It’s natural to think of our camps and retreat centers in the summer, when they are filled with children and youth whose young lives are touched and transformed for Christ. However, the ministry offered by camps is year-round and touches the spiritual lives of adults as well as children and youth.
We are fortunate to have an outstanding camp and retreat ministry in the North Carolina Conference which is lived out at three facilities: Chestnut Ridge Camp and Retreat Center, Camp Don Lee, and Rockfish Camp & Retreat Center. The last two years have been difficult for them, and the road back to ‘normal’ is slow moving but they are coming back as the strong formational ministry they have always been.
Three leaders with Discipleship Ministries (Nashville, TN), Scott Hughes (Executive Director, Congregational Vitality & Intentional Discipleship; Director, Adult Discipleship), Scott Wilterdink (Director of Youth and Young People’s Ministries), and Kevin Johnson (Director of Children’s Ministries), participated in a session at the biannual National Conference for the United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministry Association. They offer this recap of their learning and of ideas local congregations can use for collaboration with camp and retreat centers. At the bottom of the article is a link for the slide presentation titled: “Connecting Camping (transformative) discipleship with church (formative) discipleship.”