TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW January 23, 2009
1. Camping Anyone?
2. Cedar Crest Task Force Report3. Youth Camps 2009
4. Children’s Camps 2009
5. Meet Christine Penner, Cedar Crest Program Director
6. The Seven Foundations of Camp and Retreat Ministries
8. Tennessee Conference United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries 2009
9. Camps and Retreats — Local Churches: An Unparalleled Faith-Shaping Partnership
10. United Methodist camps transform lives
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Camping Anyone?
By Dickie Hinton, Conference Director of Camp and Retreat Ministries
In a recent blog, Bishop Sally Dyck of Minnesota makes the following statement about camping ministry:
“The Sunday afternoon and evening following annual conference, I went out to Kingswood camp to teach the "theology" session for our camp counselors. It's great fun, partly because most of them are young adults and I enjoy listening to and interacting with them. Although, two of our camp counselors are retirees (think about that!). I shared my presuppositions about camp:
1) Parents send kids to camp for spiritual formation.
2) Church camp provides in its 24/7 format the opportunity for more than 1 year of Sunday School impact.
3) Over 80% of adults in church today became Christians by or during their teen years.
4) 60-85% of those adults made their first commitment to Christ at camp.So, the week of camp is an important one in the life of campers, counselors, our annual conference, and the mission of our church which is to make disciples of Jesus Christ!”
Wow! What a responsibility and better yet, what a tremendous OPPORTUNITY!
Worship is an intergral part of all camp experiences. Here, Elementary Campers and Staff Worship together at Cedar Crest Camp.
Our Tennessee Conference Camp and Retreat Ministries are at an important place in history. We are in the process of re-evaluating our entire structure and we are presently studying the use of our facilities at Cedar Crest. We stand in need of the prayers of our annual conference as we develop program ministries designed with the intention of making disciples of Jesus Christ. We also need your support and your ideas! Please feel free to e-mail your thoughts or your concerns to ccrm@tnumc.org .
If your church needs assistance in any way to plan or execute an event at one of our facilities, if you need new retreat ideas for your church or for groups in your church, or if you need a Sunday morning or Wednesday evening speaker, please feel free to call or e-mail Reverend Dickie Hinton at the Office of Camp and Retreat Ministries. He is available to help with your needs in this important area of ministry.
In the meantime though, we are open for business and we are available for your church or group to utilize our facilities. We have availability at both camps and would love to have you visit us at Cedar Crest or Beersheba Springs Assembly. Reservations can be made for both camps by calling the Office of Camp and Retreat Ministries at (931)692-3669. Our address is: P.O. Box 577, Beersheba Springs, TN 37305 and our e-mail is: tnumcamps@tnumc.org
Hope to see you on the Beersheba mountain or in the Cedar Crest woods by the lake!
Cedar Crest Task Force Progress Report
By Debbie Robinson, Task Force Chairperson
Moving into Cabins at Cedar Crest
By vote of the 2008 Annual Conference, a Cedar Crest Task Force was formed in August 2008. The original resolution to Annual Conference asked the task force to consider four possible directions the Annual Conference could take concerning the use of the Cedar Crest property. These possible directions were to:
1. Continue the current direction of Cedar Crest.
2. Upgrade facilities and ministry programs.
3. Change the mission of the camp.
4. Liquidate the property.
The resolution accepted by the Annual Conference asked that a Conference Task Force review the recommendation and report to the 2009 Annual Conference.
The first meeting for this group was held on September 11, 2008. Those asked to serve on the Task Force include Bud Alexander, Dickie Hinton, Jim Allen, Lori Holliman, Lory Brooks, Cathie Leimenstoll, Adam Burgett, Loyd Mabry, Terry Carty, Debbie Robinson, John Casey, Sharon Peters, Stephen Handy , Lanita Monroe Pride, Alejandro Hinojosa.
Creek wading is a popular activity at Cedar Crest Camp
During the initial meeting, time was spent focusing the group on the task ahead, outlining specific information that would be needed, and setting specific tasks to be accomplished. Cedar Crest has played an important role in the ministry of the Tennessee Annual Conference for many years but has seen a drop in use and camp attendance during the last five years. The Task Force has spent some time exploring that decrease and will seek additional input from others in the Conference.
Since the original meeting, sessions have been held with Bishop Richard Wills and with the Cabinet. One of our meetings was held at Cedar Crest and included a comprehensive tour of the grounds and facilities. Conversations have also been held with Kathy Trotter and Jody Oates of Kaleidoscope Camp Consultants. Kathy and Jody are nationally known consultants in Camping and Outdoor Ministries and have helped many Annual Conferences and Camps evaluate and improve their ministries.
In addressing the areas set forth by the resolution, the Task Force will look at the entire vision of camping ministries for the Conference, safety issues, fiscal responsibilities, current effectiveness and viability of Cedar Crest, etc. It is critical in the exploration of these issues that other members of the Conference be heard. Our objective for the next two months with the help of Kaleidoscope is to provide a mechanism for that input from others.
Seven key reasons why we do Camping and Outdoor Ministry have been addressed and will be used in our exploration. Those reasons are that we:
· Provide intentional experiences and places apart from the local church
· Extend genuine Christian hospitality and community
· Nurture Christian Faith and discipleship
· Develop Christian spiritual leaders
· Teach creation care and appreciation
· Collaborate with United Methodist churches and agencies
· Inspire and equip all guests to do love and service
The Task Force is committed to the responsibility and work set forth in the resolution. We are prayerfully moving forward with our work and seek discernment and guidance from God. We do seek and value the ideas, connections and input from the entire Conference and hope you will make contact with us if you have ideas, dreams, hopes or disappointments you wish to share or questions you wish to ask.
Youth Camps 2009
by Christine Penner, Program Director
This is going to be the best year yet for youth camps! In 2009, we’re “raising the bar” with some incredible programming that’ll knock your socks off (spiritually speaking, of course).
We’re also offering a much bigger variety of camping opportunities this year than ever before. That way, students can choose from among the programming options experiences that are tailored to their interests.
Canoeing is always an adventure at Cedar Crest
Camp Survivor (for graduated 6th-8th graders, June 28-July 1) and Camp Challenge (for graduated 9th-12th graders, June 22-26) are new adventure camps at Cedar Crest. These camps offer opportunities for campers to complete physical challenges, take time for spiritual reflection, learn new skills, and make new friends.
Campers will take part in traditional camp events like arts and crafts, water games, swimming, hiking, talent shows, and campfires; and they will also test their survival skills through low-element ropes courses, group initiatives, canoeing, archery, open-fire cooking, and outdoor orienteering. Adventure campers may be housed in cabins, tents, or covered outdoor platforms.
Campers learn parallel lessons between these activities and their own personal spiritual development, learning about God’s outdoors and how to survive the ecological challenges of the future as a person of faith.
Ignite the Fire (for graduated 6th-12th graders, June 8-12) is a fun and challenging combination of both on-site and off-site activities for middle and high school students at Beersheba Springs to help them “Ignite the Fire” of their faith. Weather permitting, campers will go hiking at Greeter Falls, swimming at Blue Hole Riverbed, visiting Mayhew’s pottery barn, and rock climbing at Stone Door State Park.
On site, campers can play volleyball or capture the flag, attend a barn dance, get to know young people from other churches, and participate in devotional opportunities designed to help teens push themselves not only physically but also spiritually.
Celebration (for graduated 6th-12th graders, July 29-31) provides an opportunity to explore for youth to explore their gifts and learn how their unique talents can be utilized for worship. Youth will explore and develop specific musical, spoken, and visual arts to create worship experiences for the community; and campers who wish to combine Celebration with Summer Sizzler will help lead worship during the Summer Sizzler weekend.
Youth worship together at Summer Sizzler at Beersheba Springs Assembly.
Summer Sizzler (for graduated 6th-12th graders, July 31-August 2) combines community building, small group experiences, outstanding messages from a special guest speaker, and worship to bring an amazing end to the summer youth ministry camping season. Held at Beersheba, this has been our traditional send-off for seniors who recently graduated form high school.
Loaves and Fishes Mission Weekends (for people of all ages May 15-17 and May 22-24) are opportunities for you to come “feast” on discipleship and service with your friends, family members, and congregation as we work together to improve the camp facilities. During this weekend, you will work hard, play hard, and pray hard—working to create an even more hospitable environment for camps housed at Cedar Crest. Two millennia ago, Jesus used a couple of loaves of bread and a few fish to feed multitudes. Experience how God continues to multiply our efforts today, as you work on facilities that will be used by children, youth, and families for generations to come.
All of our camps practice Safe Sanctuary principles and take seriously the safety and security of young people. We are also committed to providing environments in which spiritual transformation can occur. Our job is to provide young people with experiences that will form their faith for years to come.
If you have any questions about these camping events or facilities usage for custom events for your youth group, please don’t hesitate to contact us at tnumcamps@tnumc.org
or (931)692-3669.
Children’s Camps 2009
by Christine Penner, Program Director
This is going to be a great year for Children’s Camps in the Tennessee Conference! We’re offering some old faithful, tried-and-true experiences, along with some exciting, brand-new experiences for kids in 2009.
Cedar Crest Camp has a progressive residential camping program for elementary age children, which encourages them to engage in age-appropriate activities, allowing them to be challenged physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Boating fun at Cedar Crest Camp
Kids will enjoy many on-site activities, including: canoeing, arts and crafts, water games, swimming, hiking, archery, tree climbing, outdoor cooking, low elements challenge course, talent shows, and campfires. Campers learn parallel lessons between these activities and their own personal spiritual development, reflecting on God’s natural world and sensing Christ’s presence throughout the week.
Children’s camps are organized in a family group structure (one boy group and one girl group together) so that campers spend time with other male and female campers in their same age group during the day, with devotions and rest time in their respective cabins. This type of structure promotes strong camper-to-camper and camper-to-staff relationships. The rustic cabins sleep campers and staff in single bunks, and individual cabin groups may vary (up to nine campers), with a maximum of 16 campers per family group.
Elementary Camp creates smiles and pals!
Agape Camp is for graduated 3rd & 4th graders and will be held June 22-26, July 6-10, and July 20-24. Agape is the Greek work Jesus used to describe the kind of love God has for us—a selfless, sacrificial kind of love—and it is the type of love we will explore this camp week.
Icthus Camp is for graduated 5th & 6th graders and will be held the weeks of July 6-10, July 13-17, and July 20-24. “Icthus” is the ancient Greek word for “fish,” commonly depicted as the “Jesus Fish,” which was a symbol used by early Christians who had to meet in secret in order to avoid prosecution. Icthus Camp participants will explore lives of vibrant faith even in the midst of opposition.
“Just Me” Mini-Camp is for graduated 2nd & 3rd graders held June 1-3 and June 17-19. It is a shortened version of our week-long elementary resident camp. This three-day, two-night camp is a fun introduction for first-time or younger campers. Activities are geared toward interactive in nature, so that campers are encouraged to make friends with other group members and stay busy from morning to night (also helping avoid homesickness).
Mustard Seed Camp is an all-new camp experience for graduated Pre-K through 1st grade students and their parents, held June 19-20.This terrific two-day, one-night camp helps introduce young children and their parents to Cedar Crest. Campers attend this session with a parent or guardian and experience the many fun activities offered in a full-week session, but on a smaller scale. Most of the time is spent with kids and parents playing and learning together, although some separate activities are planned during the day, as well, to encourage independence and enhance kids’ comfort level in coming to camp on their own in the future. The mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds, but it produces large trees. Jesus used the mustard seed to describe how even just a little faith can produce big results. You’ll be surprised how even just a short time at Cedar Crest will produce lasting fruit in the lives of children.
All of our camps practice Safe Sanctuary principles and take seriously the safety and security of children. We are also committed to providing environments in which spiritual transformation can occur. Our job is to provide your kids with experiences that will form their faith for years to come.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at tnumcamps@tnumc.org
or (931)692-366
Meet Christine Penner, Cedar Crest Program Director
Christine Penner
Christine Penner is the new Program Director for Cedar Crest Camp and Spiritual Retreat Center. She has been working with children and youth for almost two decades in a variety of contexts, currently serving as the Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries at Westview United Methodist Church in Fairview, Tennessee.
In addition to her duties at her home church, Christine is Youth Coordinator for the Columbia District of the United Methodist Church, where she connects youth leaders to one another and to opportunities for training and support. She also coordinates spiritual formation and soul care experiences for hundreds of youth ministers from various denominations all across the country at Youth Specialties National Youth Worker Conventions. In addition, Christine serves as the Executive Director for DevelopMinistries, a speaking, writing, and consulting organization that launched The Journal of Student Ministries, the most widely circulated professional journal for youth ministry in the world.
Prior to her role at Westview UMC, she served as a volunteer youth leader at Presbyterian and Baptist churches in Tennessee and Texas. She also served as a counselor at several camps, recently helping develop the counselor-in-training program at NaCoMe Camp and Conference Center about 30 minutes down the road from Cedar Crest.
Christine is married to Will Penner and is the mother of five fabulous children: Devin, age 17 (vice-president of the Tennessee Conference Council on Youth Ministries); Austin, age 15 (reporter of the Westview UMC Youth Council); Nikki, age 7; Daniel, age 5; and Bethany, less than 1 month old as of publication.
Christine describes herself as “extremely excited about the upcoming camp season.” She goes on to say, “Each camp is packed full of activities that will encourage team building skills, community with others, and—above all—deepening Christian faith.” She has already added new activities, such as archery, in order to make this camp season “a memory that will last a lifetime.”
She wanted to make sure Cedar Crest had opportunities that would fit everyone’s needs, so there are more options from which to choose for 2009. “If you’re not ready to let your little one go to camp alone, for instance, we have a camp for you to share in the experience with them,” she explains, referring to the Mustard Seed Camp. “If they’re ready to go without you, but not for a full week, we’ve got you covered” with the ‘Just Me’ Camp. “But if your children are ready for the full camp experience, we have a camp for you.” These refer to the Icthus and Agape Camps.
Overall, Christine is excited and energetic about this year: “My prayer”, she says, “is that this camp season is a time of renewal—and the beginning of many wonderful years to come.”
The Seven Foundations of United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries
Vesper Point is One of the Sacred Places at Beersheba Springs Assembly
These 7 core areas of ministry have been identified by camp and retreat leaders from across the nation as the essential components and reasons that the church has established our centers and ministry. A significant biblical-theological essay and background have been developed on each, which is now being used in the training of staff and volunteers. We are striving in our efforts in the Tennessee Conference to strengthen our camp and retreat ministry in these core areas, so that our camp operations, spiritual practices, programs, and environment reflect and live out these values in relation to all of our participants and guests more consistently and at deeper levels. We are committed to:
1. Providing Places of Renewal and Re-creation:
We provide children, youth, adults, and families with opportunities to find sanctuary and rest from the many pressures and distractions characteristic of modern life, so they can:
a. Renew physically, mentally, and spiritually.
b. Get back in touch with what inspires purpose and joy for them.
c. Seek God in a setting combining silence and stillness with refreshing play and adventure.
Christian camps and retreats are not escapes from life; they are quite the opposite. These experiences are geared to enhance a person's ability to recognize the goodness and sacredness of life in every moment. Guests learn to slow down, to notice, and to become more attuned with what is happening around them and within them. It is so easy to be distracted and to sacrifice the beauty and possibilities of the present by living in the past or worrying about the future. Often, getting away from routine provides a major recharge. It offers the gifts of disconnecting, assessing, and refocusing, so people can revision and return to live more thankfully and with greater purpose. Christian camps and retreats are meant to be more than recreation. They are intended to be experiences of re-creation. Camp and retreat settings are especially powerful places for journeys of the heart.
2. Deepening Christian Discipleship:
United Methodist camps and retreat centers invite participants and guests to delve more deeply into the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. This is core to our purpose and a unique gift of Christian camp and retreat centers. Camps and retreats often spark people's interest in new ways through a wide variety of experiential learning offerings and self-initiated explorations. This highly engaging and effective approach centers on doing meaningful and fun activities, and then reflecting about the insights gained that have application to daily life. It moves people from just talking about Christian principles and ideas to actually incorporating them in daily relationships. Christian discipleship, ultimately, leads to a deeper connection with God and an expanding faith or trust in God's love for oneself and the entire creation.
3. Extending Holy Hospitality and Caring Community to All:
Another vital expression of Christian service is the sacred practice of welcoming the stranger. The staff and volunteers of our centers try very hard to reflect the embrace of God for all people by creating environments and experiences of Christian love for those who come. We welcome people from many walks of life and seek to inspire them to befriend, honor, and appreciate one another. We not only care for physical needs, such as food and lodging, but we also seek to intentionally nurture the soul through the "fruit of the Spirit" by extending peace, patience, kindness, joy, and love. Camp and retreat centers are one of the few places available for people from different homes, cultures, faiths, and economic backgrounds to live with one another for twenty-four hours per day for a weekend, week, or longer. A goal of the camp and retreat center is to encourage groups and participants to create an experience of beloved community for one another through shared meals, activities, friendships, and spiritual growth. When people engage in removing the barriers that separate and discover the joy of mutual embrace, they are moved to do the same in the wider society throughout their lives.
4. Nurturing Spiritual Leadership:
People who have a heart to move out in the world to meet true needs and to lead with integrity and sensitivity among those most in need are crucial both for the church and for society at large. United Methodist camps and retreat centers give staff, volunteers, and participants a variety of opportunities that help them grow as leaders. They will work with groups of people who collaborate in projects and programs to enhance the community experience and lives of others. This can be through programs at the camp and retreat centers or by traveling to do mission and service projects where help is desired and needed. Many people discover gifts and abilities that are affirmed in ways that move them to greater understanding and appreciation of their own capabilities to lead others in doing good and avoiding harm. Our camps and retreat centers also support those already leading in local churches and other organizations by providing time and space for their own renewal, inspiration, and listening for God's guidance about the direction of their lives and their leadership.
5. Teaching Earth Care and Faith:
The location of United Methodist camps and retreat centers within beautiful natural environments is no accident. The church wants people to engage with the creation because the natural world speaks of the Creator. Multitudes of individuals sense God's presence afresh, while in the midst of nature. Faith communities have discovered time and time again that the natural world is a powerful avenue of God's self-revelation. All creatures are loved by God, and the diversity of species is precious. Nature sustains us, revives us, stirs a sense of awe, and reveals insights into the meaning of life because its source is God. Environmental care and social justice are key priorities. It is crucial today to resist and prevent the rapid destruction of the natural world, which is happening on a large scale across the planet. Camp and retreat ministry, at its best, encourages and models practices that reduce consumption, recycle products, and reuse items, in order to educate and stir people to live more simply so that other creatures and their environments are not destroyed. All this is part of Christian faith and living. People can learn about and observe conservation techniques and participate in practices that can then be implemented back home within business and personal lives.
6. Partnering with United Methodist Local Churches and Agencies:
One of the most fruitful and vital dimensions of United Methodist camp and retreat ministries is our participation in a tremendous covenant connection of United Methodist congregations and organizations across the United States and the world. We support one another in a common mission that touches local communities far beyond the boundaries of our camps and retreat center sites. Local congregations and regional agencies endeavor to respond to the pressing needs of the people and communities in their areas. We partner by listening, understanding, and supporting the major ministry goals and priorities of local churches, conferences, and United Methodist agencies. This takes multiple forms from designing faith-based programs that help members grow in Christian faith and service . . . to hosting discernment and ministry planning retreats . . . to jointly providing experiences and services that directly transform the lives of people and communities served by United Methodist churches and agencies.
7. Inspiring Guests and Non-Profit Groups to Love and Justice:
United Methodist camps and retreat centers intentionally host and serve many other nonprofit groups who come for team building, leadership development, and planning and implementing programs. We develop collaborative relationships and joint efforts with religiously affiliated, educational, governmental, social service and other nonprofits who endeavor to improve life in a number of ways. These nonprofit organizations have a clear purpose to better the world. Christian collaboration with other caring persons and groups is very important. When the leaders of these nonprofit groups are supported, encouraged, and aided in becoming more effective in the good they do, they then return to their communities to touch hundreds of thousands of people. It is another way that The United Methodist Church helps to make a significant difference in the world by inspiring and supporting those advancing love and justice.
The Tennessee Conference Camp and Retreat Ministries are attempting to plan both our operations and programs around these Seven Core Foundations of United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministry. Throughout Cedar Crest and Beersheba, you will find reminders of how our operations teach creation care and how we extend genuine Christian hospitality to all of our guest and neighbors as well as to our churches. Our retreats and summer camps all help to nurture the faith of those who participate.
If you have any ideas of how we can better fulfill any of these core values please give us your suggestion. We are always looking for partners in ministry. The Camp and Retreat Ministry of this conference is intended to be an extension of everything else that our churches do.
Beersheba Springs Plans to Honor Four Bishops
Beersheba Springs Assembly is seeking to honor the Bishops who have been elected out of the Tennessee Annual Conference by naming the rooms in the newly rennovated Brick Row (The Lois Banks Nunley Conference Center on Brick Row). We are seeking the help of individuals and/or churches who would like to help us accomplish this task by providing funds to furnish these rooms. The cost per room is $5,000 and will include all items necessary to provide comfortable rooms for extended stay visits by clergy and laity alike, as well as a state of the art Conference Room. Right now the plan is to furnish and name the rooms in honor of the following Bishops:
.Bishop Roy C. Clark .Bishop Joe Pennel .Bishop James King
Plaques will be placed in the rooms in honor of these Bishops. We will also cluster photographs in the Conference Rooms of all the Bishops elected from our Annual Conference as well as our resident bishop. Rooms will be named for the particular Bishop being honored.
For more information or to make a donation, please contact Reverend Dickie Hinton, Tennessee Conference Director of Camp and Retreat Ministries at the above address.
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills…..” Psalm 121
Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World
Tennessee Conference United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries 2009
Historic Hotel at Beersheba Springs Assembly2009 Camp and Retreat Ministries Events for Adults and Families
April 21-22
A Gathering of Older Adults at Beersheba is an opportunity to connect with one another across the conference in order to find more meaning and purpose in life and faith. Special Music and Speakers will be featured.
June 19-21
Covenant Renewal Conference. Join us for a special weekend at Beersheba of spiritual growth, healing and renewal. This conference focuses on God’s intentions for the covenant of marriage. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to bring true fulfillment into your relationship and experience God’s presence in your marriage!
July 17-19
Family Fellowship Weekend. Whether you’re young, old, or in between, married or single, you’re sure to experience a weekend of spiritual, mental and physical renewal. Come enjoy Bible study and worship and be inspired as a member of God’s Family! Held at Beersheba Springs Assembly.
Aug. 14-16
Cedar Crest ReUnion. A great opportunity to renew friendships formed during the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. If you were a camper or counselor during those years, you are invited to share a great weekend at Cedar Crest.
Sept. 5-6
Beersheba ReUnion . If you attended camp at Beersheba from 1955 to 1970 you are invited to a great weekend of renewing friendships from your past. Come join us for a weekend of fun and fond memories.
December 1,3,4,8,10,11
Christmas at Beersheba. Come and join the Committees on Adult and Older Adult Ministries for a special time of joyous Celebration as we once again wait in great anticipation for the coming of the Christ Child. A wonderful holiday lunch, an old-fashioned carol sing and special Christmas music will be offered. 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM each day, with lunch served at 11:30 AM.
2009 Camp and Retreat Ministries Mission Events
April 27
Friends of Camping Golf Tournament is an opportunity to help raise funds for special projects badly needed at both Cedar Crest and Beersheba. Each church is invited to bring at least one team for a day of golf.
May 15-17
May 22-24
Loaves and Fishes Mission Weekends are designed for persons of all ages to come “feast” on discipleship and service to Cedar Crest Camp. Everyone is invited to help get our camp ready for summer program during these mission weekends.
May 21-24
Strength for the Journey : This respite camp for adults living with HIV/AIDS provides a supportive environment for spiritual, emotional, and physical renewal. Sponsored by the TN Conference and staffed/supported by several local churches, this camp provides an experience for persons who otherwise might not have an opportunity to “get away.”
Additional 2009 Camp and Retreat Ministries Events
May 17-23
Licensing School is a week sponsored by the Board of Ministry for certified Candidates for Ministry with a projected appointment to help teach the basic skills needed for pastoring a Congregation. It is held at Beersheba.
May 26-31
Summer Staff Training is a week at Cedar Crest for training all persons assisting in the 2009 Camp Program. Faith Development, Safe Sanctuaries, Outdoor Skills, and Working with Children and Youth Curriculum will be covered.
Sept. 14-16
Ministers’ Conference on Evangelism: Sponsored by the Work Area on Evangelism as a way to assist the Tennessee Conference in being effective in evangelism and discipleship. The Conference on Evangelism is a way to promote and assist in "making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."
Sept. 11-13
Annual United Methodist Women’s Conference: An annual gathering of United Methodist Women from across the Tennessee Annual Conference. A great opportunity to fellowship and grow together as women of faith at Beersheba.
Nov. 2-3
David Hawkins Memorial Golf Tournament honors the memory of the Rev. David Hawkins, Director of Administrative Services for the Tennessee Conference at the time of his death. Donations are received to support the David B. Hawkins Mission Scholarship Fund at Charlotte-Fagan UMC. The tournament is open to clergy and laity.
To Register or for more detailed information and pricing, please see our website at: http://www.tnumcamps.org/
Tennessee Conference Camp and Retreat Ministries
P.O. Box 577
Beersheba Springs, Tennessee 37305
Phone: 931.692.3669
E-Mail: tnumcamps@tnumc.org
Camps and Retreats — Local Churches: An Unparalleled Faith-Shaping Partnership
by Kevin Witt*
An enormous number of people of all ages will participate in faith experiences at more than 250 United Methodist Camp and Retreat Centers in the U.S. and beyond. People will find new meaning and direction for their lives. We must ask this essential question: "Will there be intentional links between these powerful times of spiritual growth and the ongoing nurture of a deeply caring faith community?" The partnership between local churches and camp/retreat ministries underlies an amazing, long-term system for the development of faith and spiritual leaders. I thank God for this partnership, because it has made such a difference for me, my family, and so many others.
Experiences of Christian community that take place away from normal routines — amidst the beauty of creation — open people to God in ways that need to be broadly appreciated. I am continually amazed by the numbers of active United Methodist Church leaders who point to camps and retreats as key turning points in their faith journeys and as settings where they gleaned important leadership skills. Informal hand raising at events such as annual conferences, training sessions, and so on often result in sixty to eighty percent of the group indicating that they have been involved in and were positively impacted by camps and retreats. This anecdotal data mirrors organized research done by the Presbyterians, who discovered that this was true of more than seventy percent of their leadership. An extensive study of five mainline denominations by Search Institute, a leading research group, revealed that approximately twenty percent of United Methodist adults and thirty-seven percent of United Methodist children and youth who attended camp and retreat experiences listed those experiences as being among the five most important influences on their faith.
In the past, talk about the ties between camp/retreat experiences and local churches hardly seemed necessary. Pastors and major leaders in the congregation regularly came with the participants from their local community. That's how most camps and retreats were staffed. These same leaders would return home with their own group knowing what had happened in the lives of the participants. Decisions made and new connections with God could be supported over the long haul. Today, staffing models vary from totally volunteer staffs to hired summer staff or some combination of the two. Often, people no longer come with a group from their local church. They sign up as individuals, and there may not be a local church leader from their community on the camp/retreat program staff. United Methodist camps and retreat centers also serve large numbers of people who have no local church affiliation. What will happen when they return home? Who will nurture the seeds of faith growing within them? New conscious, intentional connections would be a great benefit.
By their very nature, camps and retreats are short-term, highlight experiences — temporary Christian communities. This fact does not in any way negate the importance of camps and retreats. They often serve as the tremendous, life-changing catalysts toward deeper faith, which then can be reinforced by local churches and families. We must never forget that local churches and camp/retreat ministries share the same primary aim: to reach out to people, help them connect more deeply with God, nurture them in what it means to be a follower of Christ, and to encourage them to live as Christian people who practice the way of love in relationships with other human beings and all of creation. We fulfill our ministry far more effectively by working together rather than in isolation.
Here are several practical steps that congregational leaders can take that would make a real difference.
Energetically encourage children, youth, and adults to participate in Christian camps and retreats and create ways to be aware of who attends from your church and your community.
Develop ongoing strategies for welcoming those who return and provide opportunities to hear about the highlights of their experiences. Show that you care by celebrating what is important to them.
Be intentional about incorporating meaningful aspects of the camp/retreat experience into the local church setting to build on the seeds of faith that have been planted. This may be a song that the congregation can learn, symbols of the camp experience in the worship setting, sermon or study topics, testimonies and stories, and the chance to use new leadership skills in the local church community.
Perhaps the most beneficial step a congregational leader could make is to participate in camp/retreat events and develop partnerships with camp/retreat center staff. The connections you will make with the participants themselves can have lifelong implications. Rarely will you have the opportunity to develop the depth of relationships with people from your congregation and beyond. Living together in Christian community for an extended period of time at a camp or retreat opens many doors.
See camp and retreat ministry as an important extension of your own congregation's ministry.
Get involved and support it with your prayers, your presence, your service, and your gifts. Watch lives change before your eyes as they become open to the moving of the Spirit in these special settings.
*Kevin Witt (kwitt@gbod.org) is the Director of Camp and Retreat Ministries for the General Board of Discipleship.
United Methodist camps transform lives
By Bishop Scott Jones, Kansas Area
Bishop Scott J. Jones. Photo by Mike Dubose, UMComThere are several good reasons Moses went up to Mt. Sinai to meet with God. First, God told him to, and obedience to the Lord is always a good idea.
Second, this was seen by the Israelite people as a holy place, one where an encounter with God could be expected to occur.
But there is another reason as well. Leaving ordinary life behind and venturing to a new place opens up our awareness that God might speak and renders us more ready to listen to whatever God might be saying.
Perhaps that is why church camp is transformative. You get children, youth and adults away from their normal routines, put them out in nature to see God’s beautiful creation, build community with new friends and old friends, and give God more time than God normally gets in our daily routines. In such a situation, it’s not surprising that encounters with God occur regularly.
Camp is really for everyone. We focus on camp for children and youth because they are at their more formative stages in life. But adults need retreats and new friends and extra-ordinary time just like children do.
At church camp, young people grow in their faith. Some make first-time commitments to Christ. Others hear God’s call for them to be ordained ministers or enter some form of service to the world. Camp opens their eyes to a God who is bigger than what they have known before.
Camp changes lives.
For the past 30 years, United Methodism has been drifting. Part of that is not sufficiently emphasizing children, youth and young-adult ministries.
At our camps, this has meant long-term neglect of our facilities.
Our children are not as tough as we were when we were their age. For that matter, we aren’t as tough as we were 30 years ago. Expectations have changed, and we must prepare ourselves for excellent camping ministry in the 21st century.
Let’s support our United Methodist camps. Let’s change some lives.
(Reprinted with permission from the November 2007 issue of the Kansas West Connection, the newspaper of the Kansas West Conference).
posted by TN Conference UMC @ 6:20 AM
