Brian Frick is the Associate for Camp and Conferences Ministries with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He has been involved in camp and conference ministry since high school. For the past ten years, Brian has served as program director of Johnsonburg Center in New Jersey, Westminster Woods in California, and Heartland Center in Missouri.
Camp and conference ministry compliments and partners with other ministry aspects of our church to foster faith development and reflection. As our communities and our church changes, our ministries need to grow and adapt with creative and emergent programming and leadership to meet new realities.
These blogs entries, though varied, are intended to spur thought and conversation around the opportunities and challenges before us.
For years, retreating, going away from our daily lives to renew, recharge, and re-enter, have been a regular part of our lives. Our Presbyterian Camp and Conference Centers provide spiritual places to re-encounter our faith, to recharge our souls, and come back as more empowered followers of Christ.
Rev. Kevin Witt, Director, Office of Camp and Retreat Ministries at the General Board of Discipleship in Nashville, has written a wonderful paper examining and explaining the continued imporance of retreat today.
I hope this article energizes you and encourages you in your ministry. In these busier and busier times, time and space to retreat is more important than ever, even if we find it harder and harder to "find" the time! It's time well spent.