Executive Director Don Johnson will occasionally post reflections as he travels to Lutheran Outdoor Ministry sites. Here is his latest entry, written on October 5, 2015:
I had three visits to LOM member organizations today. Each of the places I visited was unique and delightful. I started with a morning visit to Bear Creek Lutheran Camp, located near Wilkes-Barre, PA. I’m pretty sure that his camp owns more property than any of our other member camps an retreat centers – almost 3,000 acres of glorious forests, fields, streams, and even their own lake. It was a picture-perfect fall day that made even some of the pictures I took on my phone look fairly decent! It was totally enjoyable to walk around Bear Creek with Executive Director Dan Scharnhorst and Program DIrector Pete Smith.
One of the first things that’s noticeable on the mile or so drive into the camp from the highway is how well maintained everything is – from the road itself to the buildings and grounds once you get to the main part of camp. It’s obvious that somebody is really making the effort to steward this beautiful place.
Dan and Pete have been providing leadership for Bear Creek for the past three years. After their first year they saw a 12% increase in summer camp enrollment; their second year witnessed a 14% increase; and now, after tabulating the numbers from last summer, they had another 12% increase. They attribute this growth to an intentional relationship-building process with the 350+ congregations in the Northeastern and Southeastern Pennsylvania Synods, their parent organizations. I’ll also add that their optimistic, fun-loving spirit is contagious.
Here’s wishing Pete and his wife Marta (who works in the office at Bear Creek) all the best as Marta gets closer to her November due date with their first child.
From Bear Creek I headed northeast to the beautiful retreat center – Koinonia. Koinonia is located in Highland Lake, NY, just a little north of the Delaware River. This is another huge camp from the perspective of land in their ownership - !,200 acres. They also own their own lake and in this case it’s a lake that’s over a mile long.
I’ve been to Koinonia several times, so I was happy to sit around the office conference table with some of the Koinonia staff for an extended and stimulating conversation about the future of Koinonia, the future of LOM, and the impact of a healthy Koinonia and healthy LOM on a church that has a great need for what we can provide. Included in the conversation was Gary Schaeffer, executive director, Kyle Hassler and Christa Drengler, program assistants, and Joanne Knudson, associate director.
Every one of the staff involved in this conversation had moving stories of how the Koinonia experience has impacted on individual retreat guests. It was the perfect segue into Gary’s impassioned account of the strategic plan that will soon be completed for Koinonia and the vision for where everything is moving. One theme that emerged often during this afternoon’s discussion – “maintaining tradition but with a new spin”. I came away from my visit totally exhilarated by the passion and energy of the Koinonia staff – so typical throughout the Lutheran outdoor ministry network but nevertheless so refreshing every time it’s witnessed. I even had the good fortune of finally getting to meet Stina Schaeffer, Koinonia’s pastor, and Ellie – Stina and Gary’s daughter, just before I left.
My final stop was at Camp Wilbur Herrlich, another beautiful and unique site in Patterson, NY, very close to the CT border. It was a reunion of sorts, with long-time friends Bob Gentile (executive director for the past 25 years) and Wendy Gentile. Wendy is an educator in the local school district and over the years has been right there with Bob as they have built Camp Herrlich into a very impressive summer camp that is linked into the Lutheran and general social service network throughout Metropolitan New York. They also have a huge summer day camp that serves the local community, year-round pre-school and after-school programs, year-round retreats, and a host of community relationship-building programs.
Whenever I have the good fortune to visit Camp Herrlich, I’m always impressed with ministry that takes place here that is such a good thing for all of us Lutherans. All summer, they have a camp community primarily comprised of precious but under-served kids from inner-city New York, and they make it look so easy.
If you want to “steal” some good ideas on developing strong relationships in the community in which you’re located, building effective fundraising events, or making a rural camp setting appealing to inner-city kids – spend some time chatting with Bob Gentile. You’ll be the richer for it, as I have been over the years.
I had three visits to LOM member organizations today. Each of the places I visited was unique and delightful. I started with a morning visit to Bear Creek Lutheran Camp, located near Wilkes-Barre, PA. I’m pretty sure that his camp owns more property than any of our other member camps an retreat centers – almost 3,000 acres of glorious forests, fields, streams, and even their own lake. It was a picture-perfect fall day that made even some of the pictures I took on my phone look fairly decent! It was totally enjoyable to walk around Bear Creek with Executive Director Dan Scharnhorst and Program DIrector Pete Smith.
One of the first things that’s noticeable on the mile or so drive into the camp from the highway is how well maintained everything is – from the road itself to the buildings and grounds once you get to the main part of camp. It’s obvious that somebody is really making the effort to steward this beautiful place.
Dan and Pete have been providing leadership for Bear Creek for the past three years. After their first year they saw a 12% increase in summer camp enrollment; their second year witnessed a 14% increase; and now, after tabulating the numbers from last summer, they had another 12% increase. They attribute this growth to an intentional relationship-building process with the 350+ congregations in the Northeastern and Southeastern Pennsylvania Synods, their parent organizations. I’ll also add that their optimistic, fun-loving spirit is contagious.
Here’s wishing Pete and his wife Marta (who works in the office at Bear Creek) all the best as Marta gets closer to her November due date with their first child.
From Bear Creek I headed northeast to the beautiful retreat center – Koinonia. Koinonia is located in Highland Lake, NY, just a little north of the Delaware River. This is another huge camp from the perspective of land in their ownership - !,200 acres. They also own their own lake and in this case it’s a lake that’s over a mile long.
I’ve been to Koinonia several times, so I was happy to sit around the office conference table with some of the Koinonia staff for an extended and stimulating conversation about the future of Koinonia, the future of LOM, and the impact of a healthy Koinonia and healthy LOM on a church that has a great need for what we can provide. Included in the conversation was Gary Schaeffer, executive director, Kyle Hassler and Christa Drengler, program assistants, and Joanne Knudson, associate director.
Every one of the staff involved in this conversation had moving stories of how the Koinonia experience has impacted on individual retreat guests. It was the perfect segue into Gary’s impassioned account of the strategic plan that will soon be completed for Koinonia and the vision for where everything is moving. One theme that emerged often during this afternoon’s discussion – “maintaining tradition but with a new spin”. I came away from my visit totally exhilarated by the passion and energy of the Koinonia staff – so typical throughout the Lutheran outdoor ministry network but nevertheless so refreshing every time it’s witnessed. I even had the good fortune of finally getting to meet Stina Schaeffer, Koinonia’s pastor, and Ellie – Stina and Gary’s daughter, just before I left.
My final stop was at Camp Wilbur Herrlich, another beautiful and unique site in Patterson, NY, very close to the CT border. It was a reunion of sorts, with long-time friends Bob Gentile (executive director for the past 25 years) and Wendy Gentile. Wendy is an educator in the local school district and over the years has been right there with Bob as they have built Camp Herrlich into a very impressive summer camp that is linked into the Lutheran and general social service network throughout Metropolitan New York. They also have a huge summer day camp that serves the local community, year-round pre-school and after-school programs, year-round retreats, and a host of community relationship-building programs.
Whenever I have the good fortune to visit Camp Herrlich, I’m always impressed with ministry that takes place here that is such a good thing for all of us Lutherans. All summer, they have a camp community primarily comprised of precious but under-served kids from inner-city New York, and they make it look so easy.
If you want to “steal” some good ideas on developing strong relationships in the community in which you’re located, building effective fundraising events, or making a rural camp setting appealing to inner-city kids – spend some time chatting with Bob Gentile. You’ll be the richer for it, as I have been over the years.