Our Fall “Off Season”

Everyone seems to know our big ministry is summer camp, but the rest of the year is a little vague in the minds of the people. I know this because we get asked often what happens in the off season (meaning when it’s not summer)! I like to respond with “kick back and eat bon-bons all day!” (Too sassy? 🤷🏼‍♀️ )

Did you know we are a year-round ministry? You got that right — we are open all throughout the year. The background work keeping the ministry flowing is 100% constant with no let up all year long! By background work (in this fall season) we mean things like taxes and other business yuck things that must happen, contracts with groups booking with us, booking those groups, communications of all kinds with all kinds of people, working with attornies about people trying to use our trademarked tagline (mhmmm), website pages and group registrations, data entry files, end of year mailers and compilations and reports along with a board of directors presentation. There’s so much more, but you get the idea. It never stops.

Along with the ongoing background work, there’s the discipleship follow up with campers from the summer through zoom Bible studies and texts and phone calls; the grounds upkeep; the repairs to the junk for Jesus tractors, carts, equipment, buildings, etc. All this (mostly) during normal business hours when people aren’t on site.

Now that we are in fall (oh my goodness, it’s just so wonderfully fall right now!), we show up on weekends when the people come! From the end of September all the way through the weekend before Thanksgiving, we have every weekend (but one) booked! What a blessing to get to do ministry with the men’s groups, youth groups, college students, and basketball teams coming through our gates!

Some are coming to regroup and reset, some are coming for the outdoors and encouragement, some are coming for the team building, some are coming for all of that and more! There’s something special about being outside on a chilly morning, seeing God’s people huddled up on the top pad worshiping with their whole hearts, and that sound filling the whole valley below. It’s beautiful and powerful and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!

Year round ministry can sometimes mean we experience a bit of exhaustion and burnout. This year has definitely been a lot. So, yes, camp life is full. But “normal life” is too. You don’t have to be in camp ministry to feel the burnout. It comes anywhere life is. Seems like finding tiny pockets of slower or small moments of peace, when coupled with a mind set on gratitude, is really key to remaining grounded and finding slow and being restored.

Maybe you don’t have a beautiful natural setting to help facilitate these pockets (5 minutes outside does so much!), but take a walk wherever you are to see and hear the goodness and beauty around you. Our Father created this beautiful world not only to bring glory to His name, but to help us as humans encounter Him and fill our souls with His healing beauty and light. When engaged with and savored, being out in nature helps us mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

Fall is an easy time to get outside more. Just for a moment, step out and savor right now. Take deep breaths and allow our great God to fill your soul with Him.