Written by Phil Geleske, Executive Director of Briarwood Retreat Center, TX
With thirty years of experience as a parish pastor in both large and small congregations, a love and commitment to outdoor ministry, with experience as a camp counselor and years of service on the boards of two different outdoor ministries, I became the Executive Director of Briarwood Retreat Center in Argyle Texas. I thought I was prepared, I learned immediately that I had a lot to learn! While I may have had a high level understanding of outdoor ministry, I must admit that I had no idea of what I was truly getting myself into - especially when it came to the day to day operations of leading this ministry.
Following the recommendation of a trusted mentor, I attended a Leadership Training Event (LTE) offered by Lutheran Outdoor Ministry. To put it simply, LTE provided me everything that I wanted and everything that I didn’t know I needed. That is not an overstatement. Gathering together with others with limited experience in the leadership role of outdoor ministry, and who were a whole lot younger, I learned from a faculty with a wide range of experience and vast knowledge of outdoor ministry.
The first LTE I attended focused on the administrative aspects and the second focused on the program dimensions. It was extremely helpful to learn about program ministry and administration from the perspective of outdoor ministry. Even things that I was fairly knowledgeable about, coming from this new perspective, were enlightening. The training is very engaging, highly practical and extremely thought provoking. As promised, LTE provided me with valuable and practical resources along with a trusted network of colleagues.
After attending my first LTE (Administrative Track) by myself, I decided that I would return for the second LTE (Program Track) with others from my staff. The two tracks complement one another and together provided a thorough understanding of outdoor ministry leadership. LTE has now become the foundation of our training at Briarwood for everyone who serves in the role of leader. I highly recommend LTE to everyone – to those like me with years of experience and to those who are just beginning – it’s simply the best!
With thirty years of experience as a parish pastor in both large and small congregations, a love and commitment to outdoor ministry, with experience as a camp counselor and years of service on the boards of two different outdoor ministries, I became the Executive Director of Briarwood Retreat Center in Argyle Texas. I thought I was prepared, I learned immediately that I had a lot to learn! While I may have had a high level understanding of outdoor ministry, I must admit that I had no idea of what I was truly getting myself into - especially when it came to the day to day operations of leading this ministry.
Following the recommendation of a trusted mentor, I attended a Leadership Training Event (LTE) offered by Lutheran Outdoor Ministry. To put it simply, LTE provided me everything that I wanted and everything that I didn’t know I needed. That is not an overstatement. Gathering together with others with limited experience in the leadership role of outdoor ministry, and who were a whole lot younger, I learned from a faculty with a wide range of experience and vast knowledge of outdoor ministry.
The first LTE I attended focused on the administrative aspects and the second focused on the program dimensions. It was extremely helpful to learn about program ministry and administration from the perspective of outdoor ministry. Even things that I was fairly knowledgeable about, coming from this new perspective, were enlightening. The training is very engaging, highly practical and extremely thought provoking. As promised, LTE provided me with valuable and practical resources along with a trusted network of colleagues.
After attending my first LTE (Administrative Track) by myself, I decided that I would return for the second LTE (Program Track) with others from my staff. The two tracks complement one another and together provided a thorough understanding of outdoor ministry leadership. LTE has now become the foundation of our training at Briarwood for everyone who serves in the role of leader. I highly recommend LTE to everyone – to those like me with years of experience and to those who are just beginning – it’s simply the best!