Executive Director Don Johnson will occasionally post reflections as he travels to Lutheran Outdoor Ministry sites. Here is his latest entry:
Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (LOM) has entered into a new and exciting chapter in our development as an organization committed to living into our mission of encouraging, educating, equipping and empowering the leaders of camp and conference centers throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). We are confident that his new chapter will be enhanced and to a large degree enabled by the bold leap of faith of engaging, for the first time, a full-time executive director to move forward the operations and management of LOM.
I am the person who is unquestionably fortunate to serve as the executive director of LOM. I am excited about the opportunity to serve in this way, and grateful for the confidence entrusted in my ability to do so.
LOM is an organization comprised of:
This is my commitment to the organizations and leaders who comprise LOM: I pledge to seek you out, to get to know you and to learn from you how LOM can serve you and to discover the ways in which your experiences, skills, and passions can collegially contribute to the strength and vitality of all of our outdoor ministries. And whenever the opportunity presents itself, to visit you in the context in which you serve and in that way learn as much as possible about every camp and retreat center in this great organization. This is an odyssey that will be challenging but I’m looking forward to it with great anticipation.
I intend to share some of what I experience in this odyssey in blog posts soon after I visit one of our LOM outdoor ministry sites.
And so the odyssey has begun. It began by returning to the place that has been as formative as any experience in my lifetime - the summer camp that I attended as a young teenager; where I worked for 6 summers during high school and college; the camp & conference center that I served for 35 of my adult years as the executive director – Calumet Lutheran Camp and Conference Center (http://www.calumet.org).
I accepted the invitation from Knute Ogren, Calumet’s development director, to be a volunteer van driver for an annual event in which Calumet participates. It’s called “Reach the Beach” (http://www.rtbrelay.com/races/new-hampshire/). It’s a 204 running race from the White Mountains through the Lakes Region and finally ending up at the beach on the NH shore. There are 400 teams with 12 runners each. Do the math – that’s 4,800 runners who today have some pretty sore muscles. Each team requires 2 vans with drivers. This year, Calumet had 4 teams enter the race. The Calumet teams do it as a fundraiser for the campership fund. The runners and drivers and other volunteers get sponsors to donate to their cause. At last count, more than $63,500 was raised to help send kids to Calumet next summer!
What a great way for me to re-connect with the ministry that has meant so much to me over the years. The fun, camaraderie, and mutual consolation that takes place among the seven persons who share the same van for over 36 solid hours is akin to the intensity of a cabin group during a week of summer camp. We experienced some of the most beautiful locations in a state that is known for its beauty. And we had the sense of gratification that comes with serving a cause that reaches beyond ourselves.
The added bonus for me is to experience first-hand a small piece of the Calumet ministry and to know for sure that this entire ministry continues to get better and better all of the time. It makes me so grateful to Calumet’s current executive director, Karl Ogren, for his competent and dynamic leadership.
Yes, indeed, this was a great way for me to set out on this great new adventure for me and for LOM. It will soon continue, as I will have the opportunity to visit 8 of the LOM member organizations in Minnesota during the week ahead.
I’ll keep you posted!
Don Johnson
Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (LOM) has entered into a new and exciting chapter in our development as an organization committed to living into our mission of encouraging, educating, equipping and empowering the leaders of camp and conference centers throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). We are confident that his new chapter will be enhanced and to a large degree enabled by the bold leap of faith of engaging, for the first time, a full-time executive director to move forward the operations and management of LOM.
I am the person who is unquestionably fortunate to serve as the executive director of LOM. I am excited about the opportunity to serve in this way, and grateful for the confidence entrusted in my ability to do so.
LOM is an organization comprised of:
- 132 outdoor ministry sites
- 300 full time directors
- 3,500 summer staff
- 30,000 acres of land
- 175,000 summer campers
- · 275,000 fall/winter/spring campers and retreaters
This is my commitment to the organizations and leaders who comprise LOM: I pledge to seek you out, to get to know you and to learn from you how LOM can serve you and to discover the ways in which your experiences, skills, and passions can collegially contribute to the strength and vitality of all of our outdoor ministries. And whenever the opportunity presents itself, to visit you in the context in which you serve and in that way learn as much as possible about every camp and retreat center in this great organization. This is an odyssey that will be challenging but I’m looking forward to it with great anticipation.
I intend to share some of what I experience in this odyssey in blog posts soon after I visit one of our LOM outdoor ministry sites.
And so the odyssey has begun. It began by returning to the place that has been as formative as any experience in my lifetime - the summer camp that I attended as a young teenager; where I worked for 6 summers during high school and college; the camp & conference center that I served for 35 of my adult years as the executive director – Calumet Lutheran Camp and Conference Center (http://www.calumet.org).
I accepted the invitation from Knute Ogren, Calumet’s development director, to be a volunteer van driver for an annual event in which Calumet participates. It’s called “Reach the Beach” (http://www.rtbrelay.com/races/new-hampshire/). It’s a 204 running race from the White Mountains through the Lakes Region and finally ending up at the beach on the NH shore. There are 400 teams with 12 runners each. Do the math – that’s 4,800 runners who today have some pretty sore muscles. Each team requires 2 vans with drivers. This year, Calumet had 4 teams enter the race. The Calumet teams do it as a fundraiser for the campership fund. The runners and drivers and other volunteers get sponsors to donate to their cause. At last count, more than $63,500 was raised to help send kids to Calumet next summer!
What a great way for me to re-connect with the ministry that has meant so much to me over the years. The fun, camaraderie, and mutual consolation that takes place among the seven persons who share the same van for over 36 solid hours is akin to the intensity of a cabin group during a week of summer camp. We experienced some of the most beautiful locations in a state that is known for its beauty. And we had the sense of gratification that comes with serving a cause that reaches beyond ourselves.
The added bonus for me is to experience first-hand a small piece of the Calumet ministry and to know for sure that this entire ministry continues to get better and better all of the time. It makes me so grateful to Calumet’s current executive director, Karl Ogren, for his competent and dynamic leadership.
Yes, indeed, this was a great way for me to set out on this great new adventure for me and for LOM. It will soon continue, as I will have the opportunity to visit 8 of the LOM member organizations in Minnesota during the week ahead.
I’ll keep you posted!
Don Johnson