Executive Director Don Johnson will occasionally post reflections as he travels to Lutheran Outdoor Ministry sites. Here is his latest entry from his travels on November 7-14, 2015:
Well, I’ve been very inattentive to my commitment to post blogs regarding my travels on behalf of LOM. To all who read my blogs – sorry about that and at the same time I’m always gratified upon discovering that you are reading my blog posts.
This blog will be brief and enthusiastic about my trip to North Carolina, November 7-14. For me, personally, it couldn’t have come at a better time because three months into my appointment as executive director of LOM, it gave me an opportunity to meet, in person, around 150 outdoor ministry leaders, ministry partners, and stakeholders, all at the same time. It was a thoroughly exhilarating experience!
On Sunday I flew to Charlotte and then drove a rental car over to Lutherock, part of the NovusWay organization. Lutherock is such a spectacular place, set as it is in the mountains of western North Carolina. And the accommodations are extremely comfortable. I dropped into the final 24 hours of the LOM Leadership Training Event (LTE). What a great group of camp professionals participating in this outstanding event! I had the opportunity to make a presentation with Melissa Kornkven about the importance of participating in the life of LOM and other networking opportunities. What really impressed me, however, was the cohesiveness of the group, the professionalism of the participants, the fun everyone experienced, and how quickly I was assimilated into the community that had formed. Hats off to co-deans Mary Stutz and Marianne Brock for organizing such a wonderful event.
On Monday I took on a few passengers for the drive over to Lutheridge. It’s a very scenic drive! And I can’t say enough about what a great place Lutheridge is! They do a marvelous job of providing hospitality for a large group like ours. We were there, of course, for the Annual LOM Conference. Not only were the accommodations at Lutheridge fantastic, but the Conference program in and of itself was terrific. The keynote speakers were stimulating and challenging; the workshops were practical; the worship was creative and inspirational – everything was top-notch. Many thanks to Keith Johnson (CEO of NovusWay), the Conference Committee chairperson and to all who were involved in planning and running this wonderful event. Kudos to Randy Youngquist-Thurow, our very part-time LOM Events Coordinator, for making a complex piece of organizing and coordinating look so easy.
And the auction! This annual fundraiser for LOM took place right in the middle of the conference. It’s a great event because it not only raises lots of operating funds for the work all of us do for the benefit of all of us, but it is such a great event for building a sense of community among all of us at the Conference. Paul Hanson and Jake Hanson did an awesome job as the auctioneers, and Joel Abenth once again did a lion’s share of the pre-planning to make this such a good experience for everyone. Thank you, one and all, especially to everyone who came to the auction ready to bid. This evening of fun and laughter raised over $30,000!
The conference ran from Monday afternoon through breakfast on Friday. Then the LOM Board stayed on for a day and a half of meetings. It’s one of the only two times that the Board gets to meet face to face during the whole year, and Nathan Pile, Board president, with brilliant leadership, kept us on task in order to make the best use of this time. The dedication and commitment with which the board members go about their responsibilities of providing governance for LOM is very impressive.
My week ended by driving back to Charlotte and then catching my flight back to New England on Saturday afternoon. What an awesome week it was!
Well, I’ve been very inattentive to my commitment to post blogs regarding my travels on behalf of LOM. To all who read my blogs – sorry about that and at the same time I’m always gratified upon discovering that you are reading my blog posts.
This blog will be brief and enthusiastic about my trip to North Carolina, November 7-14. For me, personally, it couldn’t have come at a better time because three months into my appointment as executive director of LOM, it gave me an opportunity to meet, in person, around 150 outdoor ministry leaders, ministry partners, and stakeholders, all at the same time. It was a thoroughly exhilarating experience!
On Sunday I flew to Charlotte and then drove a rental car over to Lutherock, part of the NovusWay organization. Lutherock is such a spectacular place, set as it is in the mountains of western North Carolina. And the accommodations are extremely comfortable. I dropped into the final 24 hours of the LOM Leadership Training Event (LTE). What a great group of camp professionals participating in this outstanding event! I had the opportunity to make a presentation with Melissa Kornkven about the importance of participating in the life of LOM and other networking opportunities. What really impressed me, however, was the cohesiveness of the group, the professionalism of the participants, the fun everyone experienced, and how quickly I was assimilated into the community that had formed. Hats off to co-deans Mary Stutz and Marianne Brock for organizing such a wonderful event.
On Monday I took on a few passengers for the drive over to Lutheridge. It’s a very scenic drive! And I can’t say enough about what a great place Lutheridge is! They do a marvelous job of providing hospitality for a large group like ours. We were there, of course, for the Annual LOM Conference. Not only were the accommodations at Lutheridge fantastic, but the Conference program in and of itself was terrific. The keynote speakers were stimulating and challenging; the workshops were practical; the worship was creative and inspirational – everything was top-notch. Many thanks to Keith Johnson (CEO of NovusWay), the Conference Committee chairperson and to all who were involved in planning and running this wonderful event. Kudos to Randy Youngquist-Thurow, our very part-time LOM Events Coordinator, for making a complex piece of organizing and coordinating look so easy.
And the auction! This annual fundraiser for LOM took place right in the middle of the conference. It’s a great event because it not only raises lots of operating funds for the work all of us do for the benefit of all of us, but it is such a great event for building a sense of community among all of us at the Conference. Paul Hanson and Jake Hanson did an awesome job as the auctioneers, and Joel Abenth once again did a lion’s share of the pre-planning to make this such a good experience for everyone. Thank you, one and all, especially to everyone who came to the auction ready to bid. This evening of fun and laughter raised over $30,000!
The conference ran from Monday afternoon through breakfast on Friday. Then the LOM Board stayed on for a day and a half of meetings. It’s one of the only two times that the Board gets to meet face to face during the whole year, and Nathan Pile, Board president, with brilliant leadership, kept us on task in order to make the best use of this time. The dedication and commitment with which the board members go about their responsibilities of providing governance for LOM is very impressive.
My week ended by driving back to Charlotte and then catching my flight back to New England on Saturday afternoon. What an awesome week it was!