Partners in Discipleship: Camp and Retreat Ministries This year hundreds of thousands of people of all ages will eagerly journey to places reserved by The United Methodist Church as sacred common ground. In the midst of natural settings, these environments of Christian hospitality and learning open people's souls and minds in unique ways. The true stories of lives changed for the better have been so consistent and so numerous that local churches, conferences, and individuals have caught a vision. Born from that vision and the grace of God are close to 300 United Methodist Camp/Retreat Centers spread far and wide. What draws so many seekers? What are they looking for and finding in our midst? What is it about the mission of United Methodist Camp/Retreat Ministry and the settings themselves that remains so relevant and fulfilling? Our Mission in Camp/Retreat Ministry God spoke and all life was born into community &38212; every creature came into being as a word from God and about God. That same creative Word tented with us in Jesus Christ to restore us to loving relationships. In camp/retreat settings we can experience again the voice of God and learn to participate more faithfully in the community of life. Nearly all United Methodist Camp/Retreat Ministries endeavor to create environments of Christian hospitality and learning designed to help persons: Affirm and expand their faith in God and live more fully as followers of Jesus Christ; Develop lifestyles of loving interdependence with one another and all creation; Grow as effective leaders who engage others in meaningful endeavors that address real need; Find renewal and positive direction for their lives. Based on these goals, Camp/Retreat Ministry seeks to meet real needs of people and organizations, e.g, the longing to know God, nurture for Christian disciples and spiritual leaders, enhancement of community, care for the earth, and support for groups that serve the world. Longing to Know God A vast spiritual hunger exists in our society. It appears, for example, in the great resurgence of interest in Native American and other spiritual paths that highlight care for the earth and the oneness of all things. Books such as Conversations with God and The Celestine Prophecy have topped bestseller lists across the nation. Educators in science, business, and other fields include language that connects spiritual truths with their work. Who would have imagined that a book called Jesus, CEO would be so popular among business leaders? Millions upon millions of people yearn for God and for a spiritual center. With the explosion of the Information Age, many no longer consider the church to be their sole source of information about God. Earnest seekers can explore theological understandings from a vast array of perspectives, including Christianity. Faith communities that simply talk about God, especially in language that has lost its connection with modern life, have little to offer. People want to experience the love of Christ. Christian camp/retreat centers provide sacred common ground for seekers and local churches. Congregations have long understood that a unique benefit of camps/retreats is their experiential nature; persons can remove themselves from the distractions of daily life to immerse themselves in a search for God. Seekers often resonate with less formal, natural settings. These places of peace, adventure, and fun serve as an excellent entry point into the life of the church and the practice of spiritual pathways that lead to experiences of God. Even those who feel alienated from the church will often participate in camps and retreats. Parents who are not currently taking or sending their children to church will often send them to camp — an important beginning. The focus on Christian hospitality and the creation of loving friendships among people who may be new to each other produces a tangible experience of God's love. Partnerships between Camp/Retreat Ministry and local congregations provide the essential link that invites people into an ongoing, supportive faith community. Nurturing Disciples and Spiritual Leaders Camps and retreats play a significant role in nurturing people who are already Christians and active in local churches. Children and youth naturally come to mind, since this is a key age level served, especially at summer camps and on youth retreats. However, at a host of locations, adults are the fastest growing population served by retreat ministry and newly developing camp experiences designed specifically for them. For many annual conferences, the participation in camps and retreats makes it one of the largest cooperative ministries among churches. Volunteers and staff at camps/retreats are most often members of United Methodist congregations. In some regions, the number of volunteers involved in this faith formation effort every year is staggering. Some annual conference camp/retreat ministries recruit and train 500-700 persons annually to serve thousands of children, youth, and adults. The substantial number of participants and leaders across the denomination speaks to the vitality and meaning of these experiences. Matthew 28:19-20 expresses the common mission at the heart of the partnership between local congregations and United Methodist camp/retreat centers: Go therefore and make disciples . . . teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. We teach people what it means to follow the way of Christ, to know they are loved, then to embody that love wherever they go. Our camp/retreat ministry has a long history of active learning; people actively participate in an experience together, then reflect on what it teaches them about Christian faith and living. The action/reflection process works extremely well in outdoor settings. Experiential learning keeps interest high, as participants engage their entire beings in the learning. For example, a group may do a trust fall, then bring alive a discussion of what it means to "bear one another's burdens." Retreats and camps also balance activity with renewal modeled by Jesus, who stepped away from his day-to-day work to go into natural settings to meet with God and explore the deeper meanings of his life (Mark 1:1-13, Matt. 14:23, Matt. 26:36-46, Luke 6:12). Practicing the ebb and flow of prayerful action and contemplation often produces a lasting ability to apply Christian faith to real-life situations. Camp/retreat experiences become defining moments that set direction for our lives and leadership. We are encouraged to develop as leaders. We are asked to consider deeply and to make faith decisions about the kind of person we will be and what we will do with our lives. For many pastors and laypersons, these experiences are pivotal to calls for ministry within their communities, relationships. and workplaces. continued . . . | New Camp/Retreat Certification | | Share Our Worlds Approved by State Department | | It's Working for Us | | | Partners in Discipleship: Camp and Retreat Ministries | | Resource Review | | Conservation U.S.A. | | Continuing Education & Fellowship Events | | Camp/Retreat Memo Archives | | Camping Home | Articles | Links | Staff | | Comments | Directory | Events | Employment Opportunities |