Carol Joy Holling Camp, Conference & Retreat Center
March, 2016
Why is CAMP so important? By Pr. Paula Lawhead As I visit different churches across the Nebraska Synod and Northwest Iowa, I am often asked the question, “Why do you think camp is so important?” I think this is a valid question and important for me to consider. I believe camp is more than just an opportunity to get kids out of the house for a week. I think it is more than just fun and games. Christian camping in particular is more than just learning Bible songs and practicing trust falls. While many of these things are true of most any outdoor programming, I believe there is a particular connection to the life of faith that makes camp so vital for young Christians. Just as Jesus took his disciples outside of the city or up to the mountains or sent them on mini mission trips, camp is a place set apart from every day life. Why is this an important element? In Scripture, it is in these times outside of
the regular routine that the disciples would have surges of growth in their image of who Jesus is and what he’s about. It is in the places set apart that they would see Jesus interact with unexpected people and share new teachings. These big experiences shaped the disciples and though they did not always understand until later, what they learned or saw in these times set apart impacted their faith in significant ways. Even more than being set apart for learning, I believe Christian camp experiences are important because at camp we do faith. We live faith. We don’t just learn about faith, but actually live it out in community and action. Camp is community oriented. We learn what it means to be in a community of faith and the importance of gathering with others who are seeking to worship and learn and grow. We learn what it means to care for one another and put up with one another, bearing one another’s burdens. Camp is all about living it out together. In the same sense, camp is service-oriented, so doing faith
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SUMMER CAMP - NEW IN 2016! Upgrade Technology for Camper Safety and Stewardship
Family Camp is all NEW in 2016! This full-week program will be held at The Springs site where families of all ages can come and be spiritually fed. With faith formation programs catered to adults, guest leaders, and activities for children – this week will be a blast!
To be better stewards and to provide faster healthcare response to camper needs, we are going paperless. iPads will give leadership and healthcare staff access to camper information and health information at all times saving paper and time!
carol
joy holling .org
CAMP CONFERENCE & RETREAT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
The Springs Retreat House
The Springs Lodge
Construction to begin: May, 2016
Construction to begin: August, 2016
Partnership with Mission Builders: God’s Work, Our Hands For the first time, Carol Joy Holling Camp, Conference & Retreat Center is partnering with Mission Builders to construct two new facilities at CJH! The Springs Retreat House and The Springs Lodge are part of the Faithfully Forward Campaign to provide comfortable, overnight, dining and meeting facilities for our guests year-round. Mission Builders is a unique extention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. According to Steve Schenk, Project Coordinator for Mission Builders, “Our group is made up of anyone wishing to serve our Lord. We consider ourselves to all be professionals in our past careers. Teachers, military, bankers, rocket scientists (seriously), farmers, carpenters, painters, pastors, etc.” Schenk continues, “I can only speak for myself when I say I do this because I know God has blessed me through my life, and thankful for what Jesus did for me. I want to share my God given talents with others to His glory.” This unique model of business serves a specific and needed purpose for churches and outdoor ministry sites across the United States. While Mission Builders provides skilled leadership for these projects, local volunteers are invited to participate throughout the project. The value of such a model for organizations like Carol Joy Holling Camp, Conference & Retreat Center is the extension of the mission that the project provides. According to Roger Maxon, Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Director/Site & Facilities, “It is so important to us that we live out our mission as an organization in every way possible. Working
with Mission Builders is giving us an opportunity to do just that, so while the buildings themselves will enable mission to happen, the process itself does the same.” Jason Gerdes, NLOM Director/Development, agrees, “Even before the building starts, the ministry that is lived out for so many people when they make financial gifts is extraordinary. We are seeing God’s hand in every step of the project.” Schenk also sees great value in the community that is formed around a project like this, “To work with and become family with your staff and all the volunteers from the local congregations is a gift to us.”
Volunteer Come for a day or more often as you are able. Tuesday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Volunteers must be 16 years old. All skill levels welcome. To learn more or to sign up to volunteer, please contact Amanda Sliva at 402-944-2544 or asliva@nlom.org.
Construction on The Springs Retreat House will begin in May. The building will provide summer housing for confirmation camp pastors and church leaders and year-round space for use by small groups. When this project wraps up, the crew will move to demolition of the old Springs Dining Hall then construction of the new Springs Lodge. By replacing its original dining hall, Carol Joy Holling Camp will create an efficient serving kitchen and a large dining space to accommodate more summer campers and year-round guests. Both facilities will be complete by Spring of 2017! Dave Coker, NLOM Executive Director, said, “We are thrilled to be working with Mission Builders on this project. They are an extraordinary organization and their mission aligns so well with ours.” If you are interested in more information on these facilities or would like to volunteer to help, please call 402-944-2544.
UPCOMING EVENTS & RETREATS
YOGA + wellness a Christian Wellness Retreat
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Learn more at www.caroljoyholling.org/gala
April 15-17, 2016
Learn more at www.cjhcenter.org/yogaretreat
A Day Retreat at Carol Joy Holling Camp for Elementary Kids
Saturday, April 23, 2016 Learn more at www.cjhcenter.org/explore
VOLUNTEER
WORK DAY! Saturday, May 21, 2016
Learn more at www.caroljoyholling.org/work-day
SUMMER CAMP - NEW IN 2016!
Games!
2016 Theme
This summer, campers will enjoy human foosball, a new sand volleyball pit, and 9 square in the air! These built-in games will be located at the pool/sno cone area and will be used by all ages!
Throughout the week at camp, campers and staff will learn what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus. In a world telling us that we need the biggest and the best to succeed, and that only the strong will prevail – Jesus shows us a completely different way of living. When we follow Jesus, often our world is turned ‘Upside Down’ and we are called to do things that pull us out of our comfort zone. During the week together, we will learn about how Jesus calls us to feed, forgive, pray, serve humbly, and love our neighbor.
Why CAMP? Continue from front page
Service Project - Fleece Blankets for Homeless Children Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (NLOM), People’s City Mission in Lincoln, The Stephen’s Center in Omaha, and The DOVES Program of Western Nebraska are partnering together to teach our campers about the stuggles that homeless children face. Each camper will also tie a fleece blankets that will be given to homeless youth across our state. NLOM has a long history of having significant service projects for campers and volunteers to participate in.
includes learning about caring for God’s creation and one another through service. As children of God we are called to give thanks for all that Christ has done for us. We are also called to look beyond ourselves to others and extend the blessings to them as well. This living out faith in community and action is done at camp. So, why camp? Being set apart from the day to day for significant learning moments and for living out our faith each day in community and action helps create a fuller understanding of discipleship. This fuller understanding is carried back into the day to day lives and congregations of these
young Christians. It impacts them and those around them to be thinking deeply about faith. And even more, camp is an ideal nurturing environment for developing leaders for church and society. To build leadership skills, people must be given responsibility for others and be mentored in the process of ministering and leading. Camp provides an ideal environment to grow capabilities and expose gifts for ministry. In the midst of all the fun and games, singing and team building, there is true faith formation happening. Faith lived out through service and community and discovery of gifts within the larger body of Christ. These are what make camp so vital to the development of faith and future leaders in ministry. So, why not camp?
In order to make camp more accessible for families, we are offering a special 1/2 PRICE DEAL in 2016 (see below). Please tear off the information below and pass it along to someone you know that should come to camp in 2016!
what are yourkids doing this summer? send them to
Carol Joy
Holling Camp & get a great deal
50% off! first time campers only • limited space available
visit holling.org! caroljoy
Carol Joy Holling
Non-profit org US postage PAID Ashland, NE Permit no. 19
Camp, Conference & Retreat Center 27416 Ranch Road Ashland, NE 68003 www.caroljoyholling.org 402-944-2544
5K Run Unites People; Makes a Difference By Connie Nemec
she was too busy having fun...Nicole asked if she could attend Ranch Camp the following year sometime between when we put her camp gear in the trunk and when we exited the long driveway. She was asleep when we turned onto highway 66. Camp was a success!
Empyrean Trail 5K Runner & Volunteer I participated in the first trail run/race at CJH, and I’ve attended or volunteered in all but one trail run and the reason I was absent was connected to CJH too. The first trail run event hooked me: new challenge, great people, and great atmosphere after the race. Genius combination! After the race, I visited with a volunteer/ board member and we somehow got to talking about non - running things. One of those topics was adoption. He and his wife had recently adopted locally, as I recall, and they were “older,” too. I talked to my husband about this conversation when I got home, continuing a years long onagain, off-again dialogue about adopting. Before the following CJH race, my hubby and I were enrolled in foster care training classes. I wasn’t able to attend/ run in that
Connie Nemec receives congratulations from Dave Coker, Executive Director
The third race at CJH was my first as a foster mom to a 11 year old girl. Several months later, Nicole attended Ranch Camp. It was a great experience for her and a great break (our first) for my husband and I. We were nervous dropping Nicole off for her first real time away from us. Not to worry! She didn’t have time to send us or anyone else any notes from camp because
Omaha
adventure camp located outside of Ashland, NE, just 30 minutes from Omaha and Lincoln.
A series of coincidences? No. I’m sure that’s not at all the case. Just part of a larger plan...
year’s race because classes were held on Saturday mornings.
Carol Joy Holling Camp is a Christian
Carol Joy Holling Camp
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I-8
Jay and I adopted Nicole January 21. I raced CJH and volunteered as a “mom” in 2016. Our daughter is registered for camp again...this time the long session.
CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU
to our 2016 Empyrean Trail 5K Runners
361 Runners $19,000 raised to support the summer camp programs at Carol Joy Holling Camp!
to register: visit caroljoyholling.org! use coupon code ‘halfoff’ There you’ll find everything you need to know about camp: what to bring, weather
Lincoln
Promotion applies to: Week 1: June 5-10; Week 3: June 19-24; Week 5 (mini-week): July 6-8; Week 8 (4-day): July 24-28
protection, financial aid info, and more!
Sorry - offer doesn’t apply to family programs, programs for people with special needs or backpacking trips. Cannot be used with other offers.