PCCCA
News for Winter 2009
New Benefits for PCCCA Members
Now is the time to join or renew your
membership in the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association.
2008 was a huge year for the association and we are looking forward to
bigger and better things in 2009. Please visit the special
membership page and take a look at the services and member benefits
provided by PCCCA. These include new members-only pricing with Bunk1.com,
Callippe Solutions, CampBrain,
CampRegister, Campwise,
Equal Exchange and Run
River Enterprises. The money that you can save through PCCCA
membership is more than your annual dues. Join or renew your membership
today!
Is
Your Site
on the List?
So far the following camps and conference centers have joined PCCCA for
2009: Buffalo Gap, Burnamwood, Calvin Crest (CA), Calvin Crest (NE), Cedarkirk, Cho-Yeh,
Christopher, Crestfield, Crieff Hills, d'action Biblique, Dorothy Lake, Douglas, Dutch Harbour, Ferncliff, Geddie,
Ghost Ranch, Glen Mhor, Gracefield, Hanover, Holston, Hopewell, Huron Feathers,
Iona, Kannawin, Keir, Kintail, Kummoniwannago, Lackawanna, MacLeod, Montreat,
Mo-Ranch, New Hope, Okoboji, Pee Dee, Presbytery of Sheppards & Lapsley, Presbytery of Wyoming, Prescawa,
Pyoca, Saugatuck, VIP and Westminster Woods (KS). If
your site's name is not on this list, then it is time to pay your dues for
2009. You can pay by check or credit card at our special
membership page. Thank you for your support of the ministry of PCCCA.
PCCCA
Focus Event
On December 5th-7th, 2008, 12 participants gathered at Stronghold
Conference Center (Oregon, IL) for the PCCCA Focus Event. This program is
specially designed for individuals who are considering a call to camp and
conference ministry. The six inches of snow on the ground did not hold
back the enthusiasm of this great group. We wish to thank Deb Krueger
(from NaCoMe Conference Center in Pleasantville, TN), Jan Hartman, Ryan
Anderson and the rest of the Stronghold staff for their help during this
important weekend.
PCCCA
Reservation Connection
The first annual Reservation Connection took place at Ferncliff Camp and
Conference Center (Little Rock, AR) on December 8th-10th, 2008. This was a
special event to bring together staff in the reservations and guest
relations departments from our camps and conference centers. This group
covered topics related to reservation process and policies, staff
communications, after hours services, hospitality and industry trends.
The 10 participants represented sites from
Florida, Virginia, Texas, Michigan and even Lutherans from North Carolina.
PCCCA
Program Connection
Grow · Learn · Apply was the theme of the PCCCA Program Connection that
took place at Dwight Mission Presbyterian Camp and Conference Center
(Vian, OK) on January 8th-13th, 2009. This event included
times for sharing, discussion, hands-on activities, workshops
and lots of great fellowship and fun. The
27 participants experienced a day of games and group building activities
with expert and author, Sam Sikes. They also took part in a "Checking
the Foundations" workshop with PCCCA Executive Director, Joel
Winchip. Next January the event will be headed to Meadowkirk Camp and
Retreat Center in Middleburg, Virginia.
PCCCA
Maintenance Connection
Here is a picture of the
sixth annual gathering of camp and conference center maintenance
staff that is going on right now at Menucha Retreat and Conference Center
(Corbett, OR). Perhaps next year is your turn to be a
part of this unique blend of fellowship,
continuing education, hands-on learning, Sabbath and the sharing of ideas.
The next PCCCA Maintenance Connection will be held at Holmes Presbyterian
Camp and Conference Center (Holmes, NY) on February 1st-5th, 2010. For
additional information, please take a look at the brochure available here.
PCCCA Board/Fund
Development Event at Pyoca
This program will be held at Pyoca
Camp, Conference and Retreat Center (Brownstown, IN) on April 5th-7th,
2009. The focus of the event is working with boards and understanding what
it means to work with boards. Our leader will be Jamie
D. Levy. He is a faculty member at Indiana University, where he teaches in
the graduate and professional programs in not-for-profit management and
development through the Center on Philanthropy, School of Public and
Environmental Affairs, and the Fund Raising School. For additional
information, please take a look at the brochure available here.
PCCCA Kitchen
Connection at Highlands
The PCCCA Kitchen Connection will be held at Highlands Presbyterian Camp
and Retreat Center (Allenspark, CO) on April 13th-16th, 2009. This event
is a gathering of Food Service staff from camp and retreat ministries
across the nation. It provides an opportunity to exchange ideas and share
recipes and helpful hints among the people who best understand it all.
Kitchen Connection is designed by and intended for individuals involved
with the ministry of food service. Come to share recipes and ideas, meet
others in the same profession and explore new ways of serving. For more
information, please take a look at the event
brochure.
Vote
for Your Favorite Workshop Topics
The Planning Team for the PCCCA Annual Conference is seeking your input
related to workshops for our gathering at Ferncliff Camp and Conference
Center (Little Rock, AR) on November 8th-13th, 2009. They have compiled a
list of possible topics and would like you to vote for the ones that you
would be interested in attending. This has never been attempted before, so
let your voice be heard! Please complete this
survey before the February 16th deadline.
2009
Camp and Conference Sunday Materials
Your Camp and Conference
Emphasis Sunday materials are here! These materials
are provided for you by the Office of Camps and Conferences of the
Presbyterian Church (USA) to share with your congregations that will
encourage them to set a Sunday aside this spring to celebrate camp and
conference ministry. There has been no date designated on the 2009 and
2010 calendar for an official Camp and Conference Emphasis Sunday
throughout the Presbyterian Church (USA). This does not preclude your
congregations from designating any Sunday for a C&C Emphasis Sunday.
We exist as extensions of and partners with the ministries of our
congregations. We hope these materials will help you strengthen your
connections to your churches.
Do
You Coordinate Mission Work Camps at Your Site?
Joel Winchip has written an article for the upcoming camp and conference
issue of the Presbyterian Outlook. In it he describes different
Presbyterian camps and conference centers who house, feed and coordinate
mission work projects in their local communities. These are mission trip
experiences for youth and/or adult groups (and their leaders). Do you have
a program like this? Joel is collecting the names and websites of programs
like this at our sites in the United States and Canada. All of our sites
host work groups, but we are looking for camps and conference centers who
actually coordinate the mission projects. If you would like to be included
in this directory of mission work camps, please contact Joel at joel@pccca.net
by February 16th.
Breakthrough:
the 2009 New Earth Curriculum
"Breakthrough"
focuses on Jesus and the many different kinds of people with whom he
interacted. Campers will explore
what made the story characters outcasts or different and will learn the
ways in which Jesus reached out to them. The contact with Jesus often
resulted in transformation in the lives of these people. All six
discoveries come from the gospels and invite campers to consider the ways
they treat people who are different than they are. A sampler of the
curriculum is available here.
The cost is $315 and it includes a notebook with the complete text and a
CD with pdf, Word and RDF files. You
will also find an audio file of the theme song and artwork images for
t-shirts and brochures. Two sections on training staff are new for this
year. The curriculum can be purchased through the Cokesbury
Bookstore.
Mariners in
Mission Update
Mariners in Mission offers volunteer services to Presbyterian camps,
conference centers, churches and colleges. There are usually three work
weeks a year - in the winter, spring and fall. Some of the tasks that we
do include painting, roofing, siding, building, repairs, gardening,
sewing, plumbing and flooring. We invite any volunteer to join us as we
serve the camps and conference centers of PCCCA. No area of Christian
service can meet their needs without volunteers! Please help us keep our
camps and conference centers in the black. Contact Barb and John Taylor at
barbjohn@pcpartner.net if you
would like to join our fun-loving work crews. We will direct you to the
appropriate person in charge of the work week. The schedule for 2009 is
March 29th-April 4th at Pinecrest Conference and Retreat Center (LaGrange,
TN), May 17th-23rd at Presmont Camp (Piedmont, Ohio) and August 30th-Sept
5th at Camp Story (Story, WY).
Seeking Authors
for Books on Camp and Conference Ministry
Healthy Learning/ACA Bookstore/Coaches Choice, the primary producer of ACA-generated
resources, is committed to creating a variety of resources for faith-based
camps. They are currently recruiting projects and authors to contribute to
their faith-based offerings. If you have an idea for a book or a project
in the works for which you are seeking a publisher, you are invited to
send a proposal to Jim Peterson,
the publisher of Healthy Learning/ACA Bookstore/Coaches Choice. A
one-page proposal should include: a topic title, description of the
content with brief outline, length of book, market for the book,
completion date and a short bio. Please check the faith-based books
already being offered at the ACA
bookstore to see what other resources are needed and that you can
provide.
Have
You Joined U.S.
Communities?
This group is a free purchasing cooperative designed to be a
procurement resource for local and state government agencies, school
districts, higher education and non-profits in the United States. As a
registered participant of the program, your camp or conference center can
access a broad line of competitively solicited contracts which provide
quality products, services and solutions. If you are interested in joining
other PCCCA sites who are members of this purchasing group, register for
free at www.uscommunities.org.
Green
Camp Covenant Program
The National Council of Churches (NCC)
Committee on Outdoor Ministry in partnership with the NCC Eco-Justice
Program met in January and created a Green Camp Covenant. Outdoor Ministry
leaders from five Protestant denominations signed in support of the
covenant and they encourage you to do the same. This
link will tell you more and lead you to a copy of the Green Camp
Covenant for your camp to consider signing. God calls all of us to care
for creation and this covenant is a way we can show our shared support.
Research on
Religious Giving
Based on research the Center conducted for Giving USA Foundation, the Lake
Institute released a paper about religious giving in uncertain times.
Although affected by the economy, religious
giving remains a top giving priority to many donors. Over 50 percent of
all household giving goes to religion, mostly congregations. In times of
recession, the decline in giving to religion has been -0.1 percent
compared to an average growth in non-recession years of 2.8 percent. The
paper outlines some strategy suggestions for religious congregations and
faith-based nonprofits and some helpful reminders about fundraising
practices. A copy of this paper can be found on the Lake
Institute website.
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