Crossways Connections
May 2018
Preparing for Summer: The "Who, What, and Why" of Outdoor Ministry

Have you ever gotten so caught up in managing all the details of an upcoming event or season that you find yourself wondering, "what is the meaning of all of this?" When deadlines and demands and to-do lists and inboxes are at max capacity, it can be easy to forget why those things exist in the first place.

For us here at Crossways, as we plan for a full summer of ministry we are constantly reminding ourselves of our mission: bringing people together in Christ so lives are changed and communities enhanced. This is who we are, this is what we do, and this is why we do it. I imagine camp staff across the country (and the world!) are also feeling the pull to pause and remember the "who, what, and why's" of outdoor ministry.

Dr. Jake Sorenson, outdoor ministry expert and founder of Sacred Playgrounds (a ministry offering research and training to camps and congregations) writes and teaches about this very thing. One of the five fundamental characteristics of an effective camp experience as identified by Sorenson's extensive research study was being Faith-Centered . Everything we do at camp is centered around our identity as followers of Jesus Christ. Faith and faith practices aren't just program elements - they are the core of who we are.

At home, caught up in our daily or weekly routine, it's easy for faith to become compartmentalized. Faith practices like prayer, worship, or reading scripture are given a time slot on our schedule, as though "faith" is something we do at this time, and then we go to soccer practice. I know this, because I do this! At camp, however, faith is just not part of everything we do, it is at the center of everything we do - throughout the day campers and staff are learning to notice God around them, in each other, and in themselves. They are engaging in daily faith rituals and taking part in ancient traditions when they worship, pray, and play in Jesus' name.

Another powerful highlight to come out of Sorenson's research was the finding that after returning home, campers were praying more, reading their Bibles more, worshiping more, and having more faith conversations than before they went to camp. Faith-centered camp experiences ignite the spirit, and the embers burn long after the last campfire is extinguished.

So as we prepare for a busy summer of ministry, we are going to remember who we are, what we do, and why we do it: we are followers of Jesus, here to bring campers of all ages together in Christ, to live in intentional Christian community for a week, a weekend, or for however long the session lasts, so lives are changed and communities enhanced. We can't wait to live this out come June.

Hope to see you there!
Gloria Allhiser
Associate Director, Crossways Camping Ministries
SAVE THE DATE:
The 3rd Annual Bike for Crossways FUNdraiser will be held Sunday, September 9th, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Green Bay! The ride will begin at 12:45. Stay tuned for details on how to register and raise awareness!
Do you love escaping to camp for a weekend retreat? So do we! Our 2018-2019 programmed retreat schedules are up on our website! We have retreats coming up for youth in grades 3-8 as well as our Couples Retreat and TWO Women's Wellness Retreats! Of course we have crafting retreats for quilters, scrapbookers, knitters, and more.

Registration for our 2018-2019 will open soon! Stay tuned for details on how to sign up.
We know how life-changing working at camp can be - and we know how powerful an impact our staff have on our campers. We are still looking for individuals who can either work a full summer with us OR who would be able to work short-term (or as a volunteer) for one or two of our highest capacity weeks. We're especially in need of male staff (cabin leaders in particular).

Would you help us out by sharing our need for staff with friends and family, or perhaps even on social media? Word of mouth is the most effective way to recruit our staff and we would be so grateful for your assistance in spreading the word! To share our webpage with summer staff information, copy and paste this link: https://www.crosswayscamps.org/join-our-summer-staff.html

Cabin leaders and program staff must be a high school graduate/current high school senior and 18 years of age or older, however other support roles (lifeguard, kitchen assistant) can still be in high school.

CLICK HERE to learn more about summer positions available for 2018 or to apply!
Many of our programs are full or filling fast! View a list of summer youth programs (full programs are noted). Here are a few programs that still have space ( register here! ):

Pioneers (campers currently in 1st-3rd grade)
Imago Dei Village
July 15-17 (Session A) - girl spots only
July 18-20 (Session B)
July 25-27 (Session B)
Pine Lake Camp
July 15-17 (Session A) - boys & girls spots
July 18-20 (Session B)
July 25-27 (Session B) - boy spots only
July 29-31 (Session A)
Pathfinders (campers currently in 3rd-5th grade)
Imago Dei Village
July 15-20 - boy spots only
July 22-27
July 22-24 (Session A)
Pine Lake Camp
July 8-13
July 15-20
July 22-27 - boy spots only
July 22-24 (Session A)
July 29-Aug 3 - boy spots only
Mavericks* (campers currently in 6th-8th grade)
*All youth attending 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering eligible to receive $100 off camp registration!
Imago Dei Village
July 15-20
July 22-27
Pine Lake Camp
July 8-13
July 15-20 - boy spots only
July 22-27 - boy spots only
July 29-Aug 3

Settlers* (campers currently in 9th-12th grade)
*All youth attending 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering eligible to receive $100 off camp registration!
Imago Dei Village
July 15-20 - girl spots only
July 22-27 - girl spots only
Pine Lake Camp
July 15-20


Leader-In-Training/LIT* (campers currently in 9th-12th grade)
*All youth attending 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering eligible to receive $100 off camp registration!
Session 1:
July 8-13 & July 15-20
2 girls spots remaining
Session 2:
July 22-27 & July 29-Aug 3
2 girls spots remaining
3 boy spots remaining

COMING TO CAMP THIS SUMMER?
LINKS TO HEALTH FORMS, CAMP GUIDES, AND MORE!
If you, your child, and/or your family are coming to camp this summer make sure to visit our Parent Information Page on our website for the following important documents and information:

  • Health Forms
  • Departure Authorization Forms
  • Camp Guides (with session details, directions to camp, packing lists, etc.)
  • Technology Policy
  • and more!

You can also visit this page for a link to pay any final balance due on your account.
We can't wait to see you at one of our camps this summer!
Do you know about all of the discounts we offer for our summer camp fees? Oh, the discounts! Here's a glimpse of how you can save on camp in 2018 *

  • Refer-a-Friend Discount: Campers can refer a friend to Crossways (this new camper must be a first-time summer camper with Crossways) for a $25 discount per new camper referred! Full-week campers can refer up to 4 new campers for a max discount of $100, while half-week campers can refer up to 2 new campers for a max discount of $50.

  • First-Time Camper Discount: All first-time youth campers (full-week and half-week) can receive a $25 discount!

  • 2018 Youth Gathering Participant Discount: 2018 Youth Gathering participants (8th-12th grade) are eligible for $100 off Mavericks, Settlers, or Leader-In-Training/LIT.

*A $100 deposit is required upon registration for all discounts. For more information please visit our Pricing, Discounts, & Financial Assistance webpage . You may also contact our office at info@crosswayscamps.org | 920-882-0023.

Administrative Office
Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00am-4:00pm
912 N. Oneida St. Appleton, WI 54911
phone: (920) 882-0023 | fax: (920) 882-9474