Ambassadors!

I have been spending a portion of time recently looking into the Lutherlyn Ambassador Program.  This program has existed informally from the time Lutherlyn began in the 1940's.  The term "Lutherlyn Ambassador" has been found in some old documents I found when rummaging through our piles of archives. But it wasn't until 1987 when the Ambassador Program was formalized and a training weekend was established to gather the ambassadors together annually.

From there Ambassadors have been an integral part of many congregations through Western PA.  Thanks to their dedication to camp and desire to share opportunities available through the ministry of Lutherlyn, many new people have experienced the "Life-Changing Adventure in Faith" found here.

When coming back to Lutherlyn in January, an Ambassador training day was scheduled in the calendar for early February.  I was informed that the Ambassador program might need some direct attention.  In doing some research on the subject I came to find that the program had reached a plateau in terms of growth and effectiveness.  Many Ambassadors were not in contact with Lutherlyn and therefore were not receiving updated news and information.  Some ambassadors roles appeared to only be the one to make sure that the direct mailers we send to the churches find there way to the church bulletin board.

From these discoveries it was decided that the annual training weekend be scrapped and a season of retooling the program be initiated with the goal of starting fresh in 2013.

Some goals have been set to assure that the retooled Ambassador Program will raise its rate of effectiveness and awareness of Lutherlyn will increase proportionately.

First, the Ambassador Program needs a more defined presence among the plethora of programs already occurring at Lutherlyn.  It was determined that there was a need for branding.  Thanks to our media intern, Jon Miller, an Ambassador Program logo was designed.  In addition to the logo a webpage was added to the website to promote program.  Thus the Ambassador Webpage was designed and made live.

 Next, a roll call was needed to re-establish lines of communication with past ambassadors and reach out to new and interested ambassadors and congregations.  Outdated lists of past ambassadors and potential individuals were all that were available.  E-mails and letters were sent asking for contact information updates.  To date, the response has been promising!

Now, a close look is being made into the Ambassador manual given and used for the training weekend.  This revision of the manual will hopefully help the Ambassador Program obtain tools that will enable them to be an effective representative of Lutherlyn to their home congregations.  Ideas are being bounced around with the intention to give the program a focus and provide empowerment to promote Lutherlyn practically.

This season of retooling will hopefully result in equipped Ambassadors in tune with the pulse of Lutherlyn being sent out into congregations to establish, strengthen, and reconnect relationships for the benefit of God's Kingdom.

If you have been an ambassador in the past or would like to take part as a new Ambassador, please visit the Ambassador Webpage to complete the form at the bottom of the page.  

Why People Give?

During the conference , a book was suggested called "The Spirituality of Fundraising" by Henri Nouwen.  Since the conference was such an inspiration, I felt I needed to tap into this new realm of spirituality. 

When hearing about giving and donating money within the church, reasons for motivation to give have been varied...

Some drive the obedience factor citing many Bible verses and using the ever-taboo word "tithe" (which actually only means tenth, not that menacing of a word, really). 

Another angle that some make is giving to avert a crisis and be able to keep a ministry or organization from having to close its doors.  While this may be the case in an organization, making that the purpose to give is a dangerous approach that would result in risky results, especially long-term. 

Others present the "give and God will bless you" perspective. Now, one of my favorite Bible passages is in 2 Peter 1 where it is stated that God's  "divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life."  There are also many verses that attest to the results of blessing when people give generously.  Still, if giving to get something back is the only reason we give, there is a missing piece.  

From the book by Nouwen: "Fundraising (or giving) is a subject we seldom think about from a spiritual perspective.  We may think of fundraising (or giving) as a necessary but unpleasant activity to support spiritual things.  Or we might believe that fundraising reflects a failure to plan well or to trust enough that God will provide for all our needs," (p. 14)

As I have been diving into the world of fundraising and learning how to tap into the hearts of generous givers to see why people give, I have been seeing some interesting and empowering motivations.

Can you imagine a world where people give, not only out of obedience... not only out of faith that God will provide their needs... not only out of pity for a struggling endeavor... but because they truly believe in the mission of what they are giving to, feel that their dollars are being used towards a noble work that is either making a difference or making a change in lives benefiting from the organization, and perhaps even feel that their money allows them to participate and enter into a mutually beneficial partnership with the organization/ministry they have invested in. 

As Nouwen states, "Fundraising is a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission."  He goes on to say, "When we seek to raise funds we are not saying, 'Please, could you help us out because lately, it's been hard.'  Rather, we are declaring, 'We have a vision that is amazing and exciting.  We are inviting you to invest yourself through the resources that God has given you-your energy, your prayers, and your money-in this work to which God has called us,'" (p.16-17)

Now, to me, that's a reason to give!  

The reason I began to give to Lutherlyn (with some good sit-down encouraging by Jim Cunningham, the Development Director) was because I truly believed in the mission here and I believed that my money was helping to provide opportunities for others to experience the Life Changing Adventures in Faith that I have been so privileged to experience.  

I have found that I am not alone in this perspective.  With every passing week here, I am meeting and seeing people who just love and believe in this place.  It is amazing to know that there are people here that their dreams are fulfilled when they know that their money is being used to effect change in the lives of campers.What a great thing to be involved with!  To give, just from knowing the difference that will be made in the lives of others because of the gift, sounds a lot like Someone we know...

"¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10-14-18 NIV)

Much Needed Inspiration and Direction

Earlier this month I was able to join the Association of Lutheran Development Executives (ALDE) to serve as a source of education, direction, and networking.  ALDE holds an annual conference each year with workshops led by seasoned development professionals and leaders from throughout their organization and the country.  I was grateful to be able to attend this year's conference in Minneapolis. 

I was pleasantly surprised that Minneapolis did not experience any snow during my stay.  It was even above freezing through much of the time!  I was thoroughly impressed by the Skyway which linked over 70 blocks together through a second-level series of lobbies, shops, and enclosed bridges.  Perhaps it was more intriguing than the Mall of America. 

The conference began with Registration and a Newcommers Orientation which gave me a green Newcommer ribbon that assured me I would be taken care of extra special (and I was!).  This meeting was just a small introduction to the conference and my ALDE regional chapter.  From there I attended an Early Career Affinity meeting that was a great basic introduction into the world of Development and a great place to meet other people new to the profession. 

The next few days were full of workshops, times to talk and bounce ideas off of others, and time to get tools to better do development.  The best part of the conference for me was actually not an official part of the conference.  Gronlund Sayther Brunkow (GSB), an association of non-profit consultants who assist organizations (mostly in capital campaigns) was having a 35-year anniversary gala.  Lutherlyn received an invitation due to the fact that we use GSB services when we underwent our new Dining Hall campaign in the 1990's.  The speakers were phenomenal and such an inspiration.  It really inspired me, helped me to see the ministry that fundraising really is, and allowed me to understand the mutual, interdependent partnership that is involved in fundraising between donors and the organization. 

Overall, the conference was a beautiful balance of education, inspiration and networking.  The things I learned while at the conference will help me build a solid foundation for this career.  I will look to share some of the inspirational perspectives I learned in later posts.  I already purchased a book by Henri Nouwen titled "The Spirituality of Fundraising " which was recommended to be a great piece to guide me in my work.

Thank you ALDE for a great experience!  

A Website to be Envied

The better part of my first month was dedicated to updating the website.  http://www.lutherlyn.com/ has become very familiar to me during this time.  Last year there was a transition between webhosts and little has been done since the transition due to the complexity of schedules.  So, taking over advertising responsibilities, it was appropriate to take the reigns of our web presence. 

Two elements that I knew had to be addressed were consistent updates and completeness.  I have been making huge efforts to make the site as complete, comprehensive, and easy to navigate as possible.  To date, we are still not there, but getting there.  I believe we have made huge strides in making the site a very informative site full of pictures and useful links. 

One of the biggest issues I wanted to tackle was the lack of traffic to the site. I was sure that just having a complete store of information was enough to drive the numbers up.  Still, there needed to be a consistent attention getter that kept people coming back.  For this I  have employed the network of Facebook to enhance website traffic.  I attempt to make a daily status update highlighting a new addition to the site or maybe an unknown area that could use some more attention.  Many times I have changed the homepage to highlight an area in a spotlight. 

I am happy to report that the traffic for the month of January had tripled when compared to December! 

A challenge that was given to me was to somehow make our web presence one that helps people to experience camp throughout the year and tie in each summer.  I have yet to develop an intentional strategic plan for this, but I have at least discovered a starting block.  My goal is to get camp to to be on the daily consciousness of people. 

The way I found was a creative, yet fun tool to accomplishment is the initiation of the "Lutherlyn Past Photo of the Day."  In my new office I discovered a variety of historical photos, postcards, yearbooks, preserved newspaper articles from the very founding of camp until the present day.  It was so much fun going through all these photos for the first time and seeing the campers and staff members, what had changed, and what has remained the same.  This was something that should not be left in boxes, but shared. 

So, each day I post a new photo to Facebook from the archives of Lutherlyn.  Each day will be a different decade spanning from the 1940s to the 2000s.  There have been many positive responses, "likes," and comments that I will continue this indefinitely.  Here are some of the recent ones I have posted since starting: 

It serves a a little bit of a daily devotional.  Plans will hopefully be for this to become more of an interactive piece and an asking of friends to share their stories and their photos as well.  It is an exciting addition to our web presence. 

The Road to Here (Part Two)

After that first summer, I had a lot of self-discovery to do.  Even though I had spent an entire summer at a church camp, I still was no closer to God.  Subconsciously, I was more open.  It took a friend to invite me to a local youth group for me to truly open myself to God.  From there I had to grow up, naturally as well as spiritually.   

I was able to come back to camp zealous about my new life in God, yet unsure how to express it and how to properly maintain it at a healthy level throughout the entire summer.  I left that summer burned out.  Not really considering the average tenure of a summer staffer is only 1.5-2 summers, I still became hooked on working at camp.  I returned for a third summer.  Almost every summer I would feel the end has come and it was my last.  I even took off one summer just to realize what I missed out on and came back the next year.  After my sixth summer I was not offered a position to return.  The assistant director at the time felt it was perhaps time for me to move on and pursue new horizons.  I spent that summer at a large Atlanta-based day camp.  It was a great experience, but not the same.  I ended up coming back for a seventh and eighth summers following that year.  Maybe people just understood and accepted that I was just going to be a part of this place.

During these last two summers I was able to become acquainted with the Development Director.  He was able to show me the benefits of joining the annual donors club, Trinity Pines.  During my last summer, I was able to work a little more closely with him, learning some development areas with my Bachelor's internship.

I went on from that summer to move only an hour away to pursue my Master's degree,  The program was designed as a calendar-year in and out degree.  This unfortunately limited my ability to work summer number nine (though I was tempted to somehow make it work).  I settled to volunteer whenever I could and visit all the more.

I knew that camp ministry was something I felt called to do, probably from my second summer as a staffer.  I had been trying to get my foot in the door to some full-time opportunity since that time.  When I discovered I needed more education, I went and got it.  When the doors weren't open, I kept myself busy and continued attending school.

A few opportunities were afforded me when I was about to graduate from my Master's program.  I had a few phone interviews and was also invited to North Carolina for a program director position at a camp led by my camp's Assistant Director from the 1980's and 90's.  No offers.

I ended up moving south to Florida to try and find new opportunities and a new home.  I landed a job working for an employment agency working as an employment consultant and later a case manager.  Though this job was not included my long-term goals, I was able to gather some very valuable knowledge through my associations with some amazing professionals.  I was able to gain a lot of insight into the world of non-profit work.

In June of last year (2011) I flew up to volunteer another week at camp.  I was able to work with the Staff-in-Training (SIT) program the previous two summers and was asked to come back to lead it once again.  During that visit I found out that Jim, the Development Director was announcing his retirement to be early the next year.  I asked who was possibly in line to succeed him.  Hopefull, I suggested myself.

A month later I got a call from the executive director stating my name came up in a discussion concerning the Development Director position and he felt led to give me a call.  I sent my résumé along with a cover letter and we were scheduled to get into discussions shortly.  It wasn't until many delays and months before I was offered the position in December.  So, not even moving to Florida could keep me away from camp!

I spent last month completing my affairs in Florida, packed myself up, and moved back to the north to begin my first full-time position in camping ministry.

It has been a wild ride and I am very thankful to God, for all the people I have crossed paths with, and experience I have had throughout the last eleven years that has been preparing me for this moment.  I am very excited to move forward working for a camp that I love and cherish.

I pray that I can be a dynamic instrument in assuring the mission of camp is done and be an intergal part of the future for this amazing community of faith.    

The Road to Here (Part One)

Today, I sit in a all too familiar place that is completely new.  Snow is falling softly on the ground outside the window to my right and I sit and contemplate how in the world I got here. 

Thirteen months ago I abandoned Pennsylvania's bitter cold tendencies to start a new life in the warmer regions of Florida.  There was nothing personal between Pennsylvania and I.  Being persuaded by sunshine, opportunity, flexibility, and friendship I happily left for a new frontier the characteristics of which were all too familiar. 

Perhaps the context for this first entry would be better served going back even further into the past.  Perhaps 1991 would be a good springboard. 

1991 was the year my parents thought I would be old enough to spend my first week away at summer camp.  I was nine years old.  I stayed in Cabin #10, a brown cinderblock rectangle-shaped room with two toilets stalls and two sinks in the back.  The showers were provided at the "Upper Shower House" about 500 feet away.  My counselor's name was Jason.  He was a tall guy who always wore a blue baseball cap and seemed to perfect the "scruffy face" look.  I remember being confused at how much stuff he had with him.  His clothes were neatly stored in old plastic milk crates stacked one on top of each other.  I was amazed to find out that he actually lived at the camp for the entire summer!  Somehow I was convinced that he only existed to be my counselor for this one week in this one summer.

I later returned to camp for four more summers.  My counselors were Lee and Drew, Tony, Jay, and John.  My last three summers were in the program called the Night Owl Club.  It was the best idea I have ever heard for a middle-school kid: stay up all night and sleep during the day!  After those five years I felt I became too old for camp and my time was over.

Five years later I was a soon-to-be High School graduate.  Looking to get away from home I found myself in frequent conversations with a long-time neighbor and fellow bus ride companion.  She spent two summers working as a lifeguard at the summer camp I had long forgotten about.  She convinced me that camp would be a great place for me to work.  After much consideration I consented to apply.  In the early spring of 2000 I drove down to camp to have my summer staff interview with the Assistant Director, Lee.  I was surprised to find out later that this same Lee was my counselor during my second summer.  After the interview I took a short tour of main camp, thinking about all the memories I had as a camper.

After completing my lifeguard certification through the Red Cross and receiving the thumbs up from Lee, I was set to graduate and immediately begin my unknown adventure as a summer camp staffer. 

Being a staff member was totally different than being a camper!  It was work!  It was challenging... emotionally, physically, spiritually, and socially.  I was something I unfortunately was not mature enough to prosper in.  I spent that summer continually wishing I wasn't there.  Every chance I got to get out of something I would.  I even missed the staff photo.  It wasn't that I had somewhere to go.  I remember getting picked up and driving away as I saw my fellow staffers gathering at the entrance sign not caring that I would be nowhere to be found in that picture.  What a disappointment I had that summer.  What a disappointment I was to myself.  This realization hit me at the closing staff worship on the last night of the summer.  I walked down Chapel Hill by myself crying in grief, knowing I completely spoiled the entire experience.

What a waste!

Thankfully I knew that it was my fault and it was my responsibility to take.  My chances to come back were slim to none.  Still, there was something I knew I missed.