Where Christ is Known and Made Known
December 9, 2009
by Bruce Nelson

Since the inception of United Methodist Camp/Retreat Ministries, the church has recognized the remarkable effectiveness of camp/retreat settings and experiences in opening people's hearts, souls and minds for encounters with God.  A closer relationship with God leads many participants to decisions of faith that shapes who they are and what they do throughout their entire lives.  It is vital for leaders of camp/retreat ministry to consciously understand and more fully embrace this responsibility which the church as a whole counts on us to cooperate with God to provide through each and every camp, retreat or conference we host. 

A focus on Christian hospitality and community, on encouraging greater love of God and neighbor, on appreciating the sacredness of creation as an expression of the Word of God, and on developing persons for spiritual leadership within society distinguishes, in large part, is the unique purpose of Christian camp/retreat ministries. We must remember that we offer something beyond what participants may gain from other types of secular camp and retreat experiences. 

ORM offers a ministry that connects to and enhances the local church’s ministry to children and youth, evangelism and discipleship ministry to all. ORM has the tools in place to help a local church develop disciples and form leaders for the ministry with Jesus Christ. ORM is a vital part of the Christian Discipleship program for the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church.  ORM and the NIC’s essential mission is outlined in Matthew 28:18-20.  ORM serves as a host to retreats and programmed events for children, youth, adults and seniors while developing partnerships with the leadership of the NIC to meet the goals of Harvest 2020.   Retreat, meeting, and personal spiritual renewal space is our key contribution to the youth, clergy and laity of this Conference. 

Ministry can happen in any environment whether indoors or out, but must be in a place where learning can be fostered and the basic needs for comfort and safety are present.  Our facilities are safe and clean.  Come to join us in a program this year where the teachings of Jesus Christ have the opportunity to come to life in you (or your child) and where you can make friends and build relationships that will last a lifetime.

Yours in Christ,
Bruce Nelson, Executive Director

C.R.I.K.E.T. Program Helping Local Youth
November 13, 2009
by Claudia Moore

C.R.I.K.E.T. (Camp Reynoldswood Is Kool Every Time) was born out of 18 months of research and work with leaders in the Dixon community and the Lee County Juvenile Justice Council.  Early in the spring of 2009 Reynoldswood Christian Camp was invited to develop an after school program and Claudia Moore agreed to lead this new community ministry effort.  Fifth and sixth graders were selected as our target population.

In cooperation with the building principals at Jefferson Elementary and Reagan Middle School a series of field trips which brought all 4th and 5th graders (5th and 6th graders in the fall) to the camp for 6 hours of programming and lunch.  During these events Claudia and her team introduced students to activities we might do in the fall and invited the students to join in a “name the program” contest.  C.R.I.K.E.T. was the winner.

Another event in mid-August, Tools For Schools brought 700 children and their families to the Reynoldswood site for free backpacks and schools supplies.  A table at school registration allowed 80 5th and 6th graders to indicate their interest in the program.  To date 43 students are registered and participating Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays when school is in session.  A group of 27 volunteers have been recruited and trained.  Volunteers range in age from High School to Grandparents. Some are Dixon area people, but many are from the churches of the Sauk Valley Cluster of UM churches.  More volunteers have expressed interest and are waiting to be trained.

On any given Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday a group of 25 – 30 students arrive on school busses from the Reagan Middle School.  Activities begin with a warm welcome and a healthy snack.  That is followed by an hour of physical activity led by Danny Moore and our team of High School/College age leaders.  Early in the fall these activities included a dip in the Reynoldswood pool, or a chance to paddle one of our canoes on the Rock River.  Other activities favorites have been Ice Blocking (riding a block of ice down one of the Reynoldswood slopes), archery, mountain boarding, Ode to the Chicken ( a favorite tag game of Danny’s), a frisbee golf tourney, kickball, basketball, volleyball, teams course activities, a huge Twister Board …the list goes on.  The last segment of the day is our homework time.  Everyone does homework together or reads or studies something…even the grandparents who also help students if needed.

Feedback has been fabulous!  Grades are up, even for our High School leaders.  Attitudes are improved.  Word of the program is spreading across the Dixon community by parents who are watching the program make a difference.  Several are already asking if their 6th grader can come next year, too! And are also hoping the program might grow down to include 4th graders!

November 18th Camp Reynoldswood has invited families of C.R.I.K.E.T. students to a “Thanks for Sharing Your Student with us” evening meal and program.  A group of 80 parents and students have made reservations!  C.R.I.K.E.T. is up, running, and already making a difference in the lives of children, youth and adults in the Dixon community.

Campsites Going Green
October 22, 2009

Since the fall of 2004 Wesley Woods has been using an Outdoor Wood burning boiler system to heat its two largest buildings. The unit and its installation paid for itself in two years. With the help of the Board of Trustees and the Seager funding phase one of this project was completed. As we approach the end of out payback period to the Seager Funding we will be proposing another possible fund for phase two. The eventual goal is to have the entire campus heated with wood by the year 2015. These savings to our budget do not come without a lot of volunteer help with the cutting, splitting and stacking of wood. So far we have been able to supply the needs with wood from the 17 acres we have here at Wesley Woods. Reynoldswood is now in the initial stages of starting to heat their Dining hall and Pool with the same system. Both of your camps are trying to leave the smallest carbon footprint as possible now and in the future. If you would like to help in any way with our goals for these projects by volunteering your help, donating towards this cause, or implementation of the units, please contact either Ben Moore at Reynoldswood or Jeff Fry at Wesley Woods.

Ben Moore (815) 284-6979
Jeff Fry        (262) 245-6631

Jump into Summer Camp 2010!
September 21, 2009

The schedule for summer camp 2010 has just been released!

To view the 2010 schedule, click here!

For more information, contact the ORM Office at 1-800-NIC-CAMP or orm@niccamp.org

Conclusion of Summer Camp 2009
August 26, 2009

"...we owe the camp and the counselors a HUGE thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for showing [our son] a great time, giving praise to God in a fun way, and getting him to branch out, and step out of his box. It was the best experience for all of us. "

Just as quickly as it came, our 2009 summer camp session is over. We have had one of our best programming summers to date this year and we owe it to our wonderful staff. Our tremendous summer staff of Rev. Timothy Kidd, Ph.D., Christina Benoit, Justin Lopez, and Laura Nieves proved to be absolutely outstanding. The relationships and special memories they have created will live forever in our campers' hearts. One family had to said about the effect our program had on their child:

"...Well, I emailed our son twice and had cards in his bag to open almost daily. The cards were funny or religious based with notes to remind him that God is always with him, that we were praying for his safety and a safe return home, as well as to have a ton of fun. He said he would write to us at least twice, but the letters never came. Well, once we picked him up, we quickly learned why the letters never arrived. Our son was having TOO MUCH FUN! During the slide show presentation, our son held back tears because he didn't want camp to come to an end. The whole way home, (which was 2 and a half hours) our son was non-stop chatter about his week at camp, the friends he made, the songs they sang, the activities they did, the cold water in the pool, dressing up like a girl, the counselors teasing them about not knowing what a smore was, blind folded sit ups (hook, line, and sinker for sure), waking up at 12:30 am to look at planets and stars, mountain boarding, banana split slip and slide, having to sing or tell a joke if they got mail (if I only knew that, I would have emailed more:).

We were hoping that our son walked away with a positive experience, but Camp Reynoldswood and the counselors superseded our expectations. Our hope was that camp would help him be more independent, confident, and force him into situations where he had to try new things, be open minded about participating, and making new friends as that has been difficult for him to do. Again, we feel our son is so much more confident and he mentioned how it was not hard to make new friends. He also mentioned he felt like a big kid being "on his own." So, again, you superseded our expectations. We also hoped was that he would want to go again and when asked, he said "yes" very quickly. He said, "I want to go back to the same camp, with the same friends, and have Justin as my camp counselor." We informed him that it would be unlikely and he said, "Well, I still want to go back." He also announced today in church how much fun he had and how he can't wait to go back next year. Our pastor said maybe he could be the recruiter for next year to get more kids to go and he agreed."

From horseback riding to interactive Bible study activities, our campers received a wide variety of programming. While the kids had a great time being engaged in traditional camp activities like archery, water sports, canoeing, hiking, and campfires, we also helped them learn teamwork and communication skills through a variety of challenge course activities. But most importantly, our campers also got to experience God through perhaps the most important event of our summer curriculum, the Thursday night prayer walk.

The prayer walk included six reflection/prayer stops along the way to the candle-lit cross and final campfire of the week, where the campers were told a story and then proceeded to burn their burdens (which were written down earlier in the day). Often times, the prayer walk was so solemn, the only sound you could hear at the campfire was the crackling of the logs in the fire. The spiritual effect our counselors had upon the campers this summer is undeniable. One camper wrote to us:

“The best thing about camp and what it means to me is the love for Christ.  I love the fact that there are counselors who love going to camp and playing with us.  The best part is that they love God like when they shared their testimony and how God changed their lives.”

This summer has been one of learning, praising, and fun. Even now while we are reflecting on an amazing summer, we are beginning to look at how next summer can be even better. We would like to thank all of our staff, campers, and parents who have helped us to make this an unforgettable summer. We couldn't have asked for a better group of kids to work with. Thanks for coming to see us and letting us show you the joy that is Christian camping. Mark your calendars in October as we will be releasing the calendar for SUMMER 2010!

God bless,

Joshua Easton, Program Director