Site and facility inventory is where a good site and maintenance plan start. We will talk about how to complete a good site and facility inventory, what it should look like and what it should include. It's a great project for staff and volunteers to work together and an absolutely necessary first step towards site planning. We need to know what we have and what we can expect so we can plan accordingly. Participants will walk away with the understanding of what they need to do to get started and why it's so valuable to their camp.

Dave is a senior consultant and team leader of The Sherry Group, LLC (TSG). Dave has spent over 30 years as a camp pro, including eighteen years as executive director of a camp in Iowa. Dave has successfully turned around camper registrations and finances at two camps under his leadership and is now helping camps and other nonprofits find their unique success. Dave has been married to Kate for over 30 years and they have three adult children and one grandchild. Dave believes no time is better than family time and looks forward to the opportunities to have his group all together.

In this workshop we will explore how to incorporate elements of the natural world into camp worship experiences in a variety of ways. We will discuss different types of camp worship experiences—morning watch, evening devotionals, prayerful wandering, outdoor prayer stations, and interactive outdoor Bible study. We will discuss some logistical challenges of worshiping outdoors with young people and offer practical resources for each outdoor worship experience.

Sarah is the communications coordinator for Central District Conference, part of Mennonite Church USA and leader of Olentangy Wild Church in Columbus, Ohio. She teaches theology and biblical studies courses at PATHWAYS, a theological education program affiliated with the United Church of Christ. She is the author of Rooted Faith: Practices for Living Well on a Fragile Planet (Herald Press, 2023). She grew up attending Camp Gilmont in Texas (affiliated with Grace Presbytery) and now enjoys camping throughout the Midwest.

"Sometimes people need a story more than they need bread" - Barry Lopez, Crow and Weasel

Being able to tell a good story ought to be part of our job descriptions, but too often we see stories only as a way to make a specific point or to simply fill time between more 'important' activities. But what if we began to frame our activities, facilities, promotions, and development around the greater narratives that whisper around us? What if we began to partner with stories to allow campers, congregants, and boards to imagine God moving in much more hidden, even subversive ways? Join in exploring this oldest. and ever new. art.

Kent Busman has been the director of Fowler Camp and Retreat Center in the Adirondack Mountains long enough to watch the trees grow. His commitment to caring for the world has transformed the mission of the camp and helped to make it both more sustainable and able to address many of the needs of the campers in this era. Kent has been a member of the Capital District Storycircle in NY for more than 2 decades and has performed his stories on stage in numerous venues.

As Zephyr Point celebrates 100 years along the shores of Lake Tahoe, join the staff on a tour to learn more about the past, present, and future of camping ministry at Zephyr Point. This half-mile walking tour will begin in front of the Tallac Center Dining Hall and continue along our lakefront road for a full loop of the property. A golf cart shuttle will be available for participants requiring additional assistance.

The premise of this workshop is that when working with staff (and encouraging staff in their work with campers), we start with the belief that each person knows the best way forward in overcoming challenges and building relationships. During our time together we will discuss tools such as generous (active) listening, powerful questions and starting with curiosity, to create a culture of empowered leadership in your community.

A certified professional coach with the International Coaching Federation, Diane is passionate about the work of coming alongside individuals and organizations seeking to move forward, grow, and transform. An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and former Conference Minister of the Northern California Nevada Conference UCC, Diane spent most of her professional life working with churches and organizations in Japan, Hawaii, Northern California and Northern Nevada, journeying with them to reach their full potential and discover the vitality that is within.

The Bible is full of stories about how our spiritual ancestors spoke with God in their own sacred landscape. In this workshop we will explore several stories from scripture that can help campers and visitors of all ages connect to the natural world and to the Creator. When Jacob was at the River Jabbok, afraid of his brother’s wrath, he wrestled with God and received a blessing for his struggle. When Elijah was on Mount Horeb and in crisis, God spoke to him in the voice of silence. And after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John, he spent forty days in the wilderness with angels and wild animals. Retelling these stories in particular landscapes—by a river, in a desert, on a mountain—can help bring them to life in an entirely new way. In this workshop we will discuss how you can use the natural features of your own camp or conference center to highlight particular stories from scripture and encourage campers to imagine what it was like when these stories took place.

Sarah is the communications coordinator for Central District Conference, part of Mennonite Church USA and leader of Olentangy Wild Church in Columbus, Ohio. She teaches theology and biblical studies courses at PATHWAYS, a theological education program affiliated with the United Church of Christ. She is the author of Rooted Faith: Practices for Living Well on a Fragile Planet (Herald Press, 2023). She grew up attending Camp Gilmont in Texas (affiliated with Grace Presbytery) and now enjoys camping throughout the Midwest.

Building on Biblical and environmental practices, this time will be spent re-framing our understanding of what our first priority is at camp: to care for the creation we have been entrusted with. While numbers and budgets consume most of our energy, rediscovering the role of Earthkeeping may be the key to the health and wellbeing of your camp, your staff, and those you serve

Kent Busman has been the director of Fowler Camp and Retreat Center in the Adirondack Mountains long enough to watch the trees grow. His commitment to caring for the world has transformed the mission of the camp and helped to make it both more sustainable and able to address many of the needs of the campers in this era.

As Zephyr Point celebrates 100 years along the shores of Lake Tahoe, join the staff on a tour to learn more about the past, present, and future of camping ministry at Zephyr Point. This half-mile walking tour will begin in front of the Tallac Center Dining Hall and continue along our lakefront road for a full loop of the property. A golf cart shuttle will be available for participants requiring additional assistance.

Staffing a camp is a large and often daunting project. Finding summer staff that can deliver your program and mission can be challenging. Developing a leadership development program can answer several of the problems. What if I told you we could increase your teen camper retention, increase your camp staff hiring pool, improve the quality of your staff, have your staff all certified before staff training, increase the numbers of summers your average staff stay by at least twice if not three times the amount or more, have new staff each summer that already have experience in your program areas, have a good work ethic and know all your traditions, and more. It is happening in other camps. It can happen in yours as well. Fix most of your summer staff woes with a good, intentionally designed leadership development program. We will show you how in this session.

Dave is a senior consultant and team leader of The Sherry Group, LLC (TSG). Dave has spent over 30 years as a camp pro, including eighteen years as executive director of a camp in Iowa. Dave has successfully turned around camper registrations and finances at two camps under his leadership and is now helping camps and other nonprofits find their unique success. Dave has been married to Kate for over 30 years and they have three adult children and one grandchild. Dave believes no time is better than family time and looks forward to the opportunities to have his group all together.

In this interactive workshop, we will explore the growing wild church movement and offer resources you can use to do wild church at your camp or conference center. We will talk about the origins of wild church and look at different examples of what worship looks like for wild churches. We will also discuss logistics and strategies for how you can develop a wild church practice that works in your camp setting. Resources will include liturgies, prayer cards, worship orders, how to include young people, and practical tips on choosing a space, accessibility, and more.

Sarah is the communications coordinator for Central District Conference, part of Mennonite Church USA and leader of Olentangy Wild Church in Columbus, Ohio. She teaches theology and biblical studies courses at PATHWAYS, a theological education program affiliated with the United Church of Christ. She is the author of Rooted Faith: Practices for Living Well on a Fragile Planet (Herald Press, 2023). She grew up attending Camp Gilmont in Texas (affiliated with Grace Presbytery) and now enjoys camping throughout the Midwest.

Volunteers are critical for the survival of many of our camps and retreat centers. Why are they so often such a pain? What can we do to improve the connection volunteers have between the ministry of our camps and the desire to offer help? Let's discuss best practices and learn from each other how we might be better caretakers and stewards of our volunteers.

Kent Busman has been the director of Fowler Camp and Retreat Center in the Adirondack Mountains long enough to watch the trees grow. His commitment to caring for the world has transformed the mission of the camp and helped to make it both more sustainable and able to address many of the needs of the campers in this era.

Participants will take part in 4-5 different ministry design exercises aimed at making your camp or organization's offerings more faithful, more feasible, and more fun. Come with a ministry in mind (one that exists, or one you're just dreaming about) and we'll get to work!

As one of our keynote speakers, Kenda Creasy Dean’s bio can be found under Conference Leadership.