Newsline Summer 2005

ELCA Region 3	2481 Como Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108 Ph: (651) 649-0454, et. 228 Fax: (651)649-0468 Email
	CAMPING NETWORK NEWSLINE
Hear the Gospel!	Celebrate God's Creation!	Find Spiritual Renewal!
A Newsletter for Outdoor Ministry Professionals in Region 3 of the ELCA Vol. 8, No. 2, Summer 2005
Important Links... Region 3 Calendar Job Openings ELCA National Outdoor Ministry Conference Brochure Thrivent Youth Leadership and Charitable Gifting Initiatives	The Camping Network is a member of the Minnesota Materials Exchange Program, an online network that connects organizations who are in need of or trying to get rid of "stuff." Check it out at www.mnexchange.org. Contact Ruth for user name and password.	Welcomes/Changes Karen Stennes, Retreat Host, Luther Park Anna Klevgard, Program Director, Luther Park Sarah Patten, Office Manager, Good Earth Village Andrea (Hellquist) Ohnstad, Assistant Director, Pathways Dave Holtz, Development Director, Lake Wapogasset Cheryl Pond, Secretary, Outlaw Ranch/AMR Beth Krolak - Coordinator of Education Programming, Good Earth Village Nicole Hansen - Adult Program Coordinator, Good Earth Village Wendy Arndt - Food Service Assistant, Good Earth Village Farewells Garrett Gudmunsen, Program Director, Upper Missouri Ministries Paul Rasmussen, Administrative Assistant, LOSD Anita Swedlund, Secretary, Outlaw Ranch/AMR Molly Ronge, Retreat Host, NeSoDak
	Minnesota camps dodged a proposed fire marshal inspection fee this spring. Fortunately the fee was dropped from the omnibus public safety bill - thanks for making phone calls and writing letters to your elected officials. Regarding canteen sales tax, if you're not paying it, you probably should be. Though some canteen items are exempt, many are not. Contact Jon Hoyme with questions or suggestions for handling this issue.
Jon Hoyme reflects on celebration of 25 years in outdoor ministry As summer number 26 winds down for me, and as I reflect on the 25 year "party" we had at Shetek a few weeks ago, I find myself extremely appreciative of what people have done for me and for this place. Together we have, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, seen some pretty good things happen here. The relationships that have developed with peers, staff, campers and families, congregations, synod staff, national staff, etc. over 40 years is what sets this life apart from most other vocations. That is also what makes outdoor ministry such a great life - seeing and hearing about all of the great things happening in the places each of you serve, and the impact we can and do have on the faith experiences of thousands and thousands of Christians - young, old, and in-between. I truly thank God for each of you, your staff, and what you do! The pictures that mysteriously appeared, the comments by former staff and long time friends brought back lots of memories and stories for us. We all love to be appreciated—even Norwegians - and I received more than my share. And I only got one retirement card! It was nice to hear things like “you don't look that old” and “we hope you stay here for a long time.” Especially nice to hear from the board! (Truth be known, probably neither are true, but it is nice to get those comments.) We have always heard that outdoor ministry is on the cutting edge of growth in the church. That is what has kept me coming back year after year - the freedom and the challenge to find new ways to build relationships and to share the good news of the gospel. I don't move as fast as I did 25 years ago, but I have learned much that can be shared with those who will follow. When my wife Ruth and I have these discussions, I find myself thinking that when I no longer look forward to the challenges that meet me at the door in the morning, then it's time. We all have days when something breaks down again, when someone doesn't respond as we'd like or follow through that make us think “I don't need this.” Fortunately those are the exceptions, which I hope is the case for all of you. My good friends Arden Norum and Ron Nielsen were at the event and shared stories. Former program directors Jeff and Sarah talked about the impact Shetek has had on their lives, as did other former program directors and long time staff via a CD conversation with Jeff. Linda Swan and current staff spent a lot of time putting the event together, and for that I am extremely grateful. It was a fun evening. Thank you to all of you and your staff who sent comments and cards! I highly recommend staying 25 years. It's worth it! Jon Hoyme		2005 National Gathering conveniently located in a city near you! This year’s national outdoor ministry gathering takes place in Region 3! A team of your colleagues is busy planning an event to take place in Duluth, Minnesota that you won’t want to miss. Mark your calendars for October 26-30. Better yet, get online (www.elca.org, click on Youth, click on Outdoor Ministries, click on Events), read all about it and register! Don’t forget to consider attending the Outdoor Ministries School—Administrative Track, hosted by Luther Point Bible Camp near Grantsburg, Wisconsin. These events are being planned with you in mind. Come for refreshment, learning, worship and fun.
		Thrivent offers Youth Leadership and Charitable Gifting Initiatives for 2005 With a deadline of September 15, 2005, grant proposals are currently being accepted for Thrivent’s Youth Leadership and Charitable Gifting Initiatives. You may recall that Lake Wapogasset was awarded a sizeable grant last year. Consider both initiatives as possibilities for your camp. Grants range from $5,000 to $100,000, depending on the size of the requesting organization and whether or not a partnership is involved. Requesting organizations are required to contribute 25% of the amount of the request toward their project. For more information, visit www.thrivent.com and do a search on either initiative.
		A note from the Region 3 Gathering planning team... "Many of you are experiencing number issues beyond the demographic ones - particularly if you are outside of major population areas, which most of us are. We hope to focus our December 5-8 gathering on marketing and creative programming and hopefully together find ways to turn this anxious topic into an exciting one. If you have things that are working well for you, or if you have topics, resources, resource people, or something you would like to present, please let me know." Jon Hoyme, Shetek Lutheran Ministries
Camping Network NEWSLINE is published by the Region 3 Camping Network, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, to share the news and ministry of over 30 outdoor ministry sites in the Region 3 area. The mission of the network is to support the outdoor ministry professionals in Region 3 and its nine synods, and to serve the people and congregations that work with them. STAFF: Network Coordinator/Editor, Ruth Dalager Buuck Officers/Executive Committee: Jon Hoyme, President; Loren Teig, Vice President; Gretchen Bachman, Secretary; Kyle Debertin, ND Rep; Teri Gayer, SD Rep; Marv Nysetvold, MN Rep. Photos and information are welcome and encouraged! Ruth Buuck, ELCA Region 3 Camping Network, 2481 Como Ave, St. Paul, MN 55108 Phone: 651-649-0454 x228 Fax: 651-649-0468 Email: ruthbuuck@r3campingnetwork.org		2006 recruiting fair schedule under development Is recruitment of summer staff never far from your mind? The recruiting fair schedule for February of 2006 is falling into place. Though not completely finalized, the tentative schedule looks like this: Monday, Feb 6, Southwest State, Marshall Tuesday, Feb 7 U of M, Morris Tuesday, Feb 7, Bemidji State University Wednesday, Feb 8, MSU, Moorhead Thursday, Feb 9, Concordia, Moorhead Monday, Feb 13, Augustana, Sioux Falls Tuesday, Feb 14, Gustavus, St. Peter Wednesday, Feb 15, Luther College, Decorah Thursday, Feb 16, Luther Seminary, St. Paul Thursday, Feb 16, Augsburg, Minneapolis Monday, Feb 20, Waldorf, Forest City (unconfirmed) Tuesday, Feb 21, Winona State University Wednesday, Feb 22, Wartburg, Waverly Thursday, Feb 23, St. Olaf, Northfield