Mennonite Camping Association
NATURAL LINKS
JOB OPENINGS
Mennonite Church Washington
Mennonite Fellowship (WMF)
dba
Camp
Camrec,
Leavenworth, WA, seeks a
year-round Facilities Manager. The
Facilities Manager works alongside
the Executive Directors and is
responsible for the day-to-day
maintenance and physical upkeep
of the camp. Must have strong
maintenance experience and skills,
along with the ability to work
collaboratively. Responsible for
the management and maintenance
of camp facilities, grounds and
forest resources at CAMREC, in
addition to coordinating camp
activities with the camp directors.
For more specifics and to see the
Facilities Manager Job Description
go to camrec.org, email camrec@
nwi.net, or call 509-548-7245.
MCA REGIONALS
Mark your calendar for the 2017
MCA Regional Gatherings!
Eastern Regional:
March 6-8, 2017 at Beaver Camp,
Lowville, NY
DEEP FAITH CONFERENCE
Deep Faith Conference:
Anabaptist Faith Formation for All Ages
October 6-8, 2016 at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, IN In 2014, following a workshop led by Shana Peachey Boshart on children’s spirituality
at the biennial convention of Mennonite Camping Association, Rachel Gerber and Elsie
Rempel lingered to chat with Boshart. One of the fruits of this conversation is Deep
Faith: Anabaptist Faith Formation for All Ages.
“We realized how much our ministries had in common and lamented how little contact
we had with each other,” says Rempel, who was then staff for faith formation for
Mennonite Church Canada. (Gerber serves as denominational minister of youth and
young adults for Mennonite Church USA, and Boshart as conference minister for faith
formation of Central Plains Mennonite Conference.)
“We decided to start meeting online periodically to change that and were soon
sharing lots of resources with each other,” Rempel continues. “Before long, the idea of
a conference was birthed — one that would help other people who care about faith
formation to connect and learn from each other.”
In time, others with passion for faith formation have joined the planning team, which
Rempel describes as “a fascinating blend of practitioners and professionals — from
congregational leaders to seminary professors and denominational staff.” (See Planning
team below.)
According to Rempel, various event sponsors have come through from across the
church to join AMBS and Mennonite Church USA, including the Anabaptist Faith
Formation Network, Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, Mennonite Church Manitoba
and The Gathering Place. Mennonite Camping Association will sponsor a pizza supper
and camp-style part on the opening night of the event.
West/Midwest Regional:
March 28-30, 2017 at Little Eden,
Onekema, MI
“All in all, this group and this event are a most inspiring example of how, with some
initiative and boundary-crossing friendships, we can work together across geographic
and organizational boundaries that often separate us,” said Rempel. “We hope, pray and
dream that the Deep Faith conference will connect and inspire many kindred spirits in
their ministries of helping to form others to grow into the likeness of Christ.”
2017 RECRUITING
Gerber added that in her role, she sees more and more pastors with the title of “faith
formation” or “associate pastor of children, youth, and families.”
Wednesday, Feb. 1 - EMU
Thursday, Feb. 2 - Bluffton
Friday, Feb. 3 - Goshen
Monday, Feb. 6 - Hesston
Tuesday, Feb. 7 - Tabor
Wednesday, Feb. 8 - Bethel
Thursday, Feb. 9 - McPherson
OCTOBER ISSUE
There will be no October issue
of the Natural Links this year.
Submissions for the November
issue can be sent anytime to
[email protected].
SEPTEMBER 2016
“How do we care for the breadth and depth of attending to faith formation from a
holistic perspective?” she asked. “It’s my hope that this conference will give us tools to
begin to imagine what can be — to create durable faith that spans the life cycle and to
be encouraged by other practitioners, learning with and from one another.” We look
forward to seeing you at Deep Faith!
Deep Faith Conference: Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary
Early registration: $125 USD/regular, $50 USD/student until Sept. 21.
Registration after Sept. 21: $175 USD/ regular, $50 USD/student
More information and online registration is available on the website: mennoniteusa.org/deepfaith
Come represent the MCA community at this great conference for all who
participate in faith formation!
This event is sponsored by: Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Mennonite Church USA,
Mennonite Church Manitoba, Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, The Gathering Place,
Anabaptist Faith Formation Network, and Mennonite Camping Association
WWW.MENNONITECAMPING.ORG
Mennonite Camping Association
NATURAL LINKS
CAMP UPDATES
Wilderness Wind, Ely, MN, wildernesswind.org
Excerpts of a letter written by Wilderness Wind board chair, Gretchen Nyce, August 26, 2016
After 30 years of operations Wilderness Wind is in a state of transition. The good news is that all of the legal hurdles have been
cleared, and the papers have been signed! Chicago Voyagers are the new, excited owners of Wilderness Wind and they will take
over the operations at the end of this season. The camp will continue to be called Wilderness Wind under the new ownership,
and the website and Facebook pages will remain in the same locations.
The goal of Chicago Voyagers is to sustain the work of Wilderness Wind Camp in the manner you are accustomed to – available
to help plan and guide a trip into the Boundary Waters for your friends, family or youth group, or accommodating your group
for a stay in the Lakeside cabins or yurt. In addition, Chicago Voyagers will be providing Boundary Waters trips for youth from
inner-city Chicago. Their hope is that the combination of long-time Wilderness Wind supporters, inner-city youth, and new
constituents from the Chicago area will make for a renewed and sustainable camp.
The Wilderness Wind board and current staff are working hard to make the transition to Chicago Voyagers as smooth as
possible. This involves everything from working on legal and financial paperwork, to sorting and organizing the gear and physical
assets at camp. A small committee of former Wilderness Wind board members and/or past staff will be available to Chicago
Voyagers during the next year to answer questions that arise and to share the expertise gained from 30 years of operating this
camp.
While we are sad to see the end of one chapter in Wilderness Wind’s story, we are glad that Chicago Voyagers has stepped
in to start the next chapter and attempt to build on the strong foundation that all of you have helped to create. The board
extends heartfelt thanks to each of you for the role you played in the history of Wilderness Wind.
Camp Deerpark, Westbrookville, NY, www.campdeerpark.org
Learning leadership skills at Camp Deerpark
by Diana Williams, printed by Mennonite Central Committee, August 11, 2016
This summer, Emmanuel Lindsay is spending ten-weeks as a Summer Service participant at Camp Deerpark in Westbrookville, New York,
a camp operated by the churches of the New York City Council of Mennonite Churches. From Bronx, NY, Emmanuel serves as Program
Assistant Supervisor, a part of the camp’s leadership staff. Part of his role is to work closely with the Program Director, Assistant Director
and other leaders in providing detailed direction to the summer program activities and staff. I had the opportunity to ask Emmanuel a few
questions about his time as a Summer Service Worker in between his busy schedule, including giving wagon rides to the campers.
What are three verbs that describe what you usually do in your current placement with Summer
Service?
“Three verbs that describe what I usually do in my summer service are lead, facilitate and manage.
I am in a position of leadership for the summer camp being that I am the program supervisor and I have to lead the staff and
the campers at times. In terms of the staff, I lead staff devotions and staff meetings in an effort to bring us together as a group as
well as closer to God. When the staff has any questions or don’t necessarily know how to handle a situation, I always offer help
and encourage them to find me if they need it. In terms of the campers, I lead by example by exemplifying the fruits of the spirit
and following the program.
I facilitate camp activities such as field games, rafting and movie night. I make sure the activities run smoothly, everyone is
included and that it is safe as well. I manage my two assistants and manage my daily tasks too, so that I can prioritize and can
give my assistants the proper direction to get their jobs done.”
What is one story from your Summer Service experience that is especially memorable or meaningful?
“A story from my summer service experience that was really memorable to me was when a camper came up to me and said,
‘I want to be a junior program assistant!’ and his eyes opened wide because he was really excited and he meant it. My job as a
program supervisor is to make sure the camp program runs smoothly and I partner up with the program director to make sure
that happens. Some of my daily tasks include making fires for campfires and cookouts, setting up equipment and leading field
games. The camper always watched me carry out these tasks while I was doing my job and always offered to help. He seemed so
sincere about it, I let him help me build campfires and he filled up with joy.”
The Summer Service Program is an opportunity for young people of color to serve in their church or local community for the summer.
Participants improve their leadership skills and serve God all while building their resume and earning a paycheck.
To read more about Emmanuel and his summer, visit http://mcc.org/stories/learning-leadership-skills-camp-deerpark
SEPTEMBER 2016
WWW.MENNONITECAMPING.ORG