The November 5 Member Update is now available. It spotlights the nominees for the PCCCA Board and different facets of the upcoming “Gathering As One” Conference. If you did not receive the update in your email inbox, you can subscribe by going to the PCCCA website.
The mission of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association is to equip leaders for vibrant and sustainable ministries. Each PCCCA camp and conference center is unique. They vary in size, location, finances, and focus. A decision for one camp or conference center may or may not be appropriate for another. Currently, many camp leaders and wider leadership are making decisions related to their summer programming in 2020 from how to operate safely in the midst of a pandemic all the way to suspending all summer operations. The decisions made by our camp and conference centers should be expected to be as varied as the sites themselves. During this COVID-19 crisis, PCCCA’s goal is to provide resources and support for our members so that each member site can make the best decision possible according to their unique circumstances. Our prayers are with each of these important ministries.
We gather every Thursday at 11:00am EDT for a Zoom call with our camp and conference leaders. The conversation will focus on the latest news, as well as mutual support. The call is a partnership between PCCCA and the Office of Christian Formation of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. We hope you will be a part of the conversation each week. You can join us online at https://zoom.us/j/805279344 or by phone (one-tap mobile) at +16468769923,,805279344# US. Please click on the title or image of this post if you are unable to click on the Zoom link. The recordings of previous Zoom calls can be found at the bottom of PCCCA’s Coronavirus page. Agenda for our one-hour call on December 3Liz Perraud, Executive Director of GenOn Ministries, will lead a discussion about intergenerational retreats in the camp and conference setting. She’ll define this approach to ministry and we’ll consider together how the new intergenerational retreat resource (Shine! Living as Children of God in a Restless World) could be used in a variety of ways in your context. Bring your questions, your wonderings, and your ideas. If you have a topic suggestion for a future call, please contact Brian Frick or Joel Winchip.
Are you seeking new ways to offer programming to campers and their families? PCCCA partnering with the Office of Christian Formation of the Presbyterian Mission Agency and the web developer, Worship Times, to offer our member sites a platform for virtual programming. Click on the image to learn more about this exciting new resource.
Cedarkirk Camp & Conference Center hosted the 14th gathering of Maintenance Connection with 19 participants representing 5 denominations from 17 different sites across the US and Canada. This year’s event is the largest gathering of resent years, welcoming many new faces and ideas along with renewing old friendships from the past. The event centered on relaxing, renewal of the soul, and continuing education. We learned about “green janitorial supplies,” pest control, and pressure washing to keep our sites clean and appealing. Our day out activities took us to the “toy” store where we were able to ride and explore new equipment, such as a stand-up mower, a riding all-terrain zero turn mower, a riding leaf blower, chain saws and many other wishful items. Next we stopped for a local treat of strawberry shortcake and milkshakes, as it is the middle of strawberry season in Florida. We rounded out our day with a tour of a distillery and then on to downtown Tampa to relax with good food and fellowship. Conversations topics of disaster preparedness, training up the next generation, and preparing for retirement were informative and thought provoking. We thank the Cedarkirk staff for their hospitality, offering vespers in the evening, and the great food that was served. Many of the participants expressed the time that we shared as being just what they needed even as they had many projects they left behind and would return to even more. As we wrapped up the week, we look forward to next year’s event to be held at Crestfield Camp & Conference Center in Slippery Rock Pennsylvania.
In light of the Coronavirus, the PCCCA Board feels that a strong policy statement communicated to your constituency is a great way to get ahead of the current wave of uncertainty. If a camp or conference center can create and follow a plan of action for preventing the spread of this infectious virus, they could create an environment that makes our sites one of the safest places for children and youth this summer. In order to help you, we have put together a special page of resources and program suggestions at www.pccca.net/coronavirus. Please check it out and submit suggestions as we continue to update this website. Thank you.