Camping Ministries


Hundreds of messages have come to Camp Glisson since Bob's death. The care, concern, and love expressed in these letters, faxes, e-mail, phone calls, and in person have brought great comfort to our family. Tears have been shed--many in sorrow, some in laughter. The stories, some old, some heard for the first time, have inspired a renewed appreciation for Bob's life and for the time he spent with us. Healing is taking place. One letter mentioned the probability of Bob's organizing a camping trip in heaven. The images that began to come to mind brought great tears of laughter. Bob would not be intimidated by the august company that would make up such a group. He would still insist that every tent be tight and cross roped, every pack contain the 10 essentials, and, yes, that there be no rust left in or on the Dutch oven! This soon led to more thoughts and questions. Would there even be rust in heaven? What about rainy days, blisters, sore muscles . . . ? What a great campfire discussion this could be! Surely we have to endure the storm to experience the rainbow. As rays of sunshine begin to filter through the clouds, we are grateful for your constant support and prayers. We will stay on at Camp Glisson for a while; if you are in the area, please stop by. We recently rediscovered one of Bob's prayers which was published in alive now! several years ago. We share it with you, hoping that you too will find healing in the reading. God of our journeys, we thank you for the trails that bring us home again, for life coming full circle, for births and deaths, for the memories of times and places that you have made holy in our minds. Lead us back to those who have touched us, and loved us, and set our feet upon the pathways of faith. Let us touch them in return. Amen. Sept.-Oct. '86 Alive Now! Used by permission.

The National Camp/Retreat Committee (NCRC) is charged with selecting three persons, two clergy and one layperson, to serve on the Board of Trustees of the National Center when it is established. Three Trustees-two laypersons and one clergy-will be selected by the General Board of Discipleship, and Maurice Wise will serve as the seventh member. The NCRC is proceeding to select those persons in early 1998 in order to properly prepare for the year 2000. The NCRC is soliciting nominations and applications. A variety of skills and qualities are helpful in being a Trustee, such as: Experience in Retreat and Camping Ministry Experience/knowledge in serving as a Trustee Affiliation with The United Methodist Church; familiarity with the connectional system Significant time available to devote to the work of the Trustees as a primary focus Legal and practical knowledge for setting up a new organization for the ministry of the Center Ability to listen, vision future needs in the field, and establish processes to fulfill those visions Applications will be received until October 15, 1997. If you are interested or know someone who would be a capable Trustee, contact Andy Thornton, Secretary, NCRC or John Farmer, Chairperson. Andy Thornton P. O. Box 429 Churchton, MD 20733 westrivercenter@juno.com (800) 535-5475 John Farmer 315 Camp Don Lee Rd. Arapahoe, NC 28510 john@donleecenter.org

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