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The Legacy of Leadership Fund Launching a New Support System for UM Camp/Retreat Leaders by Kevin Witt
Reading the article about Mel Moody's life-long commitment to affirming, supporting, and equipping fellow camp and retreat leaders reminds me of the many people who have inspired and helped me along the way. I would not be in camp/retreat ministry or have the skills I do were it not for a host of people who have encouraged me as a volunteer and as a staff person: the couple who welcomed me so warmly as a teenage camper, my parents who hauled me all over Western Pennsylvania so I could be a camp counselor, the seminary professor who opened my eyes to the breadth of camp/retreat ministry and affirmed my calling, the mentor who provided transportation and allowed me to share a room so I could afford to attend my first national event, the woman who introduced me to writings that gave me a theological foundation for camp/retreat ministries, the supervisor who aided me during a difficult transition, the colleague and friend who brainstorms and inspires the best in me. All of us have such people who have blessed our lives and contributed to our becoming the leaders we are today. I invite you now to pause and to give thanks for the people — those who are living and those who have died — who have nurtured you and your leadership.
The Legacy of Leadership Fund gives you the opportunity to name and honor/memorialize the people who have contributed so much to your leadership. At the same time, the Fund provides an avenue for you to give critical assistance for the training and spiritual growth of those who will lead United Methodist camp/retreat ministries into the future. You can be a part of all the lives drawn closer to God and changed for the better through experiences provided by recipients of the fund. Every year, the National Camp and Retreat Committee and I receive financial requests from people who can't quite pull together all the funding they need to attend training events to enhance their effectiveness and spiritual leadership. Current funding is very limited. It is heart-wrenching to have to tell long-term leaders who want to participate in Camp/Retreat Ministries Certification or attend a national event or other training opportunity that we have no funding sources to help them. It is equally disheartening to have to inform gifted people wanting to get initial training to enter camp and retreat ministry — the next generation of United Methodist Camp/Retreat leaders. We can change this through expressions of thanksgiving and generosity. My wife Joanne and I will be making a donation; and we hope you will, too.
Here's how the new fund works. For every $25 dollar contribution to the Legacy of Leadership Fund, you can name and honor one person or a couple who made a difference in your life and leadership. Your name (unless you wish to remain anonymous), the name of the person you are honoring, and a brief statement about the difference they made will appear in future issues of the Camp/Retreat Memo, so it can be recorded as a part of the history of who we are as a camp/retreat ministry community. One hundred percent of the money you give will go to the crucial preparation of key volunteers and staff who continue the legacy of leadership of United Methodist Camp/Retreat Ministry. We hope to, also, print responses from some recipients so you can be kept up to date on how much your support really matters.
Please click here for the Legacy of Leadership Contribution Form.
| Camp/Retreat Memo Contents | Mel Moody 1914-2003 |
| The Legacy of Leadership Fund | The Legacy of Leadership Fund Contribution Form |
| In Honor/Memory | Congratulations | Gathering Histories |
| Opening Hearts to the Spirit | Mark Your Calendars |
| Improvisation Papers | Share Our Worlds |
| Retreat-Planning Steps for Local Churches | Recommended Resources |
| Camp/Retreat Memo Archives |