I would likely not have discerned my calling to ordained ministry were it not for summer camps hosted by United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries; and the funny thing is, I never even attended as a camper!
The summer before my freshman year in high school, the deaconess of our local church – Dayspring UMC in Tempe, AZ – saw something in me and two other youth in the church, and suggested we go to summer camp as cabin assistants. She was leading the camp with another pastor, who happened to be the father of one of my friends from school, and it sounded fun, so I said “sure.” I went through a few days’ training, and was placed as the assistant to a counselor leading a cabin of fourth grade boys. I can pinpoint the beginning of my discernment of a call in to ministry to the events of that week, and subsequent summers spent on the mountain in leadership positions helped me to clarify my God-given vocation.
To this day, I believe that camp and retreat ministries can and should play a vital role in the discipleship and faith development of followers of Jesus Christ. Summer camp or national weeklong gatherings for kids and youth, weekend retreats for congregation members or families, mission trips for any ages, Walk to Emmaus and The Academy for Spiritual Formation for adults – the experiences in such away-from-home events impact us in numerous ways, helping us to know God’s presence and movement. While I have continued to volunteer and lead, my own children have grown up going to camp and experiencing the faith formation that occurs there.
My high school and college years in Arizona were filled with summer experiences of leadership at Christian camps, and when I returned to Arizona as an ordained elder in 2006 the first place I led holy communion was around the campfire with staff at Mingus Mountain Methodist Camp. I volunteered in many ways over many years, and when asked I joined the Board of Camping, and later became its chair, and later still was appointed part-time as our conference’s director for camp and retreat ministries. To this day I am involved not only with our conference’s ministry, but through January of 2023 I am serving as the board chair for our national nonprofit association, United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries (UMCRM).
Laster this month I will be attending the national gathering of our UMCRM Association, gathering with camp and retreat professionals from across the nation for a time of learning, sharing, and growth. Even we who run camps benefit from a retreat away from our day-to-day, and grow in faith because of it. Through our attention to helping provide sacred spaces and times apart, we hope to help form new generations of followers of Jesus Christ.
Here are a few pieces I have written on camp and retreat ministries before that you may be interested in: