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January 2007 |
North Indiana Conference camping: It's a God thing!
By Jean Moorman Brindel
Camping is about commitments to Jesus Christ. |
The Capital Campaign for the Camping program of the North Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church is at the point of having civil engineers hard at work. In just a few weeks they will be making their report so the next phase can begin.
As we wait, here is part of the report of The Camp Design Leadership Team lead by the Rev. Larry Whitehead of First UMC in Mishawaka, Ind. The report was written in part by the Rev. Dan Motto, retired, for the 2006 North Indiana Annual Conference session.
A God-sized goal
A descriptive phrase has entered our language over the past few years. We say "It's a God thing!" That's a phrase used to identity something that seems to have the presence of God discernable within it - a trace of grace. "Grace" being the work of God - any work of God, from creation, to healing to redemption, to call.
Many things are God things. But when we use the phrase "God thing," it usually means that something has as sense of the miraculous about it; it's bigger than our imagination's ability to explain. It inspires some sense of awe within us.
Virtually all of us know that camping is as close to a number-one program priority as we can identify in the North Indiana conference. It is difficult to imagine anyone would argue that is doesn't fulfill our mission statement, meet our vision statement and dance with our core values. We heard that over and over from the listening sessions. Camping is about commitments to Jesus Christ, calls into Christian service, community building, spiritual formation and fun. Who would want to end or even limit that?
Discover
What we, on the Camp Design Leadership Team, have discovered is that the issue before us comes down to physically renewing the four sites at what looks like a staggering cost. Making the camping program as efficient as possible - no sweat. Clarifying the cost of camping: possible with a little effort. Maintaining what we're doing now and maybe doing it better; can't be done without eliminating the drag of outmoded and insufficient building space. To bring things back up to a decent standard: $16-million in the first Phase, $26-million to do all that's anticipated. Do those numbers knock your socks off?
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Information about the North Indiana UMC Conference camps can be found by logging on to its Web site at www.impact2818.com. |
What we have is a looming God Thing. How do we know it's a God Thing?" When God calls you forward, and only faithful way forward is over the mountain, and you're pretty sure that the part over the mountain will come close to killing you … it's a God Thing. When you know you can't do it without God's help … it's a God Thing. When you pray and start climbing, that's when you make a circle possible. Conversely, if you pray to be delivered from the mountain, that kills the possibility of a Miracle.
One thing is sure, if we don't act like it's a God Thing, it won't be.
The Rev. Jean Brindel serves as senior pastor of Saint Matthew UMC in Frankfort, Ind., and is chair of the North Indiana Conference Camp Design Leadership team.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008