Administration

Food Service

The ministry of food service represents on the most direct and profound expressions of God’s care and welcome.  Grace abounds in providing what is essential to health and well being.  Many sacred texts talk about food, meals and drink.  Those who serve in this aspect of camp and retreat leadership not only provide food for the body, but provide food for the soul through loving hospitality and by being attentive and caring to all who come for sustenance.

Maintainance & Grounds

The ministry of maintenance and grounds involves both being stewards of creation and caretakers of guests. When people come to a camp and retreat center they enter a sacred place, and they learn discipleship through observation of how we treat all life in these places in the midst of creation. Leaders in maintenance and grounds extend the embrace of God by providing light, warmth, safety and risk management, environments that inspire persons to a deeper connection with God, teaching and modeling earth care, building and maintaining facilities and the natural surroundings in a way demonstrates Christian discipleship and stewardship, etc.

Financing & Fundraising

This ministry is an important aspect of spiritual leadership. Every ministry depends upon sound fiscal management and involving generous donors who wish to contribute to what truly makes a difference. Camp and Retreat Ministry has a profound impact on many lives from those who come to deepen their connection with God to guests from nonprofit groups who come to plan or carryout the good they do in the world. Many of these faith based groups and not for profits cannot afford to own their own camp and retreat centers, so building a strong future for the ministry is vital not only for the United Methodist Church but for the wider society too. None of this can be accomplished without adequate funding and resources.

Technology

As new technologies emerge, they can become helpful avenues for expanding our ability to offer dynamic camp and retreat experiences and ministries or they can become a distraction. Individuals and teams who endeavor to become knowledgeable about emerging technologies, determine their applicability, develop policies of use, and implement them economically and effectively in order to help keep the ministry relevant in the modern context. The key evaluative question used is “will this actually help us live our unique mission as leaders of Christian camp and retreat ministries in places apart dedicated to helping persons grow in faith and encouraging them to live lives of love and justice?

Policies & Procedures

The development of prudent policies and procedures is really about love in action. Policies and procedures help staff, volunteers and guests to understand what should be avoided and what should be done for the common good of all. Well thought out policies and procedures provide wisdom and guidance. Avoiding harm an essential part of discipleship along with doing good. These guides address a wide spectrum of areas from risk management to leadership preparation. Those carrying this responsibility can glean a lot of good information from what others have developed and from organizations that provide guidelines.