A Message from the Interim Co-CEOs

“Don’t look back. You’re not going that way.” So much of our energy during a “new year” can be focused on the past year. We watch the clock tick toward a new year and long to put any difficulty behind us.

Our hope and challenge for 2025 are grounded in a new strategic plan we are undertaking as a ministry. This plan will help us better see the way we are going, moving us into the future and toward who God is calling us to be for this moment.

To date, you have helped with this plan by providing 586 survey responses, many one-on-one interviews, and a CEO think tank, all tackling critical high-level questions.

• How can we foster vibrant faith community in a changing world?
• How do we position ourselves to lift up programs for children, youth, families, and adults that build community and introduce people to a loving God?
• What does it mean to be a place apart in 2025?
• How do we fund ministry creatively so we can keep our programs accessible to a lonely and disconnected world?

These are big questions we have known were coming for years and we are eager to begin mapping out our answers.

This year we look to the stories of faith formation, leadership growth, and spiritual renewal, the kinds of stories shared in our LINK newsletter. These stories give witness to our unwavering commitment to foster strong and healthy community at camp.

This year we lean more deeply into our WHY – why we love camp, why we come back, why we invite others. Thank you for sharing your camp “whys” through this strategic planning process. We are using your responses to shape “the way we are going next.” As we finalize the plan, we will share it with this community.

Thank you for a strong 2024. Here’s to an even stronger and future focused 2025.

Warmly,
Mike Ward & Mitzie Schafer