Executive Director Don Johnson will occasionally post reflections as he travels to Lutheran Outdoor Ministry sites. Here is his latest entry from his travels in January 2016:
My travels on behalf of LOM have continued into the first month of 2016. During the first full week of January, all of the committees and the Board of Directors met face to face at one of our LOM member camps – Camp Briarwood in Argyle, Texas. Briarwood is a great place and very comfortable for an event such as this. It’s one of a few of our camps where the synod office is located right there at camp. The executive director of Briarwood, Phil Geleske, serves on the Education Committee of LOM, so we saw a lot of Phil during our time there. Phil and the staff of Briarwood were excellent hosts. There’s nothing like staying at a camp or retreat center for several days to give you a sense of what the ministry is all about. We sure did have a good feeling about Briarwood after our time there. One of the assets for Briarwood is that it’s less than one hour from the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, so together with their excellent and adult-friendly facilities, they are well set up for hosting retreat and conference groups from near and far.
The meetings at Briarwood were productive and constructive. It was a good opportunity for me to experience first-hand how fortunate all of us in LOM are to have so many people dedicated to the LOM mission of strengthening the leadership we can provide for all outdoor ministries. One of the key results of the meetings in January was a statement of the membership philosophy for LOM that I’m confident will stay with us for a long, long time. It was a time that everyone involved put in long hours, worked hard, and yes, in the process, we did have fun!
Quote of the month, from Phil Geleske, executive director of Briarwood, as we were chatting one evening after the work was done – “Every time I have conversation with LOM colleagues, I come away learning something good”. Amen, Phil.
I returned home from the meetings in Texas on January 9, and then on January 19 it was back on the road again. This time out to Wisconsin.
My first visit was to Luther Point in Grantsburg, WI. Luther Point occupies a whole peninsula on Wood Lake. It’s a beautiful setting. Not only is it a beautiful setting, but the accommodations are very comfortable. The retreat center was a great place to spend the overnight. Most important, it was a great opportunity for me to have some extended time for conversation about all things outdoor ministry with executive director Mark Peters.
From Luther Point I made my way to the Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp in Amery, WI. WOW! We Lutherans sure have some impressive camps and retreat centers! Wapo is no exception. This was the original visit on this itinerary, because the Planning Committee for the LOM 2016 Annual Conference was scheduled to meet here. Heather Eggert is a member of the Conference Committee and serves as associate director of the Lake Wapogasett organization that includes Wapo, Ox Lake, Luther Dell, and Wilderness Canoe Base. Heather was a very welcoming and gracious host for our group. It was a very successful meeting and a great way to experience the excellent overnight accommodations and meals at Wapo. I also had the good fortune to be able to connect with Paul Hill, the executive director of the Lake Wapogasett organization, for some good conversation – always a good experience. Paul has been a prime mover and shaker behind the research project the Jake Sorenson has been doing and this kind of serious research is very important for all of us in LOM.
This particular trip concluded with a visit to Luther Park in Chetek, WI, on January 21 that extended overnight at Luther Park and into January 22. Luther Park is another beautiful place with all of its buildings and grounds in excellent condition. They are also in the enviable position of serving as the site for the offices of their synod. Keith Newman is the executive director of Luther Park. He is relatively new at Luther Park and relatively new to Lutheran circles, but not at all new to outdoor ministry leadership. His wealth of outdoor ministry experience has been definitely shining through at Luther Park as he has led the way for them to eliminate a huge debt that they were burdened with in just a couple of years. I’m encouraging Keith to “bottle” his “secrets” and make them available to all of LOM! I think he’s willing to do that anytime you share a meal with him at the next conference or other LOM event.
I made it back home on January 22. This was a great round of visits to outdoor ministry sites – camps, retreat centers, conference centers, and to the people who serve in leadership. As in all my other visits, I’m finding people who are passionate and creative and enthusiastic about the ministry in which they are involved, committed to overcoming the challenges that confront them, and dedicated to the mutual support that we find so prominently in LOM, and collaborating with others who share our commitments.
My travels on behalf of LOM have continued into the first month of 2016. During the first full week of January, all of the committees and the Board of Directors met face to face at one of our LOM member camps – Camp Briarwood in Argyle, Texas. Briarwood is a great place and very comfortable for an event such as this. It’s one of a few of our camps where the synod office is located right there at camp. The executive director of Briarwood, Phil Geleske, serves on the Education Committee of LOM, so we saw a lot of Phil during our time there. Phil and the staff of Briarwood were excellent hosts. There’s nothing like staying at a camp or retreat center for several days to give you a sense of what the ministry is all about. We sure did have a good feeling about Briarwood after our time there. One of the assets for Briarwood is that it’s less than one hour from the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, so together with their excellent and adult-friendly facilities, they are well set up for hosting retreat and conference groups from near and far.
The meetings at Briarwood were productive and constructive. It was a good opportunity for me to experience first-hand how fortunate all of us in LOM are to have so many people dedicated to the LOM mission of strengthening the leadership we can provide for all outdoor ministries. One of the key results of the meetings in January was a statement of the membership philosophy for LOM that I’m confident will stay with us for a long, long time. It was a time that everyone involved put in long hours, worked hard, and yes, in the process, we did have fun!
Quote of the month, from Phil Geleske, executive director of Briarwood, as we were chatting one evening after the work was done – “Every time I have conversation with LOM colleagues, I come away learning something good”. Amen, Phil.
I returned home from the meetings in Texas on January 9, and then on January 19 it was back on the road again. This time out to Wisconsin.
My first visit was to Luther Point in Grantsburg, WI. Luther Point occupies a whole peninsula on Wood Lake. It’s a beautiful setting. Not only is it a beautiful setting, but the accommodations are very comfortable. The retreat center was a great place to spend the overnight. Most important, it was a great opportunity for me to have some extended time for conversation about all things outdoor ministry with executive director Mark Peters.
From Luther Point I made my way to the Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp in Amery, WI. WOW! We Lutherans sure have some impressive camps and retreat centers! Wapo is no exception. This was the original visit on this itinerary, because the Planning Committee for the LOM 2016 Annual Conference was scheduled to meet here. Heather Eggert is a member of the Conference Committee and serves as associate director of the Lake Wapogasett organization that includes Wapo, Ox Lake, Luther Dell, and Wilderness Canoe Base. Heather was a very welcoming and gracious host for our group. It was a very successful meeting and a great way to experience the excellent overnight accommodations and meals at Wapo. I also had the good fortune to be able to connect with Paul Hill, the executive director of the Lake Wapogasett organization, for some good conversation – always a good experience. Paul has been a prime mover and shaker behind the research project the Jake Sorenson has been doing and this kind of serious research is very important for all of us in LOM.
This particular trip concluded with a visit to Luther Park in Chetek, WI, on January 21 that extended overnight at Luther Park and into January 22. Luther Park is another beautiful place with all of its buildings and grounds in excellent condition. They are also in the enviable position of serving as the site for the offices of their synod. Keith Newman is the executive director of Luther Park. He is relatively new at Luther Park and relatively new to Lutheran circles, but not at all new to outdoor ministry leadership. His wealth of outdoor ministry experience has been definitely shining through at Luther Park as he has led the way for them to eliminate a huge debt that they were burdened with in just a couple of years. I’m encouraging Keith to “bottle” his “secrets” and make them available to all of LOM! I think he’s willing to do that anytime you share a meal with him at the next conference or other LOM event.
I made it back home on January 22. This was a great round of visits to outdoor ministry sites – camps, retreat centers, conference centers, and to the people who serve in leadership. As in all my other visits, I’m finding people who are passionate and creative and enthusiastic about the ministry in which they are involved, committed to overcoming the challenges that confront them, and dedicated to the mutual support that we find so prominently in LOM, and collaborating with others who share our commitments.