the mountains are calling
PCCCA Annual Conference
Nov 8-13, 2015 | Montreat Conference Center | Montreat, NC
Nurturing relationships are one of the hallmarks of PCCCA. Grab a cup of coffee and join us as we check in with each other and discuss the unique opportunities and challenges as women in camp and conference ministry!
Elise Bates Russell is Executive Director of Johnsonburg and the PCCCA Board President. Michelle Brobston serves as the PCCCA Treasurer and brings a wealth of camp and non-profit experience. Maria Shupe is the Executive Director of Highlands Camp and Retreat Center and is a PCCCA consultant. They are each committed to encouraging and supporting women in meeting the unique challenges of camp and conference ministry.
×Brief, random ideas and examples for camp/conference centers that at least one person in the room (the leader) has found interesting and useful. Program, maintenance, funds development, macro and micro....if you expect some relationship or continuity from one idea to another, you'll be sorely disappointed. If you're a fan of Camphacker, these would fall in the "tools of the week" category.
David is Director at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center (Arkansas) where summer camp registrations have grown from 450 to 1200. David is passionate about sustainability, mission and creative collaboration.
×Explore how one Presbytery partnered with state and federal government agencies, universities, and community organizations to turn a former coal strip mine into a camp, retreat and environmental education center. Discover both the advantages and challenges of environmental partnerships. Learn strategies for identifying, initiating and effectively managing these partnerships.
John currently serves as Executive Director of Living River: A Retreat on the Cahaba located in Montevallo, Alabama. John has 20+ years of experience as a camp director, including leading the start-up of two new camp and conference centers.
×We are in the midst of a historic change in our life of faith. Young adults are drifting away from the Sunday service practice of faith communities and increasingly identifying as “spiritual but not religious.” The growing ranks of the “nones.” However, we know young adults do resonate with faithful communities like they find at our camp and conference centers. The church is crying out for new expressions; for patterns of life that resonate in authentic ways with our post-modern lives. A developing corps of “Communities of Practice” is sprouting. Find out what it is and how you can engage in this new growth of the Body of Christ.
Jason is the Associate for UKirk and Collegiate Ministries who brings a wealth of practical, connectional, and inspirational practices to implement in the camping world. Brian serves as the national connection for PC(USA) camp and conferences and focuses on connecting this vital ministry to the rest of the denominations missions.
×"We don't' rent our sites!" How that one shocking statement can move you from landlords of sites to partners in ministry. Thinking through with inquirers about your site how you could offer a better model to help them succeed in their mission - and you in yours.
Lisa Jean works with United Methodist camp and retreat ministries, most recently in Oregon and Idaho as the Executive Director of seven sites (198-2015). Prior to that, she served churches and camping ministries in New York and Pennsylvania. Collaboration and cooperative ministries have marked her work in each setting.
×Join us on a site tour that will explore the heart of Montreat. We will take a peek into the Assembly Inn kitchen, the Currie Craft Center, the Barn, the Montreat Store, the Bill Wilde Youth Center, and Robert Lake Park. We will pass by several other facilities on our tour, but these touch on important places in Montreat.
This tour will be lead by the Montreat staff.
×We have seen a cultural shift in the expectations of our camps and their services over the past two decades. These expectations at times can be different from our staff, alumni, experienced campers, and churches. Come and learn about strategies to implement change, small and large, at your site. Hear about techniques to align your camp community towards a common vision for the future.
Kevin is the Executive Director for Camp Wyoming located in Jones County, Iowa. He has served in this role since 2004. Previously, Kevin served as a Camp Director for 4 years for a secular camp for underprivileged children.
×Environmental ministry is an inherent part of Christian camping! Join us for a conversation about the PC(USA)’s Green Leaf Seal, an Environmental Ministries designation for camps committed to stewardship of creation. We’ll offer information about acquiring and maintaining the seal, and discuss ways of better connecting to different resources offered through Environmental Ministries and related programs. Come share what you have learned and done!
Colleen is a geographer and Young Adult Volunteer alum who is excited about natural resource conservation and education. She is currently serving the Presbytery of the James as Director of Youth, Environmental, and Service Ministries at Camp Hanover. Colleen lives in Richmond, VA.
×In this workshop, you will learn how to think collaboratively. During our time together, we will explore how to identify potential partners, examine how to create win/win relationships, and discuss ways to maintain and grow partnerships once they have been established. To keep things from getting too theoretical, we will use examples from Ferncliff as we investigate the partnership process.
Joel is currently serving as the Associate Director of Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center located just west of Little Rock, Arkansas. The foundation of his career has been built upon creating engaging, instructive and life-changing programs for Presbyterian camp and conference centers, state youth development organizations, and community-based and international non-profit agencies. Joel has a passion for connecting kids to the natural world, likes thinking of new ideas and thrives on the the varied day to day experience that camp ministry offers.t have significantly changed the State of Missouri and City of Kansas City.
×Participants in the Compass Points Certification Program will be presenting their final projects as part of the Capstone class. Each student will be making a pitch to his/her "governing body" for a new/innovative/out-of-the-box program idea for which they would like to receive "authorization" to implement. Come be part of "the approving body" which will act as a camp/retreat center's program committee or board. Ask questions, challenge assumptions, seek clarification for the proposed project so that the presenters get a feel for how their "real" governing body might receive their project. This is a two-workshop session from 1:30-4:15pm, but you could probably catch two of the four presentations if you are only able to attend one session.
Bob directed two camps over the span of 34 years and is now retired. He has been part of the Compass Points Task Force since its inception.
×The Asheville area has one of the highest concentrations of camps and conference centers in the world. During this extended session, we will be touring three camps in the local area. This trip is limited to 28 participants. The shuttles will depart at noon and will return at 5:00pm (all participants going on the camp tours will be given a bag lunch), so you will be unable to attend a workshop during session #3.
Christmount Christian Assembly www.christmount.org
Christmount is the national center for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which is located just down the road from Montreat. On their 600 acres of woods, streams, and trails, they offer multiple weeks of residential camp. Their program includes Camp Lakey Gap, six weeks of camp for people on the autism spectrum, and Camp Sunshine, two weeks of camp for adults with intellectual disabilities. If we have time, we will also take a look at their newly-renovated conference facilities.
Camp Rockmont www.rockmont.com
Founded in 1956 as an interdenominational Christian summer camp for boys, Camp Rockmont includes a 20-acre private lake and consists of 550 secluded, privately owned acres surrounded by thousands of acres of National Forest wilderness. Warm days and cool nights typify the climate, making our location ideal for a sleepaway camp for boys. They offer 6, 13, 20, and 27-day programs for a variety of ages. Dan David, the Director of Rockmont, is serving as a part of the PCCCA Annual Conference worship leadership.
Camp Ridgecrest for Boys and Camp Crestridge for Girls ridgecrestcamps.com
Ridgecrest Summer Camps are a ministry of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. They run eight weeks during the summer (four two-week sessions). Camp Ridgecrest for Boys and Camp Crestridge for Girls each offer over 25 activities on 1300 acres. Their facilities include a 15 acre lake, two gymnasiums, a 43’ climbing wall, an indoor climbing facility, 24 remodeled camper cabins, four outdoor chapels, rocketry lodge, wood working shop, weight lifting gym, and much more.
Camps and retreat centers should be leading the field when it comes to practicing creation care. Going green is essential for a camp to be healthy. Eco stewardship can save you money and make you more attractive to user groups and campers. Learn ways camps are going green, paying for it, and profiting from it. Most of our time will be sharing practical ideas and examples.
David is Director at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center (Little Rock, AR) which won first place nationally from Interfaith Power and Light for energy efficiency in 2015. Ferncliff has a long way to go and appreciates learning from other camps about ways to practice creation care.
×Creating safe spaces for campers is a key responsibility for all of us in camping. From protecting children through policies and practices at camp, to responding to accusations and disclosures, camps have opportunities and responsibilities to safeguard the campers in our care, whilst still needing to handle the impact on the camp, on staff, and perhaps the media. This workshop will include ways to think about developing approaches to these not-always-contradictory demands, as well as some concrete policy/practice ideas.
In the years between being a Skyline Camp counselor/program director and Executive Director, Matt worked in the field of statutory child protection. Combining formal study and field experience, Matt brings some insights valuable for child protection issues for the camp context.
×Create worship experiences that help the bible come alive and relevant for young people. Learn teachniques for creative Bible study that can be applied in your setting. Cultivate spiritual disciplines that you can begin to teach to others. Enrich worship with cutting edge ideas. Join us to engage the Word of God.
Michelle is the Associate for Youth and their families at Myers Park Presbyterian Church, Charlotte. She loves to play the games of her childhood, laugh until she cries and share in the joy of Christian Community.
×What information should I collect on my registration form? How do other camps handle discounts? What kind of reports will I need for the summer? Is there an easier way to collect money from parents? Join this panel of seasoned camp administrators/directors to tackle these questions and many more. This is a collaborative session for us to discuss and share unique ideas and best practices. Ideal for camp administrators and those involved with the operational aspect of the camp office.
Josh comes from a long history of camping experience and now has had seven years of working at CampBrain to listen and work with Camp Administrators all over North America. Josh has led many sessions in relation to technology and administration over the years.
×Marketing today has to be about much more than what you put in front of people to convince them to do something. It is about relationships and understanding your value for the people connected to your camp. In this workshop we’ll talk about ways to rethink your marketing to make it more about creating valuable experiences for the communities your camp is a part of. I hope to give you some big picture strategy tools as well as some specific things you can use today (or when you get back to work).
Adam is a former site director, an experienced nonprofit communicator, and has too much education for his own good. Through Common Table Communications, he builds websites that help you meet marketing goals and that add capacity to your organization. He also specializes in email marketing and the integration of communications into coordinated marketing programs.
×Camping can be a wonderful experience for kids. They make new friends, learn new skills, and increase their self-confidence, but not if they are abused at camp by a counselor or by another peer. This workshop addresses where and when abuse is most likely to happen in a camp setting and steps you can take to keep kids at camp safe based on Armatus by Praesidium (a leader in abuse risk management) training curriculum offered in partnership with the Insurance Board.
Jennifer is the Director of Member Services at the Insurance Board, a non-profit organization which serves various camps, middle judicatories, churches and related ministries with their insurance and risk management needs within the Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
×Hard Decisions...Somebody has to make them and they certainly aren't always fun. This workshop will take a look at true examples of camps that have been there and perhaps still are and the decisions they have made. Want to brainstorm some of your own hard decisions? We'll do that too!
Carroll is a consultant with Kaleidoscope, Inc., a camp and retreat consulting and planning firm. She also serves as the Coordinator of Camp & Retreat Ministry of the Western North Carolina United Methodist Camps. Carroll has provided key visionary leadership to numerous camp and retreat centers.
×Explore the role of competition, or pitting camper versus camper at camp. We will discuss the traditional team sport-oriented nature of camp programming and games. We will look at scripture about winners and losers. You will get some tips on how to nurture non-competitive culture among our leaders and campers. Participants will leave with a more critical eye for the use of competition at camp and will have new vocabulary to talk about it.
Erin is the managing editor of InsideOut Christian Camping Resources. She is an ordained minister and member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Erin loves equipping people to practice living in the reign of God, and thinks camp is the best place to do that.
×Explore new and exciting menu items and philosophies that will not only dramatically lower your camper day costs but reinvent the way that "Camp" food is perceived. We will focus on eliminating expensive prepared menu options with house made menu options that are unique, fresh healthy and affordable for camps and kitchens of all sizes and experience levels. In addition, the Chef Darcy will be available for private planning sessions following the workshop.
Darcy spent the past twenty plus years as an Executive Chef with hotels, restaurants and Christian camps and conference centers before becoming the Corporate Executive Chef for CORD Incorporated. He has presented culinary seminars nationally as well as been featured as the cover story for a national camping magazine. His passion is to personally work with Christian camps and conferences to help lower costs while creating menu items that are fresh, healthy and delicious. Darcy delights in working with chefs, food service managers, and staff to explore the Ministry of Food.
×Come learn about ways to strengthen the quality of the board/committee members who support your ministry. We will discuss various ways our ministry committees are structured and elected. Current governance examples will be discussed and related to Outdoor Ministry settings.
Peter has served as the director at Crestfield (Slippery Rock, PA) and Holmes Presbyterian Camp and Conference Center (Holmes, NY). He has been active in PCCCA and the American Camp Association.
×Come and hear a seasoned veteran share the success and failures of their time leading a camp ministry. Learn about short and long-term improvements to your site & facility, fundraising appeals & capital campaigns, marketing techniques, and program development. All tips will include a business mindset to help you develop your ministry for the future.
Kevin is the Executive Director for Camp Wyoming located in Jones County, Iowa. He has served in this role since 2004. Previously, Kevin served as a Camp Director for 4 years for a secular camp for underprivileged children.
×Learn tools for engaging youth and adults in productive conversations about how to faithfully engage with problems in the world around us. David LaMotte will lead conversations and group role play to examine dynamics of social change and our roles within it, in the context of our Biblical mandates to love one another, clothe the naked, feed the hungry and include the excluded. This workshop is generally described by participants as encouraging, supportive, and empowering as well as challenging.
David is an internationally touring speaker and author as well as a professional singer/songwriter, with eleven CDs and three books to his credit. He attended the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia as a Rotary World Peace Fellow to obtain his master's in International Studies, Peace and Conflict Resolution. His most recent book is "Worldchanging 101: Challenging the Myth of Powerlessness."
×How can you identify what level of cooperative partnership relationships you are in and where do you want to move? Learn a framework for working with other agencies and possible partner groups that can help guide the outcomes desired by asking the right questions and shaping answers together.
Lisa Jean has led the OR-ID Conference of the United Methodist Church for many years in partnerships with other denominations and many community agencies - utilizing many models, and allowing the relationships to find many different expressions over the years. This is a style of ministry that can enhance any setting.
×Join us for a glimpse of the history of Montreat Conference Center. Our tour will include the Assembly Inn, Anderson Auditorium, the Way Out Building, and a brief visit to the Presbyterian Heritage Center (which are all located on the Montreat campus).
This tour will be led by the Montreat staff.
×JJoin Ann Jones for a brief overview of Montreat’s Arts Ministry Program. We will get our hands dirty and work with clay, while discussing best practices concerning arts and crafts at our own camps and conference centers. The goal of this workshop is to create a space for conversation in and around the arts and how art can be a vital part of our ministry.
Ann is the year-round Director of Arts Ministry at Montreat. She is a graduate of Eckerd College (’77), Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (’82), and Wesley Seminary in Washington, DC, where she earned her Doctor of ministry degree in Arts and Theology. She is a Teaching Elder and member of St. Andrew Presbytery, and splits her time between Greenville, MS, and Montreat, NC. She has been drawing as long as she can remember, and has illustrated two books of poetry.
×Can you fix the internet? Is internet available in your conference room? Can you reset the router? Why can't I connect to the wi-fi? All of these are questions that we have heard at our sites (and much more). In this session, we will address the fundamentals of a good wi-fi system and how you can implement that at your camp or conference center.
Cal was the Associate Director at Montgomery Presbyterian Center (Starke, FL) and is now a freelance Web and Graphic Designer with lots of other interests. One of his major interests is empowering camps to provide reliable wireless capabilities to their guest groups.
×Implementing sustainable initiatives into your camp programs and facilities will result in three outcomes: Reduce the environmental impact, provide an educational opportunity for your guests to take back to their home community and save money through reduced consumption of resources like energy and water. We will review case studies of sustainable initiatives at camps across the US. Many initiatives we will talk about can be implemented with relatively little resources, but we will also cover large scale sustainable systems and how they can generate a significant return on investment from the resulting long term savings.
Camp has been a part of Danny’s life since he was nine years old and first attended a YMCA camp in North Carolina. He moved to California in 2006 to begin working at Catalina Island Camps (CIC) where he continued to grow into the role of a summer camp director as well as a program director for the Catalina Environmental Leadership Program (CELP). Danny’s background in summer camping and environmental education allowed him to help shape programs to reach a diverse audience and provide them with valuable critical thinking skills in an effort to better themselves and their communities.
×Are you interested in forming partnerships with young families now so they will "grow up" with your camp? Are you looking for strategies, insights and program ideas for connecting with this demographic? These families can grow to be strong supporters of camp and conference ministry. Hear from a church educator that has been working with young families and has take-away ideas for strengthening your partnership with them.
Stephanie is currently serving Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Denver, Co as the Director of Children and Family Ministries. Stephanie leads retreats, inter-generational and elementary camp weeks as a volunteer for her local PCCCA camp. She holds degrees in Early Childhood Education and Non-Profit Business Management.
×The Asheville area has one of the highest concentrations of camps and conference centers in the world. During this extended session, we will be touring three conference centers in the local area. This trip is limited to 28 participants. The shuttles will depart at 10:15am and will return at 3:15pm (all participants going on the conference center tours will be given a bag lunch), so you will be unable to attend a workshop during session #7.
YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly www.blueridgeassembly.org
YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly is a 1200-acre retreat and conference destination located just down the road from Montreat in Black Mountain. Their lodging facilities accommodate groups in hotel-style facilities, historic buildings, lodges, and cabins. The meeting rooms at Blue Ridge Assembly can accommodate groups of 15 to 800 people. Their year-round programming includes environmental education opportunities, school programs, and the Heritage Arts Studio.
Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove www.thecove.org
Upon visiting this property, Billy and Ruth Graham had a dream of providing a place where people could leave the demands of daily life, come to study God’s Word, and be trained to reach the lost for Christ. In 1987, the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove was opened. The training center offers 12 meeting rooms that can be arranged in a variety of configurations. Lodging for adults is available in hotel-style rooms in the Pilgrims' Inn and Shepherd's Inn. The center offers a variety of retreats and training events year round.
Ridgecrest Conference Center ridgecrestconferencecenter.org
Ridgecrest Conference Center is a 1300-acre facility owned and operated by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. The conference center is a big operation, sleeping up to 2,000 people at a time and hosting events and camps year-round, including many LifeWay student and kids camps (Fuge Camps, Student Life, CentriKid, Student Life for Kids). Their meeting rooms can accommodate groups of 16 to 2,200 people and their facility includes a gymnasium, tennis courts, and a miniature golf course.
Searching for worship that flows with the camp curriculum? Seeking an easy format of music that goes with liturgy, message and prayer practices, but also fits a camp setting? Explore ideas for tying the theme into worship and making camp worship a meaningful experience.
Sandy has been a Christian educator for 25 years and an education consultant. She taught environmental education for 10 years. Sandy is a Commissioned Ruling Elder, serving as pastor in a small Presbyterian congregation. She was also served as a volunteer director at Highlands Presbyterian Camp for 15 summers for various camps./em>
×The Board of Pensions works hand in hand with camps and conference centers across the Presbyterian Church (USA) to provide quality benefits for their employees. Yet their employees often do not always take full advantage of the benefits offered. Help your staff access and leverage the benefits provided in order to be healthier, more engaged in their service of the organization. Also, learn how employers might consider addressing the increasing costs of healthcare benefits.
Kevin serves as the Regional Representative for the Synods of the Sun and the Rocky Mountains for the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church, USA. Rev. Keaton joined the Board in 2012 following 30 years as a pastor and a presbytery executive.
×Join us as we delve into the topic of generosity and learn more about the type of people that tend to be the most generous with their time and money. We’ll also explore what this might mean for the church and its leaders.
Laurie is director for church relations for Thrivent Financial. In her role, Laurie has responsibility for managing relationships with national church leaders and leaders of Christian organizations as well as oversight for the grant programs offered through Thrivent’s foundation. She holds a Business Management and Communication bachelor’s degree from Concordia University. Laurie and her husband, Bob, reside in Navarino, WI.
×Learn what role sustainability can play in the camp community by participating in fun activities that will engage and educate your campers and staff on topics such as water conservation, energy conservation and food systems. Sustainability activities encourage the use of critical thinking and problem-solving skills to show us how we can have positive environmental and social influence at camp and back in our home communities.
Camp has been a part of Danny’s life since he was nine years old and first attended a YMCA camp in North Carolina. He moved to California in 2006 to begin working at Catalina Island Camps (CIC) where he continued to grow into the role of a summer camp director as well as a program director for the Catalina Environmental Leadership Program (CELP). Danny’s background in summer camping and environmental education allowed him to help shape programs to reach a diverse audience and provide them with valuable critical thinking skills in an effort to better themselves and their communities.
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