Florence is interested in historical, theological, aesthetic, and performative dimensions of preaching and the ways preaching engages other fields and different traditions. Her research focuses on testimony, feminist theology, the role of experience in preaching, and the history of preaching women.

Introducing the Presbyterian Conservation Corps (PCC) and the Top 25 Environmentally Friendly Things Being Done at Presbyterian Camp and Conference Centers
Camps have always served as a place apart to connect with, experience, and care for the glory of God’s creation.  Climate change and care for our Earth is fast becoming a priority to Americans.  PCCCA and PRC (Presbyterians for Restoring Creation) are responding with the PCC.  Come hear about that effort and many other wonderful “green” actions you can do at your center!

Brian Frick serves as program director of Heartland Center in Missouri, the PCCCA Board of Directors, and co-chairs the PCC with the Rev. Rob Mark. His passion is for instilling awe and a sense of stewardship for creation in all campers through hands on encounters.  If we can feel it, touch it, and love it – we can care for it.  Other PCC leaders will also facilitate this workshop.

Building Better Boards - Session 1 only
Are you frustrated with your governing board?  Are you looking for ways to improve board function?  This workshop will look at the basics of good board governance.  We'll look at the importance of having a healthy, engaged board that creates vision and strategic direction for your organization.  We'll explore the elements that help boards to succeed and discuss the challenges of working with volunteer committees and task forces.  Bring your questions and go away with practical ideas for improvement and lots of helpful handouts. 

Mark Burkhardt serves as the Director for Outdoor Ministry for the ELCA.  He has served on the churchwide staff for the past 20 years; the past 14 years in his current position.  Prior to that, Mark directed Lutheran outdoor ministry programs in New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania.  He earned a B.A. degree in Sociology from Susquehanna University and an M.S. degree in Recreation and Parks from Penn State University.

Board Development – Art, Science or Some of Each? - Session 2 only
You may call yours a board, a committee, a commission or some variation of these. In any case, a knowledgeable, well functioning governance and/or advisory group is essential to the success of your ministry. There are particular elements and guidelines that will help make this a reality but there is more than one way to do it. Using the experiences of the presenter and the participants, this workshop will address the subject of board/committee/commission development from selection through recognition and all points in between. Come prepared to share what works for you.

Gary Batty has been in camp and conference ministry for 25 years. He is currently serving as Vice President of Mo-Ranch Presbyterian Conference Center in Hunt, Texas. Prior to moving to Mo-Ranch, Gary was Executive Director of Stronghold Conference Center in Oregon, Illinois for 21 years. He also serves as a member of the PCCCA related Consultant’s Network for Camp and Conference Ministry.

How to Make your Camp a Center for Mission
Most local churches and laypeople see their camp/conference center as a place of Christian Education.  There’s nothing wrong with that, but a great deal of creativity, pride and material resources can be unleashed when laypeople, local churches and governing bodies begin to see their camp/conference center as also being a place of outreach and mission.  There are many ways that camps can add and integrate this dimension into their ministry.  We will look briefly at why add outreach then spend most of our time viewing creative examples of what Presbyterian and Lutheran camps are doing in the area of mission/outreach.

David Gill has been the Director of Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center, Little Rock, Arkansas for 11 years.  Ferncliff gained a reputation for outreach with five years of camps school violence victims from Jonesboro and Columbine.  Ferncliff has done Camp Noah, camps for children of parents in prison, homeless children, foster children and others.  Recently Ferncliff built a 10,000 sq ft Disaster Assistance Center with PDA and CWS.  David is past President of PCCCA.

Music 911
Pitch the PowerPoint and scrap the song sheets.  This workshop will help you become an effective song leader. Learn how to make singing an interactive experience for all participants.  You will learn tips to help you make people comfortable joining you in singing and how you can use different types of songs to help your worship experience.  We will also examine the integrity of our songs and the influences of current Christian music.

Lee Lindeman is the Executive Director at Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center at Lake Chautauqua, New York.  Lee has served in outdoor ministries for 16 years in a variety of roles including, Site Director, Program Director, Assistant Director, and Executive Director.  Lee’s passions include leading worship, singing, playing the guitar and the mandolin.

Brad Abbott is the Camp Director of Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp near Kalispell, Montana, where he has served since 1997.  Brad has degrees in Music Education and Recreation Programming and before camping ministry, he was a band director and music teacher.  Brad also served on staff at Stronghold Presbyterian Camp and Conference Center near Oregon, Illinois.  

Rev. Layne D. Nelson serves as the Director of Operations for Lutherans Outdoors in South Dakota. Prior to his call to LOSD, Layne served as Associate Pastor of South Canyon Lutheran Church in Rapid City, South Dakota. He is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary and has camp experience as Assistant Director at NeSoDak Bible Camp and numerous summer positions at Metigoshe Ministries (North Dakota). His favorite time of the week is Sunday morning, though he is a firm believer that we worship God with the whole of our lives. Layne presently serves on the LOM Education Committee.

ELCA World Hunger/Outdoor Ministry Partnership:  Ending Hunger Through Camping Ministry
How can outdoor ministry contribute to the anti-hunger work of the church? Would you like to deepen the commitment of your staff, campers and facilities ability to care for those most in need…around the corner and the globe? Come learn about the exciting new pilot project for the summer of 2009 from ELCA World Hunger and ELCA Outdoor Ministry. ELCA Outdoor Ministry sites will have the opportunity to apply for a grant to support anti-hunger/anti-poverty work during the coming year. Grants will underwrite staff costs, online education courses, and program funds.

Christopher Carpenter serves as the program associate for ELCA World Hunger.  Prior to joining the ELCA Churchwide staff, he served in an ELCA congregation in Seattle, Washington and two outdoor ministry sites, Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center (New York) and Lutheran Outdoor Ministries of Florida.

Non Profit Accounting – The Basics
The objective of this workshop is to present some basic principles of accounting relating to non profits. The topics covered will include: Do you need an accountant? What are the differences between non profit and for profit accounting? How do you begin computerizing your accounting system? What is involved in an audit? Dealing with cash flow issues. What kind of financial statements are required of a non profit. The redesigned form 990.

Fernando Mercado served as treasurer of Lutheran Outdoor Ministries in Oregon, Illinois and current treasurer of Trinity Lutheran Church in Warrenville, Illinois.  He is also the current treasurer of the LOM Board.

Using Faith Practices as a Means to Help Make the Scriptures Relevant for Today’s Kids
The book, "Way to Live: Christian Practices for Teens," has served as the foundation for Johnsonburg Presbyterian Center's summer curriculum since 2002.  Faith practices help our staff make Scriptures more relevant for kids, and invite the entire camp community to a new way to live that brings joy and abundance, and reflects Christ's love in the world.  In this workshop, we will share what we have learned about integrating faith practices, not only into our curriculum, but also throughout our summer camp program.

Harry Zweckbronner has worked as the program director at the Johnsonburg Presbyterian Center, Johnsonburg, New Jersey since June 2003.  Before that he taught high school history for eight years and served as the co-coordinator of a high school crisis center.

Lorelei Oelschlager has been a summer camp chaplain at Johnsonburg Presbyterian Center since 2002.  She completed three years of training in spiritual direction with Oasis Ministries (Camp Hill, Pennsylvania) and serves as Johnsonburg's Spiritual Sanctuary Coordinator and Alumni Coordinator in the fall, winter, and spring seasons.

Breakthrough New Earth Curriculum for 2009 - Session 1 only
Breakthrough, the 2009 New Earth summer camp curriculum that will be the hub of many camps this following year, is here!  Written ecumenically by several writers from diverse denominations for the National Council of Churches outdoor ministry, this year’s camp curriculum focuses on how God reached through Jesus to touch the lives of everyday people.  These everyday people were changed.  The material, all from the NT Gospels, will help us teach to transform and in turn, reach out and touch the lives of our campers and all whom they come in contact with.

Scott Crane is a Certified Christian Educator in the Presbyterian Church (USA).  He is Program Director for Menucha Retreat and Conference Center located in Corbett, Oregon, in the Columbia River Gorge.  He has been a writer for New Earth Curriculum in the past, and has used it for camp programs of which he has been a part.  He has been in camping since 1990 and in church camping since 1998.

Love to Serve 2009 ELCA Outdoor Ministry Curriculum - Session 2 only
This workshop is an introduction to Love to Serve, the ELCA Outdoor Ministries Curriculum for the summer of 2009. This resource offers Bible study, worship, environmental activities, challenge course activities and much more all around the theme of service in God’s name. Join the discussion as we begin to explore the call to follow Jesus’ example of service to others. There will be an opportunity to suggest improvements in the curriculum and recommend future themes.

Mark Gardner is a free-lance editor and writer. He is an experienced spiritual director who serves on the teaching faculty and as a board member at Christos Center for Spiritual Formation in Lino Lakes, Minnesota. He holds a master’s degree in systematic theology from Luther Seminary. He has worked as a youth director, camp program director, associate in the American Lutheran Church outdoor ministries office, and as an editor at Augsburg Fortress, the publishing ministry of the ELCA.

David Johnston, the Executive Director of Presbyterian Camps, Saugatuck, Michigan has a M.A. degree in Educational Administration and 22 years of Camp directing experience.

The Role of Nature and Sports in Male Faith Formation
This workshop will look at recent research in male identity and spiritual formation as well as review some of the history of how camps in the United States grew out of a male identity crisis.  Implications for the future role of camping in male faith formation will be explored, based upon the history and the research.

Rev. Paul Hill is Executive Director of the Youth and Family Institute in Bloomington, Minnesota.  He has been on the staff of Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.  Paul was also Executive Director of Lutherdale, Elkhorn, Wisconsin.  Paul also serves on the LOM Board.

Green Construction - Session 1 only
What are the principles and concepts to do it right?  Learn about the basics of greening existing construction and where to start in new construction, and how to sort out the green data explosions.  There is so much to do, so little time and money.  What is “LEED” all about?

Paul Briggs, AIA is principal in his North Carolina Architectural firm for thirty-nine years.  Paul holds licenses to practice architecture in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and South Dakota.  He has experience in Master Planning, Feasibility Studies and Architectural Design for outdoor ministry sites for the last 34 years.  Paul has served more than 30 years as board member of Outdoor Ministries in the North Carolina Synod and seven years on the ELCA Outdoor Ministries Advisory Committee, four years as Chairman.  Paul is a life-long Lutheran. 

Current Building Codes - Session 2 only
The 2006 International Building Code (IBC) has immediate consequences for current projects being planned.  Projected capital improvements may have far reaching code impact.  Will current building codes impact your camp program delivery and budget?  New IBC barrier free (ADA) codes are in the works.  Some topics for discussion:  Use and Occupancy Classification, Impact of Building Area, Type of Construction, Fire Resistance Rated Construction, Fire Protection Systems, Means of Egress Additions, Alterations, Repairs, etc.

Paul Briggs

We will all sit at the Welcome Table one of these days!
Where?  At the Welcome Table, what’s that?  The Welcome Table is a place where God invites all to come, where all are welcome.   You are cordially invited to come to the table.  The highest honor that one can pay another is the invitation to a meal. We have had difficulty inviting others to the table, and so you are invited to be a part of the conversational dialogue that will feed you and will assist you and your camp ministry to be a Welcome Table.

Members of the LOM Multicultural Committee, Alana Butler, and Paul Hill (LOM Board Liaison)

The Changing Camp World...connecting with church and community year round
"We're down one hundred campers this summer... congregations just aren't sending as many young people our way as they did ten years ago."  "No, we have not  explored other avenues of outreach in our nearby community."  "Our board hasn't encouraged us to link up with other city agencies."  If these are some of the responses you've encountered as director, then this workshop could be of help to you.  We'll explore a model which  hosts hundreds of Latino young people and adults  yearly as well as over four hundred youngsters on campership during the summer.  

Pastor Duane Hanson has been the director of Bethel Horizons Foundation in Madison, Wisconsin, since its inception forty years ago.  The Bethel Horizons program consists of three year-round programs:  environmental education, adventure, and pottery.  It also has three retreat centers, a campground, and a summer program.   A graduate of Luther College and Luther Seminary, Duane has also been active in the American Camp Association on the state, regional, and national levels.

Conflict Resolution
Conflict is inevitable.  So, how does one live comfortably with conflict?  How does one value conflict as a leader in a way that helps the organization to view reasonable levels of differences and dissonance as the creative holy places where God brings change?  This workshop will help leaders look at ways to help people grow through conflict in a way that enriches the camp/conference center.

Ruth Hicks is the Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Boise, Idaho.  During 25 years of ministry, Ruth as served the greater church at the congregational level in several churches as a pastor and interim.  Her last call was as the Associate Executive Presbyter for Ministry at the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta.  Ruth is the wife of John Hicks who has served several centers over 34 years of camp and conference ministry.

Service-Learning and Faith Formation
How do service-learning and servant events impact participants’ faith lives? What promising practices enhance positive impact? What ethical principles are at play in servant events? What’s a “disorienting dilemma” and what’s that got to do with faith formation, anyhow?

Mark Wm. Radecke serves as Chaplain to Susquehanna University, a college of the ELCA in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. The founder and lead teacher of SU CASA, the Susquehanna University Central America Service Adventure, a national award-winning service-learning course, his doctoral research at Princeton Theological Seminary investigated the impact of such experiences on students’ faith and spirituality.

Collaborative Connections
Stronghold Camp and Conference Center and Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center, both located near Oregon, Illinois, have a decades-long history of working together to enhance each other’s camping program and to be available to help each other. Beginning in 2006, leaders from the camps began meeting to discuss more intentional efforts toward partnership in programming and staffing sharing. “Collaborative Connections” workshop will share the hows and whys of this partnership.  It is thriving and they will discuss the steps in building an amazing camping relationship with your camp neighbors.

Jan Hartman is Director of Program and Operations at Stronghold near Oregon, Illinois and has developed and nurtured camp relationships with the ELCA, the RCA and several secular and religious agencies.

Craig Watters is the Program Director for Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center in Oregon, Illinois. He has been a catalyst in growing the partnership with Stronghold.

Community Building
Living in communities is something we crave; Christ even calls us to be in community. The support, sense of belonging, acceptance and realization that can come from community leaves us with memories that last a life time. Enough to search for it even yearn for it. In outdoor/camp and conference ministry people are engaged in numerous communities. People and groups even look to us to assist in creating and facilitating community. But just how does one do that. Are there proven things to do and not do? This workshop is created for those that want to add, beg, borrow and steal new, used, tried and true community building ideas. Participants will leave with activities to use along with valuable information on why and when to use these skills and activities.

Paul Humphreys serves as the program director at Calvin Center in Hampton Georgia. He has been in this position for 7 ½ years when he arrived here from his home New Zealand. He has a great passion for the outdoors along with experiential education and looking for its application to faith-based metaphors. When not serving people at Calvin Center he can be found participating in his next biggest passion - adventure racing. He is married to Robin and they have a very active weimarainer named Cora.

God Saw...It was Good!  What do people see at your camp?  Session 2 only
This workshop will take you through the steps to begin developing a working plan to welcome people into your camp’s natural world, and have them leave with a sense that the choices you make reflect your belief in the importance of environmental stewardship.  We’ll review how creation care can enter into the decisions you make in program, purchasing, facilities, communication and more.  Begin to answer questions that lead to a workable, creation care plan that will make your camp an example to the church.

Deanna Christensen has been Co-Executive Director of Cross Trails Ministry, the Lutheran camping ministry of Southwestern Texas, for nine years.  Prior to moving to Texas, she worked in environmental education and camp programs in North Carolina, California and the Czech Republic.  She has a M.A. degree in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Education and Applied Ecology. 

Role of the Board
Is your board friend or foe?  How does the board lead?  Do you spend as much time nurturing the board as you do your staff?  This workshop will help clarify the role and relationship of the board and Executive Director and identify how the board leads through the strategic plan.  It will address the problems of both micromanaging and macro managing.  You will receive practical ideas on how to cultivate and motivate board members in order to develop a dynamic and shared vision for your mutual ministry.

Keith Johnson has served as an executive with Lutheran Outdoor Ministries for over 30 years in Minnesota, California and North Carolina.  He currently is Executive Director of Lutheridge+Lutherock Ministries, Inc., which has two sites in western North Carolina and one site in west Georgia.

Vocation - Session 2 only
Out of the Wilderness: Discovering Vocation With Your Camp Staff and Ways to “Take It Home”
“How can we take camp home with us?” isn’t just a question to ask campers. Camp’s faith-filled daily lifestyle transforms young adult staff members during a very transitional time in their lives. A summer at camp, surrounded by community and faith, is a wonderful place to discover vocation, meaning, and direction for life. Learn how you can engage your camp staff as a vocational mentor. Enter the on-going conversation with young adults about who they are and how their camp experience can go home with them at the end of the summer and help them stay connected with their faith through various ways and places.

Katy Resop is the Program Assistant for Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the ELCA churchwide unit Vocation and Education. She is a 2008 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Go Badgers!). Katy has been a camper her whole life! During her time as a student, Katy spent three summers on staff at Crossways Camping Ministries’ Pine Lake Camp in Waupaca, Wisconsin. The growth she experienced at camp has guided her through college and now as a young adult in the “real” world.

Paul Fogg has been in Presbyterian Church Camp since 1979, and the Consultants Network since 2000. Currently Paul servers as Executive Director of Calvin Center (Presbytery of Greater Atlanta).

Richard Sayther is a senior partner in Gronlund, Sayther, Brunkow, a partnership of fundraising and public relations consulting professionals, working exclusively with non-profit charitable organizations. 

Staying connected: The Power of Social Networking Websites
Every year it gets harder and harder to stay connected to your summer staff.  Now that we have all finally become comfortable and proficient with email, our summer staff members don’t even use it anymore.  They are doing almost all of their communicating on social networking websites. Learn all the possibilities of using social networking websites to keep you current with your staff as well as finding new and innovative ways to train and teach them.  This workshop will open the door to the many ways that social networking tools can be used to further and enhance your ministry.

Andrea Scofield, Facilitator 

Thursday

Labyrinths for All People and for All Spaces
Spend time learning about labyrinths and how they can be effectively used at your camp, conference or retreat center.  Explore different types of labyrinths for indoor and outdoor use, for use by those young and young at heart.  Learn how to prepare an individual or group for their labyrinth experience.  Of course, we will spend time walking a labyrinth and drawing closer to God as we "Gather as One.”

Betty Angelini is the Executive Director at Crestfield Camp and Conference in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.  She is also a second year Senior at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary with an anticipated graduation date of May 2009. Betty has a passion for the spiritual disciplines, particularly for the intimacy of the labyrinth.

New Wine in Old Wineskins – POW!
Worship is Liturgy.  It’s the work of the people.  What does that mean?  Good question.  Is there a job description?  Another good question.  Actually, there is – sort of a general one, but it’s not necessarily what you think.  Let’s put a little old wine in new skins and a little new wine in old skins and see what happens.

Randy Gullickson has served as Executive Director of Lutherlyn in Butler, Pennsylvania, since 1985. He has been writing, leading, and making stuff up in worship for 30 years.  He has a B.A. degree in speech and theater from Carthage College (ELCA) and a M.Div. degree from Northwestern Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota (now Luther Seminary).

Robin Garzoni is the Program Director at Holmes Presbyterian Camp and Conference Center in Holmes, New York. She has a degree in Elementary Education from Kutztown University with concentrations in Math and Dance. Robin’s 15 plus years of camping experience began at the Johnsonburg Presbyterian Camp in New Jersey. She coordinated the Environmental Education program at YMCA Camp Greenville in South Carolina and directed the Camp and Conference Ministries at Massanetta Springs Presbyterian Center in Virginia. Robin is a member of ACA and PCCCA.

Guided Meditations
The ancient practice of meditation has been a meaningful way for faithful believers to engage with God and their community. Whether it is monks in abbeys or hikers in the middle of the trail, taking quiet time to reflect on what is going on in ones’ life, or having conversations in groups, meditation has been a helpful way to draw closer to God. During this workshop we’ll be looking at ways of using guided meditations in camping. We’ll discuss ways of applying meditations practiced in the faith communities of Taize and Iona, as well as others, to our camp settings. The last part of this workshop will include a short guided meditation for participants.

Bill Davis is a poet, musician, theologian, and traveler. A recent graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary, Bill serves as a Program Assistant at the Calvin Center in Hampton, Georgia.

Developing Bible Studies that Honor and Engage the Gifts of our Campers
So, you’ve got the summer theme planned and you’ve even picked out some scripture to study – now what?  In this workshop, we will explore how to develop Bible studies that honor and engage all types of campers.  You will learn a dynamic format for planning Bible studies that will help your campers explore scripture AND help your staff feel confident in leading Bible study.  You’ll leave the workshop with a sample Bible study created by the group.

Betsy Debertin serves as co-Executive Director of Metigoshe Ministries, an ELCA summer youth Bible camp and year-round retreat center in north central North Dakota.  Before serving as co-director, Betsy was a 7th through 12th grades science teacher where she loved any day of class where kids had to wear safety goggles or had to sing.

Joan Gray was the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA) from 2006-2008.  She has served in a number of congregational settings as pastor, interim pastor, and parish associate in Georgia.

Lectio Divina
Experience an ancient spiritual art that is being re-discovered in our day.  The art of lectio divina begins with the ability to listen deeply and to hear “with the ears of our hearts” the still, small voice of God.  The reading of scripture in lectio divina is reverential listening; listening in a spirit of silence and awe.  Participants in this workshop will have the opportunity to experience lectio divina as a group exercise, but will also discuss ways that it can become a personal discipline and a tool for ministry.

Mary Toufar is the Director of Program Ministry at Luther Park Bible Camp in Chetek, Wisconsin. Mary shares her call with her husband Sherm, who is the Executive Director there.  She has been at Luther Park year-round and active in Lutheran Outdoor Ministries since 1986.  She is a past member on the LOM Board through the transition from ALOMP.

Religion vs. Spirituality
Over 90% of North Americans believe in God. However, church attendance is down, denominational loyalty is waning, and religious institutions hold less sway in the lives of the faithful. At the same time there is a resurgence of interest in spiritual deepening —especially among young people. This workshop will focus on the individual’s spiritual journey and the role traditional religious institutions play in helping people find meaning and wholeness along the way. We will also consider how camps continue to be places that nurture the Spirit and make campers of all ages aware of God’s presence in their lives.

Mark Gardner is a free-lance editor and writer. He is an experienced spiritual director who serves on the teaching faculty and as a board member at Christos Center for Spiritual Formation in Lino Lakes, Minnesota. He holds a master’s degree in systematic theology from Luther Seminary. He has worked as a youth director, camp program director, associate in the ALC outdoor ministries office, and as an editor at Augsburg Fortress.

Tricks of the Trade
Participants will learn how to come up with a wide variety of activities for children of all ages using common objects.  These are ideas that counselors can quickly learn and have in their backpacks to pull out on rainy days, during unplanned delays or during cabin time.  Stretch the mind to figure out how to use twist sticks.  Make a House Mouse with a bandana.  Learn how to play Up Jenkins around a table and much more.  Go away with a new set of mental teasers, stick and string games, and other activities that require a minimum of props. 

Craig Bell is the Director of Holston Presbytery Camp and Retreat Center in Banner Elk, North Carolina.  He has been a lead visitor with ACA for 12 years and has served on the Steering Committee for the Southern Annual Recreation Workshop for 21 years.  A Dutch Oven chef and cookbook author, his games, tricks, humor, and creative props have become a popular fixture in PCCCA annual conferences and Annual Recreation Workshops.