Have you been paying attention to Christian camping news? If you have you would be as worried as I am. No this doesn’t directly affect Red Rock. But in a way it does.
According to the Annual Conference “The camping ministry has incurred debt and experienced declining participation over the past seven years. An independent consultant determined that the conference could afford to maintain two and half campgrounds of the size the conference uses than the five it now owns. A professional analysis of the five campgrounds’ land, resources, and buildings led the Retreats and Camping Ministry Team to recommend that conference camps take place at Northern Pines (Park Rapids) and Koronis Ministries (Paynesville). ” So you see Koronis stays open. But what of the other camps.. And the lives they touched.
I can say in all honesty that if it wasn’t for attending a Christian camp every summer since I was 8 (and yes that is a lot of years) I won’t be where I am today. I had the good Christian family and attended church, but it was camp that held me accountable. It was the fellowship there that made a difference. I rely on them as much now as I did in my teens.
As I have watched our own numbers decline throughout the years, I worry that it may not be available in years to come. As I watch other camps close, I pray for the individuals that feel the same way I do and now are missing their family in Christ. I agree with Cindy Gregerson (Director of Ministries, Minnesota Annual Conference) when she wrote “I greatly want the next generation to discover Christ in the midst of creation and community. If our children are to have faith, I believe our camp and retreat ministry is a significant way to help that to happen.”
Please joining me in praying for the Annual Conference Meeting, May 30-June 1st. That they can have discernment in their decision regarding the Methodist camps in Minnesota “They also know that if we don’t make these decisions, we may not have a camping ministry at all. That is not acceptable” Cinder Gregerson.
Also bring friends, family and church members to camp with you. Talk to others about the experiences you have had at camp. So they too can know the experience that comes from week-long fellowship.
~ Cassi
RED ROCK CAMP 