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 30- December 5, 2015:
This was a great week for meeting new outdoor ministry folks and reconnecting with some who I’ve known for a long time. The week ended by representing LOM at a significant event in the life of the ELCA.
On Monday, November 30, I flew to Milwaukee, rented a car, and then drove to Minocqua, way up in northern Wisconsin. The occasion was the annual gathering for ELCA Region 5 outdoor ministry leaders.
There’s some outstanding ministry brewing in Region 5! All kinds of excellent programs and creative ideas are being implemented. Many of these creative programming ideas bubbled up as we went through the “asset mapping” process facilitated by a consultant by the name of Luther Snow. It was fun to get to know and interact with so many ultra-committed, enthusiastic, creative leaders.
The Region 5 Gathering concluded at noon on Wednesday, and from there I headed south to Madison, WI. I met with Paul Petersen, the executive director of Bethel Horizons, at Bethel Lutheran Church. Bethel Horizons is owned by Bethel Lutheran Church and Paul, in addition to serving as the executive director, serves on the pastoral staff of Bethel Lutheran Church. We had good conversation and we made a commitment for me to visit at the Bethel Horizons site in Dodgeville upon my next trip to Wisconsin. I also had the good fortune to meet the new program director for Bethel Horizons, Patrick Tenney. Patrick and Paul are going to be a great team, along with the staff on site at Bethel Horizons, for giving leadership for this outstanding outdoor ministry program.
I then headed south and on Thursday morning I visited Ewalu Camp and Retreat Center in Strawberry Point, Iowa. Ewalu is in a beautiful setting set on over 500 acres of woods, stream, and rolling hills right there in the middle of all the Iowa corn fields. I was disappointed that I didn’t have the opportunity to meet the executive director, Clark Baldwin. Clark was out on the west coast at that time meeting for the first time his first grandchild. I did get to briefly see Tina Vaughn, the current intern at Ewalu, before she had to run off to an appointment at a nearby congregation. I did have the opportunity to have extended conversation with Jesse Klosterboer, associate director for program and development; Kati Stieler, environmental education curriculum developer and marketing manager; and David Stieler, environmental education director. It was so good to learn about the many diverse programs that take place at Ewalu, and to hear their concerns as outdoor ministry professionals in regard to the work they do and how LOM can be supportive. They have so much to offer to the LOM network because of the expertise they have acquired. Jesse has been on the cutting edge of outdoor ministry programming at Ewalu and several other organizations. David and Kati both have master’s degree in environmental education and they have some of the most expansive environmental education programs I’ve seen anywhere among our ELCA camps and retreat centers. My visit ended with a visit to the Ewalu Conference Center, a great facility that is located on a separate but nearby parcel of almost 300 acres of land.
From Ewalu, I headed south to Maquoketa, IA, where I spent most of Thursday afternoon at Camp Shalom. Shalom started as a ministry of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa. It has since evolved into an independent nonprofit corporation of its own. Shalom continues as an organization rooted in the Lutheran tradition while serving an ecumenical constituency. It has grown over the years and now offers year-round programming for a variety of retreats and conferences. I met with Tom Bley, the executive director, and Benjamin Carlson, the program director. We had a lively discussion centered on a number of different topics. Much of our conversation focused on the ways that Shalom is reaching out to schools and other community groups and how that is growing the summer camp program of Shalom and many of its year-round programs. Both Tom and Benjamin are very passionate about the ways that the Shalom program has a positive and lifelong impact on the people it serves. It was a great visit!
From Camp Shalom I headed back north to my final destination – Dubuque, Iowa. Thursday evening gave the opportunity for me to reconnect with two of my good friends and colleagues from Project Connect and Philadelphia Seminary days, Louise Johnson (no relation) and Matt O’Rear. Then on Friday I had some excellent conversation with Amy Current, the Dean for Vocation at Wartburg Seminary. We explored a variety of ways that seminaries in general, and specifically Wartburg can collaborate in order to advance the work of leader formation in the ELCA. I’m confident that we, of LOM, are on the verge of some great new and expanded ministry partnerships with our ELCA seminaries. At Wartburg, I’m sure that will be particularly true because of the leadership now being provided there by our good outdoor ministry friend and advocate, Louise Johnson, who is now serving as president of Wartburg Seminary. What an honor it was to celebrate with many church leaders and the Wartburg Seminary community at Louise’s installation service on Friday evening.
Another great trip! And then back to Milwaukee for the flight home on Saturday.
This was a great week for meeting new outdoor ministry folks and reconnecting with some who I’ve known for a long time. The week ended by representing LOM at a significant event in the life of the ELCA.
On Monday, November 30, I flew to Milwaukee, rented a car, and then drove to Minocqua, way up in northern Wisconsin. The occasion was the annual gathering for ELCA Region 5 outdoor ministry leaders.
There’s some outstanding ministry brewing in Region 5! All kinds of excellent programs and creative ideas are being implemented. Many of these creative programming ideas bubbled up as we went through the “asset mapping” process facilitated by a consultant by the name of Luther Snow. It was fun to get to know and interact with so many ultra-committed, enthusiastic, creative leaders.
The Region 5 Gathering concluded at noon on Wednesday, and from there I headed south to Madison, WI. I met with Paul Petersen, the executive director of Bethel Horizons, at Bethel Lutheran Church. Bethel Horizons is owned by Bethel Lutheran Church and Paul, in addition to serving as the executive director, serves on the pastoral staff of Bethel Lutheran Church. We had good conversation and we made a commitment for me to visit at the Bethel Horizons site in Dodgeville upon my next trip to Wisconsin. I also had the good fortune to meet the new program director for Bethel Horizons, Patrick Tenney. Patrick and Paul are going to be a great team, along with the staff on site at Bethel Horizons, for giving leadership for this outstanding outdoor ministry program.
I then headed south and on Thursday morning I visited Ewalu Camp and Retreat Center in Strawberry Point, Iowa. Ewalu is in a beautiful setting set on over 500 acres of woods, stream, and rolling hills right there in the middle of all the Iowa corn fields. I was disappointed that I didn’t have the opportunity to meet the executive director, Clark Baldwin. Clark was out on the west coast at that time meeting for the first time his first grandchild. I did get to briefly see Tina Vaughn, the current intern at Ewalu, before she had to run off to an appointment at a nearby congregation. I did have the opportunity to have extended conversation with Jesse Klosterboer, associate director for program and development; Kati Stieler, environmental education curriculum developer and marketing manager; and David Stieler, environmental education director. It was so good to learn about the many diverse programs that take place at Ewalu, and to hear their concerns as outdoor ministry professionals in regard to the work they do and how LOM can be supportive. They have so much to offer to the LOM network because of the expertise they have acquired. Jesse has been on the cutting edge of outdoor ministry programming at Ewalu and several other organizations. David and Kati both have master’s degree in environmental education and they have some of the most expansive environmental education programs I’ve seen anywhere among our ELCA camps and retreat centers. My visit ended with a visit to the Ewalu Conference Center, a great facility that is located on a separate but nearby parcel of almost 300 acres of land.
From Ewalu, I headed south to Maquoketa, IA, where I spent most of Thursday afternoon at Camp Shalom. Shalom started as a ministry of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa. It has since evolved into an independent nonprofit corporation of its own. Shalom continues as an organization rooted in the Lutheran tradition while serving an ecumenical constituency. It has grown over the years and now offers year-round programming for a variety of retreats and conferences. I met with Tom Bley, the executive director, and Benjamin Carlson, the program director. We had a lively discussion centered on a number of different topics. Much of our conversation focused on the ways that Shalom is reaching out to schools and other community groups and how that is growing the summer camp program of Shalom and many of its year-round programs. Both Tom and Benjamin are very passionate about the ways that the Shalom program has a positive and lifelong impact on the people it serves. It was a great visit!
From Camp Shalom I headed back north to my final destination – Dubuque, Iowa. Thursday evening gave the opportunity for me to reconnect with two of my good friends and colleagues from Project Connect and Philadelphia Seminary days, Louise Johnson (no relation) and Matt O’Rear. Then on Friday I had some excellent conversation with Amy Current, the Dean for Vocation at Wartburg Seminary. We explored a variety of ways that seminaries in general, and specifically Wartburg can collaborate in order to advance the work of leader formation in the ELCA. I’m confident that we, of LOM, are on the verge of some great new and expanded ministry partnerships with our ELCA seminaries. At Wartburg, I’m sure that will be particularly true because of the leadership now being provided there by our good outdoor ministry friend and advocate, Louise Johnson, who is now serving as president of Wartburg Seminary. What an honor it was to celebrate with many church leaders and the Wartburg Seminary community at Louise’s installation service on Friday evening.
Another great trip! And then back to Milwaukee for the flight home on Saturday.