the second one.

Compass Points is an ecumenical continuing education program shared among the camp and retreat associations of the Presbyterian, Lutheran, United Church of Christ, and United Methodist denominations. We believe it to be a program of high quality that is focused on the specific issues facing the camp and retreat ministries we all love. We hope to be able to greet several new participants from UMCRM this fall.

The UMCRM Education Committee expects to complete a plan for Certification in Camp and Retreat Ministry for approval by the Board at our annual meeting in January. We anticipate that the Compass Points Certification courses will be included as a component of the new program plan.

If I can answer any questions, hear your words of advice/concern, or receive your recommendations, please email me.

The Rev. Gary Lawson, Sr. is Executive Director of Lakeshore United Methodist Assembly in Eva, TN. He was ordained an Elder in the Memphis Conference in 1987. He is serving a second term representing the Southeastern Jurisdiction on the UMCRM Association Board of Directors and chairs the newly-formed Education Committee. Gary and his wife Vickie share six children and twelve grandchildren. In addition, they’ve raised up many exceptional outdoor ministry leaders in their years at Lakeshore.

One of my favorite things to do at camp is lead low ropes/team-building/challenge course. I experience genuine joy working with a group and challenging them in new ways.  Being a witness to and a part of their growth, watching them move from being tentative to open and working together, from struggling with a task to problem-solving and figuring out what it all means; it can be a full blown lesson in transformation.

What’s really neat in a challenge course experience is the way you as a facilitator actually get to see emotional growth of the participants —sometimes as a group, other times as individuals and, occasionally, both. One particular time I was working with a group—they were in middle school, 6^th & 7^th graders mostly—that was having difficulty on a particular element. Lots of fussing, talking over each other, failing to acknowledge ideas …so I had them choose a leader. They chose the “popular” guy in the bunch, so I then asked him to choose the leader. He chose a much quieter, reserved guy. The way this young, seemingly timid teen took leadership was so natural and so at ease the rest of the group fell quickly into step and, from that point, they were able to quickly accomplish the task. As we wrapped up we were talking about what they’d experienced and what they were going to take home. Here, the answer that has stuck with me for years, the boy leader said, “I’ve learned that I can actually lead people. I had no idea.” 

Yes! He didn’t even know before, and now in this safe place he was able to discover the ability to work, as a leader, with a group of peers.  I like to think it was an opportunity for him—and the entire group—to practice emotional intelligence.  He was able to calm the group and move them toward success by listening to the variety of ideas with an accepting and gracious demeanor. 

I would describe emotional intelligence as the ability to know what emotions and feelings are present in yourself and in the people around you, to know how to manage yourself, and to influence others' behaviors.

Just like the hard skills of learning a language, math equations, chemistry formulas, or the techniques and skills of learning how to lay brick, repair plumbing, or style hair—individuals might be able to pick up bits and pieces without exercising drive or desire. But to really get good at these things I would argue that you’ve got to want it.  (Yes, there are occasionally geniuses and natural prodigies; for this, we’re going with the idea that most of us have to actually put in the effort to get good.) You’ve got to open your mind and put in the time to hone your skills, to practice, to try and fail and try again, to do it and do it and do it until you become competent.

Like any other competency we want to develop, emotional intelligence requires this same commitment and effort. Our camps and retreat centers offer a unique, safe playground for just the kind of practice that builds emotional intelligence. Campers, counselors, guests, volunteers, staff—anyone you can imagine being at camp—each has opportunities all day long to strengthen and challenge their emotional intelligence, whether they know it or not.

To practice emotional intelligence we basically have to “work out” four main areas:

1. Self-awareness: the ability to recognize our own emotions and how they impact others

2. Self-management: managing our emotions and behaviors in healthy ways

3. Social awareness: understanding the emotions, feelings, and behaviors of others based on emotional cues and group dynamics

4. Relationship management: building quality relationships, knowing how to influence, inspire, and work with others

Here's an article that explains in more detail.

Imagining camp as our playground, let’s use the playground equipment to work out our emotional intelligence muscles. Campers arrive as strangers or loose federations of friends, and they are placed into cabins to have, basically, giant, multi-day sleepovers. How much fun/terrifying is that? During this time, campers and their counselors living in this community will traverse through a variety of skill building opportunities. There will be campers who feel left out or homesick and must figure out (with the help of highly trained and amazing staff) how to manage this behavior. Sometimes campers aren’t super successful at managing it, but it’s still practice! Other times campers start out with tensions but are able to sort through those moments (with the help of those aforementioned counselors) and they actually do go home with a practiced and polished skill in self-management.

Oh, and the opportunities abound to practice self-awareness at camp! How many times did I, as a counselor, realize that my mood and body language were impacting how enthusiastic or engaged the campers were?  Most every camp counselor has heard, “If you’re into it the campers will be into it.” The best counselors—the ones I admired the absolute most—were the ones who were so good at self-awareness that they knew when it was time for a break, recognized when they needed personal time, and when they were down or tired, could identify when their negative energy was having a direct influence on the campers.  

Certainly campers, counselors, and other camp staff are perpetually being put into situation after situation that calls for increased social awareness.  It’s important if we’re going to live with each other 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, that each person is attentive to social cues. Perhaps as directors we learn early on that one of the counselors is superb at leading a small group discussion but lacks greatly in getting up in front of camp and leading group singing. That’s an example of how we are noting and practicing social awareness. Or as counselors, we quickly discern that one of the girls in our bunk wakes up early no matter what—how are we going to deal with that? Campers, too, are smart and usually learn quickly which of the staff is “cool,” and they’ll respond to that accordingly.

Social awareness is exercised all over the place at camp: at the pool, during meals, at Bible Study, on the lake, at the archery range, during unstructured time, practicing a skit, worship, the talent show, challenge course, etc.  Each one of these, in their own ways, offers a multitude of stretches for our social awareness —how to notice and respond to signs of discomfort or fatigue, signs of hyperactivity or enthusiasm, even confusion and embarrassment.

With all the play and practice of self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness at camp, relationship management seems to come as a fruit from these three. It seems that if we’re self-aware, that if we manage our emotions and we are cognizant of social cues, then our ability to form relationships and to influence others will naturally flow. However, those relationships and our ability to inspire and influence should still be practiced. We see relationship management muscles being flexed all over camp: counselors who are connecting to a group of campers, campers making personal connections with one another, and camp administrators determining how to best motivate staff.  Those connections and relationships are forged through vulnerable moments, shared laughter, and honest conversations.  

Living in community the way we do at camp offers a multitude of times for that vulnerability, honesty, and laughter. Our camp playgrounds, if you will, with moments sharing a meal, cabin time, learning a new skill, solving conflicts with old friends and making new friends—are filled with opportunities to practice emotional intelligence. As we are in our mega-busy seasons, let us as camp leaders seek to identify and help staff and campers identify those opportunities. With mindful intentionality we could certainly send our guests, our staff, and our campers (not to mention ourselves) back into the “real” world with heightened and sharpened emotional intelligence skills.

Cat Holbert, the Director at the “emotional intelligence playground” of Lazy W Ranch (CA), has a long history in camping and a passion for the transformation that living in a camp community brings. She serves on the UMCRM Association Board, as an ACA Visitor, and as the 2017 Event Chair for the National Camp & Retreat Leaders’ Gathering. (Interested in being on the team?--Contact Cat at lazywranchdirector@calpaccamps.org). Cat loves homemade pizza, playing guitar, and hanging out with her dog and husband!

What Camps Can Learn From McDonald’s

When it comes to statistics about the church, numbers rarely surprise me anymore. Instead, data that firms like the Barna Group and the Pew Research Center pull together usually end up verifying the symptoms I see and experience. Are you feeling this in your ministry setting, too?

So when the Pew Research Group published a report from a study about religious affiliations of the U.S. population, sadly I was unsurprised. Just as I hear about the struggles of other Christian camps and experience them in my own ministry, the gasping canary in the coal mine was confirmed: more and more, the people we want to serve are choosing to be unaffiliated from the church.

While mainline Protestant affiliation dropped 3.4% to only 14.7% of those surveyed between 2007 and 2014, the choice of being unaffiliated to any religion climbed by 6.7% to 22.8%. Almost a quarter of people surveyed have chosen (or not chosen?) to remain unaffiliated from an organized religion.

As I tried to apply this information to the work we do in United Methodist Camp & Retreat Ministries, oddly my mind turned to a very different place: McDonald’s. No, it wasn’t lunchtime. In fact, even if it was, I likely wouldn’t think of McDonald’s as a primary lunch option any more. And that is a problem McDonald’s has been facing for the last several years.

A long time ago, back when I was a kid, McDonald’s was a major part of the American experience. The idea of convenient fast food that would bring families together seemed great. As a kid, I went to numerous birthday parties at McDonald’s, where the orange punch flowed freely as we ate our cheeseburgers and watched as the birthday boy/girl unwrapped presents right in the McDonald’s restaurant.

Today? Today I barely even call McDonald’s a restaurant. Their food has quickly become viewed as inedible, thanks to documentaries like Super Size Me. And competition from “healthier” options like Subway and Chipotle have hurt McDonalds' profits as well as their long-term image.

In an effort to rebrand themselves a few years ago, McDonald’s took to social media very actively to try to recapture their audience. Believing that their core products were still viable and wanted, they did their best to rekindle the memories so many people had about their business. They reached out to the mom-bloggers with hopes that McDonald’s could return as an instinct destination for the always-busy families of America. And for a while, it worked. As is often the case, marketing can be the gasoline that, when poured on a fire, burns brightly--for a while. The problem with marketing, though, is that it doesn’t really change your product. It just draws attention.

When McDonalds' profits again fell sharply at the end of 2012, the writing was on the wall. Things had to actually change. Real, tangible change; not just a new social media campaign or catchy jingle this time. In recent weeks, McDonald’s has announced a few big changes that seek to address the issues in new ways. They are starting to offer their highly popular breakfast menu all day long. To be more health friendly, they have dropped seven sandwiches from their menu. And there is talk of trying to include more organic-sourced ingredients to soften their highly-processed image.

It seems that after some major hiccups, McDonald’s is finally learning what they need to do to be successful. They aren’t burying their head in the sand and continuing with the same unsuccessful tactics. They aren’t leaning just on marketing to draw people in. And they aren’t abandoning their core of being a hamburger fast-food restaurant. They are listening to their customers and doing their best to meet their changing needs.

I think the church, and, more specifically, the camp and retreat centers, find themselves in a very similar situation. For decades, the ways that the traditional church and the camps operated were successful. Every year we got camp ready, we mailed our catalogs out to the churches, and when June came, the kids showed up. Camp was the first thing on the summer calendar for families. It was the golden era of church camp.

As time has passed though, things have changed. The churches have thinned out, just as the numbers from the Pew Research Group have confirmed for us. And as the churches have thinned, so has our direct pool of campers. The catalogs that were once sent to full churches now are reaching far fewer full pews. In some cases they are reaching churches that are more concerned about their own survival than how to get some kids to camp this summer.

And how have camps responded? Well, if workshop attendance at the National Camp & Retreat Leaders' Gathering is any indication, many camps are following the same early path that McDonald’s did. Believing that we still have a great experience that is time-tested and has worked for decades, we pursue a big push on marketing. Assuming that if people just knew we existed, surely they would show up. And just like they did for McDonald’s, those numbers likely would go up-- for a while.

When we try to present the same camping experience to a different group of people, we should not be surprised when the results are not the same. A growing unaffiliated population does not see the same inherent value in a Christian camp experience that a Christian-affiliated person would. So as the population has changed, perhaps it is time for camp to find a way to change as well?

Before you stop reading, please hear me out. McDonald’s didn’t stop its core business, and I’m not saying camps or the church should, either. We are still about the holy work of sharing the grace and love of Jesus Christ. But how do we do that good work for someone who is unaffiliated and in most cases uninterested in the church? What are the things on our “menu” that we need to consider changing?

For many camps trying to change, this has meant upgrades in facilities to try to make them more comfortable. The modern interpretation of the word “camping” often means an adventure in nature during the day, but a soft pillow to sleep on once the sun goes down. Improved beds, separate rooms for adults, more bathrooms, more privacy, and added air conditioning are all part of an attempt to change the perception of the word “camping” for this generation.

Another area that camps shouldn’t necessarily need to change, but which could benefit from new emphasis, is being a safe place. The post-9/11 family has much higher anxiety about safety than it ever did. If you can provide a setting that is not only safe, but also feels safe in the way a neighborhood did several decades ago, families will return year-after-year for peace of mind.

Programmatically, to reach the unaffiliated we may need to consider giving more choice and different ways to experience faith. More work should probably go into experiential learning activities that engage more learning styles than simply reading through a Bible study as a group.

When it comes to worship, we need to think about who we are hoping to reach, and how we are representing the church they actively choose to not be a part of. To the advantage of camp, our worship is often very different than the traditional church setting. A simple guitar sing-a-long around a campfire is a unique experience and hopefully one that allows new bonds to be formed in worship. Rather than just another sermon, scripture can be tied into a message about the day spent together as a community at camp, building on shared and relatable experience.

We likely haven’t seen the end of the decline of the numbers representing mainline Christianity. It would be easy to view that as discouraging news, but I try to view it as opportunity instead. When Jesus started His ministry, it turns out there weren’t a lot of Christians either. More than marketing, more than facilities or programming, it was His message of love and grace that began to grow the church as we know it today. And if we can get only one thing right, that message of love and grace will continue to draw people of all affiliations (or non-affiliations) to the work we are a part of.

Nick Coenen is the Site Director at Pine Lake United Methodist Camp in Westfield, WI. He has been in ministry at Pine Lake for 9 years and lives on site with his wife Jamie their four kids. If he could be any animal in the world, Nick would be a pileated woodpecker.

In a time where resources are dwindling and are ever more focused on local congregations rather than conference-wide projects, programs, and places, we as camp and retreat leaders must continuously tell the story of our relevance to everyday discipleship and local congregational ministry.

Our local congregations know as well as we do that we as a church, both denominationally and globally, are at a crossroads. Some things have to change, or there won't be any things left to change.

We have a part to play in that change. Any deep change in any organization, especially one so steeped in tradition - and sometimes dysfunction – as the church; one whose purpose is not only practical but deeply emotional; one that deals with people in the most significant and sincere sense – that deep change requires an intentional process.

One of the most effective ways to guide people through a time of change is referred to as the head-heart-hands approach. I've seen this approach work wonders in the area of intergenerational ministry and helping churches move from a siloed approach (separate age level ministries, age-segregated worship, etc.) to an approach that is inclusive of all generations and facilitates interaction between them.

First, people must be convinced that the change is needed through information and cognitive means – the head. Second, they must find meaning and need for the change in the spiritual and emotional realms – the heart. The first two can be accomplished through workshops and personal relationship building, but finally, the turning point comes with the hands.

The “hands” step of this process is where camps and retreat centers have everything to offer. In order for a change to be accepted, it's imperative that those who are going through that change have a positive experience of what the outcome is intended to be.

Often this experience is not easily created within the regular church setting. Often it's not welcome because of the power of place – whether a change in venue, worship style, small group ministry, children's church, or even just the color of the carpet – it's hard to introduce something new in a place filled with so many traditions, emotions, and – let's be honest – opinions.

When it comes to intergenerational ministry, our center offers family camps and retreats to help with this step of the process. For example, bringing kids back into worship on Sunday morning is fraught with fear and loathing from many congregants of all ages. So why not start the process on neutral ground?

One non-negotiable at Family Camp is worship. Every day, we worship. And worship is for everyone. We have childcare for the youngest kids during some sessions, but never during worship. At camp, we facilitate a worship experience inclusive of all generations, including the youngest, the oldest, and everyone in between.

By providing that experience – that positive experience – of what a church may be working toward in their local setting, we help them open the door for change. After trying it on at camp, our Family Campers are just a little more open to the idea of worshiping together at home. Our “Dad and Me” Weekend fathers are just a little more prepared to pray with their kids. All because they got to experience what it's about in a non-threatening, neutral but sacred, different camp environment.

Often this process is led by the kids themselves! I've had many parents email or call about a resource we used, or a song we sang, because now they are being told they must do it at home!

Although my experience is specific to the intergenerational culture shift in congregations, the same process and concepts can be applied to nearly any change. And our camp and retreat centers have so, so much to offer.

We camp and retreat leaders know the power of getting away – and that's a power we have to offer. In processing a change, what a gift we have to offer for a church to come away to sacred but neutral ground. We can offer them a place where the opportunity for positive experience is most possible. We can offer them a place where participants are more open to God's movement, more aware of God's presence, and less tied down by traditionalism and “we've always done it that way.” We can offer them a place where folks can go home with fresh heads, hearts, and hands full of new, exciting experiences.

We have a lot to offer the church, especially in this crucial time of transition and transformation. Let's help it be an exciting time for churches as they move into their next phases, and into God's next phase for all of us together.

Rev. Melissa Cooper is an ordained deacon, the Program Coordinator for the Life Enrichment Center and the Director of LECFamily, a ministry that includes intergenerational retreats and camps, resources for families and churches, as well as training and workshops for local churches and leaders. She has a passion for the present and future of the church and loves helping to equip churches to expand and strengthen their ministries. She is married to Will and they have two adorable four-legged children. You can find out more about LECFamily at www.lecfamily.org. 

Recently camp leaders from across the country gathered at Ferncliff, a Presbyterian camp and retreat center in Arkansas, for three days of training focused on helping camps respond to school violence. The training provided a unique opportunity for other camps to learn from Ferncliff’s experience in working with the survivors of school violence.   

In March of 1998 two students from Westside Middle School near Jonesboro, Arkansas shot and killed a teacher, four of their classmates and injured ten others. In response to the shooting, Davis Gill, Executive Director at Ferncliff, wanted the camp to help the young people impacted by the tragedy. After months of making connections, building trust with students and parents and developing a program, Ferncliff held a special weeklong residential summer camp for 68 students from Westside Middle School.  

The camp proved to be powerful in the helping the healing process for the survivors of the Westside shooting. It provided a safe place where they could be kids again. At camp they were able to laugh, play and have fun, all of which many had struggled to do in the months following the shooting. Based on the success of the first camp, Ferncliff made the commitment to work with the Westside students until they graduated. In addition, Ferncliff expanded its reach to survivors from other school shootings.

At the training, camp leaders were able to hear firsthand from school shooting survivors about the devastating impact of these traumatic events. Survivors from Westside, Columbine, and Sandy Hook shared their experiences and how these events changed their lives. They discussed the healing process and gave camp leaders insights into what helped and didn’t help in the process. They also shared how important the camp experience provided by Ferncliff had been for survivors.

David Gill and others from Ferncliff shared with camp leaders how the camp for survivors operated. The group discussed scheduling, staffing, funding and programming for these special camps. Ferncliff also shared important lessons learned through the years.

As a result of the training, Presbyterian Church (USA) camp and retreat ministry, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the camps in attendance have begun the process of developing a network of camps prepared to respond to school shootings. This collaborative effort will look at standards, training and certification for this unique type of ministry.

On the last night of the training camp leaders and survivors gathered at Ferncliff’s labyrinth, which was built by campers from Westside. [Read more about the labyrinth here.] As they walked silently through the center of the labyrinth they passed stones painted with the names of schools that have experienced school shootings. The stones were a poignant reminder of the impact of school violence on young people. They also, however, represented the power of camps, both in the past and in the future, to serve as places of healing for these young people.

John Erdman served as Director of three Christian camp and retreat centers (two of them UMC-affiliated) before his recent move to lead Living River, a new Presbyterian Camp, Retreat, and Environmental Education Center in central Alabama. Before moving into full-time camp ministry, John worked in leadership development, training, and human resources positions in business and higher education. He is also a veteran of the United States Air Force. John holds undergraduate degrees in Government and Management from the University of Maryland and a Masters degree in Education from the University of Oklahoma. He and his wife Donna have five children and six grandchildren. 

Responses from The Pursuit campers vividly express the impact of their experience:

Did you experience (whether prior to, or during your Pursuit Camp) a call to ministry? 

If yes, do you have a better understanding of how to respond to that call since attending a Pursuit Camp? 

Do you have a deeper understanding of the Christian faith after attending a Pursuit Camp?

Do you feel more equipped to share the gospel in a scriptural way after attending a Pursuit Camp?

  … a resounding “Yes!”

Tell us about your experience as part of The Pursuit and share with us some of what you learned.

“I experienced God in ways that I never have before.”

“I learned that it's okay to not be a perfect leader; God will get you through any task when you ask.”

“Pursuit Camp helped me acknowledge a calling that I had previously been ignoring, and has helped me open up to others, and be more willing to talk about my walk with Christ.”

“Through the love of others and the love of God I discovered my passion for helping others, and how great it is to glorify Christ in every moment of the day.”

How have you, or how do you plan to apply what you learned during your Pursuit Camp?

“Since camp, I have taken on a leadership role in my youth group, and I work with the younger kids in an attempt to let their voices be heard.”

“I have accepted the position of secretary on my local soil conservation board and have invested myself more in starting a devotional group at school that meets every morning before school starts. I have also become a servant leader in my church youth group.”

“The one thing I want to do in life is to spread the word of God & the feeling of camp to other eager youth.” 

Explain what you think it looks like for a person to work "in ministry.”

“They put others above themselves and learn to live for God, even if that means giving up everything to follow Him. They don't necessarily have to be a missionary or minister, they can be a normal person. Ministry is sharing the gospel, no matter what position you are in.”

“Anyone can work in ministry simply by witnessing the unconditional love of Christ. By simply living your life through Christ you are in ministry.”

The Pursuit camps are accepting registrations for their second summer season at Loucon. Praise God for the lives already transformed, and for all those whom God will reach through this new generation of ministry leaders.

Troy first went to camp as a third grader, on the shores of Kentucky Lake at Lakeshore Camp and Retreat Center in Eva, Tennessee. He only missed one summer over the next 25 years. Troy worked as a volunteer and seasonal staff, counseling, leading activities, and directing Wilderness Camps before he was hired full-time as Lakeshore’s first Program Director.

But ask the animals, and they will teach you;

the birds of the air, and they will tell you; 

ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you;

and the fish of the sea will declare to you. 

Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?