Executive Director Don Johnson will occasionally post reflections as he travels to Lutheran Outdoor Ministry sites. Here is his latest entry, written on September 22 and 23, 2015:
My Minnesota sojourn continued on Tuesday, September 23. Dave Holtz and I left Luther Crest pretty early in the morning and drove to Community of the Cross Lutheran Church in Bloomington. There, we met up with Dick Sayther of Gronlund, Sayther, Brunkow (http://www.gsbfundraising.com/). Over the years, GSB has provided fundraising and planning consultation for 85 outdoor ministry organizations, most of them in our Lutheran network. Recently, Dick has been doing pro bono work with LOM as we prepare for the steps we need to take in order to assure financial sustainability for LOM. Here’s a tip of the hat and sincere word of thanks to GSB for all their help over the years and especially for what they have been providing during these last several months.
Dave, Dick, and I spent some time preparing for the big “pow-wow” that ensued with some of the LOM financial development planners from the Board, the Financial Development Committee, and the Ensure the Future Task Group. Those who joined us for that afternoon’s meeting were Nathan Pile, LOM president; Margie Fiedler, Nick Johnson, Brent Seaks, Dave Herder, Kristen Wiersma, Jim Schade, and Joel Abenth. The purpose of the meeting was to make sure we have a consensus for implementing the financial development plans as we move forward. We did arrive a consensus, and more about the details of that will be forthcoming in the days ahead, especiall when we all see each other at the LOM Annual Conference, November 9-13, at Lutheridge in NC (http://www.lomnetwork.org/upcoming_events/annual_conferences_titlepage/). Now a confession – I often get so involved in the moment that I forget to take a photo or two. Such was the case today.
9.23.15
My day started with a morning visit to Luther Seminary (https://www.luthersem.edu/). There are many in LOM who have been expressing to me a vision for a stronger collegial relationship among the LOM organizations and the seminaries of the ELCA. This was a primary motivator for initiating this visit. I came away feeling that it was time well spent and I think those with whom I met at Luther Seminary felt the same way.
During my time at the seminary, I met with: Carrie Carroll, VP for Enrollment Management; Sarah Luedtke-Jones, assistant director of the Student Resource Center; Jennifer Olsen-Krengel, director of admissions; Elizabeth Schoenknecht, admissions counselor; Jill Apple, admissions counselor; Rev. Tim Colvert, director of con textual learning; Richard Webb, director of multicultural enrollment management; and Krista Lind, associate dean of student resources.
There are some exciting plans starting to percolate because of the discussions that took place during these meetings. Ideas that when they reach fruition will, I am confident, prove to be very beneficial for all our member organizations. It’s becoming clearer and clearer that it behooves our seminaries to maintain a high profile consistently throughout our camps and retreat centers, and it behooves all of us in LOM, especially as we think about long-term sustainability of our camps and conference centers, and the students who are being prepared for leadership in our church, to maintain a high profile among the students, faculty, and staff of our seminaries.
Sorry – no picture from this time at the seminary.
From Luther Seminary I headed south to Mount Olivet Conference & Retreat Center (mtolivetretreat.org/). This is a beautiful facility owned and operated solely by Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, one of the biggest congregations in the ELCA. The retreat center is located in Farmington, MN, on a wooded site in the midst of verdant farmlands.
I was greeted upon my arrival by Carol James, the executive director who has served in this position for the last 18 years. It’s obvious that Carol has developed considerable expertise in conference center management over those years, and I’m hoping that she will join us at the LOM Annual Conference, November 9-13, at Lutheridge in NC.
It was fortunate that I arrived smack dab in the middle of lunchtime, and Carol invited me to join them for lunch. The food was delicious, excellently prepared and very attractively presented. A reminder for me of how important are the many contributions that our food service staff persons make day in and day out, often without a lot of recognition. Carol, to her credit, introduced me to the chef and other staff and was complimentary to them for their part in making Mount Olivet an excellent experience for their gusts.
Thank you, Carol James, for a wonderful visit. I’ll be looking forward to introducing you to everyone at the Conference in November.
From Mount Olivet I headed even further south, past Rochester, to Good Earth Village (www.goodearthvillage.org). What an awesome place this is! Good Earth Village has over 500 acres of land – rolling forests and meadows with a good sized creek running right through it. They have the ability to accommodate retreat guests year-round in very comfortable facilities and their summer camp kids can get the feeling of being in the middle of the wilderness.
My visit was hosted by Dianna Parks, currently serving as the interim executive director, and Robyn Wayne, program director. They are both new to the outdoor ministry network and I’m hoping they get very involved in LOM very son. They are both very enthusiastic about what they are doing at Good Earth Village and it strikes me that they are very gifted for what they are doing. It will be a pleasure to introduce them to many of my other friends at the Conference at Lutheridge, November 9-13.
My Minnesota sojourn continued on Tuesday, September 23. Dave Holtz and I left Luther Crest pretty early in the morning and drove to Community of the Cross Lutheran Church in Bloomington. There, we met up with Dick Sayther of Gronlund, Sayther, Brunkow (http://www.gsbfundraising.com/). Over the years, GSB has provided fundraising and planning consultation for 85 outdoor ministry organizations, most of them in our Lutheran network. Recently, Dick has been doing pro bono work with LOM as we prepare for the steps we need to take in order to assure financial sustainability for LOM. Here’s a tip of the hat and sincere word of thanks to GSB for all their help over the years and especially for what they have been providing during these last several months.
Dave, Dick, and I spent some time preparing for the big “pow-wow” that ensued with some of the LOM financial development planners from the Board, the Financial Development Committee, and the Ensure the Future Task Group. Those who joined us for that afternoon’s meeting were Nathan Pile, LOM president; Margie Fiedler, Nick Johnson, Brent Seaks, Dave Herder, Kristen Wiersma, Jim Schade, and Joel Abenth. The purpose of the meeting was to make sure we have a consensus for implementing the financial development plans as we move forward. We did arrive a consensus, and more about the details of that will be forthcoming in the days ahead, especiall when we all see each other at the LOM Annual Conference, November 9-13, at Lutheridge in NC (http://www.lomnetwork.org/upcoming_events/annual_conferences_titlepage/). Now a confession – I often get so involved in the moment that I forget to take a photo or two. Such was the case today.
9.23.15
My day started with a morning visit to Luther Seminary (https://www.luthersem.edu/). There are many in LOM who have been expressing to me a vision for a stronger collegial relationship among the LOM organizations and the seminaries of the ELCA. This was a primary motivator for initiating this visit. I came away feeling that it was time well spent and I think those with whom I met at Luther Seminary felt the same way.
During my time at the seminary, I met with: Carrie Carroll, VP for Enrollment Management; Sarah Luedtke-Jones, assistant director of the Student Resource Center; Jennifer Olsen-Krengel, director of admissions; Elizabeth Schoenknecht, admissions counselor; Jill Apple, admissions counselor; Rev. Tim Colvert, director of con textual learning; Richard Webb, director of multicultural enrollment management; and Krista Lind, associate dean of student resources.
There are some exciting plans starting to percolate because of the discussions that took place during these meetings. Ideas that when they reach fruition will, I am confident, prove to be very beneficial for all our member organizations. It’s becoming clearer and clearer that it behooves our seminaries to maintain a high profile consistently throughout our camps and retreat centers, and it behooves all of us in LOM, especially as we think about long-term sustainability of our camps and conference centers, and the students who are being prepared for leadership in our church, to maintain a high profile among the students, faculty, and staff of our seminaries.
Sorry – no picture from this time at the seminary.
From Luther Seminary I headed south to Mount Olivet Conference & Retreat Center (mtolivetretreat.org/). This is a beautiful facility owned and operated solely by Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, one of the biggest congregations in the ELCA. The retreat center is located in Farmington, MN, on a wooded site in the midst of verdant farmlands.
I was greeted upon my arrival by Carol James, the executive director who has served in this position for the last 18 years. It’s obvious that Carol has developed considerable expertise in conference center management over those years, and I’m hoping that she will join us at the LOM Annual Conference, November 9-13, at Lutheridge in NC.
It was fortunate that I arrived smack dab in the middle of lunchtime, and Carol invited me to join them for lunch. The food was delicious, excellently prepared and very attractively presented. A reminder for me of how important are the many contributions that our food service staff persons make day in and day out, often without a lot of recognition. Carol, to her credit, introduced me to the chef and other staff and was complimentary to them for their part in making Mount Olivet an excellent experience for their gusts.
Thank you, Carol James, for a wonderful visit. I’ll be looking forward to introducing you to everyone at the Conference in November.
From Mount Olivet I headed even further south, past Rochester, to Good Earth Village (www.goodearthvillage.org). What an awesome place this is! Good Earth Village has over 500 acres of land – rolling forests and meadows with a good sized creek running right through it. They have the ability to accommodate retreat guests year-round in very comfortable facilities and their summer camp kids can get the feeling of being in the middle of the wilderness.
My visit was hosted by Dianna Parks, currently serving as the interim executive director, and Robyn Wayne, program director. They are both new to the outdoor ministry network and I’m hoping they get very involved in LOM very son. They are both very enthusiastic about what they are doing at Good Earth Village and it strikes me that they are very gifted for what they are doing. It will be a pleasure to introduce them to many of my other friends at the Conference at Lutheridge, November 9-13.