Here I am
About this blog
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.
Recent posts
- Letters from Camp
- Step up to support reconciliation
- Does your Ministry Transform Young Adults?
- Camp Curriculum Discount Available
- Earth Day Resources from the National Council of Churches
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Allowing Ministries to Grow
What are your participants called to?
Going into the future, we as a church are going to have to be starting and supporting ministries in whole new ways.
Reading a current blog, Holy Soup I was reminded at what furtile "incubators" we have in camp and conference ministry. I was also reminded as I attended a new church on Sunday and the pastor spoke about the impact of his being a counselor and the impact his counselor had on him when he was a camper (totally unprompted by me...honest!)
So we create wonderful community where the Holy Spirit is free to move about our staff and our campers and our participants un-shackled from any "rules" for ministry or engagement. We know God does great things through camp and conference ministry, we just often don't see the fruit.
What if we were involved more actively in that fruit "ripening" or being planted to grow? I've talked about young adults and will continue to - but this one is about ministry.
Young adults are hungry for authentic ministry and if they don't find it they will either create it or leave the church. That's a fact.
So how do we listen to their passions and encourage them, and support them in starting ministries based on their passions? They don't need permission, just encouragement really!
Read the blog I mentioned above and then let me know how you are going to do this in your camp/conference center!
Great things are just waiting to blossom!
June 26, 2012
Creatively Empowering Church Leaders
Hey, PC(USA): I have an idea. So I’ve been thinking a lot about the PC(USA) job market recently (surprise!). It’s pretty bleak out there, and the situation gets really personal for me: I have a ton – a ton – of incredibly talented friends who are (1) recent seminary grads, but (2) still looking for a callyears after graduation. We’re talking about vibrant, talented, energetic, brilliant people who keep getting close, but the numbers are stacked against them. In many cases, they’re struggling and frustrated, unsure of what to do.- Posted at 12:00 a.m.
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June 13, 2012
Celebrate! Young Adult Leadership and Discipleship Experiences Starting ALL over the country!
A celebration is called for! Summer is starting across the country and thousands of our passionate young adults are embarking on a life changing summer living in Christian community. This opportunity to teach and share their faith with campers, as well as live intentionally with other committed Christian leaders will transform them in ways they can’t even imagine.- Posted at 12:00 a.m.
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March 20, 2012
Why Isn't It Working Anymore?
For the shrinking minority, this type of church experience satisfies them. They’re content with the status quo. But what about the growing majority of people who don’t regularly attend church services? Why don’t these same factors work for them? It seems that what attracts the church-inclined may actually repel or at least disinterest the majority. Let’s look at each factor again from their perspective.- Posted at 6:00 a.m.
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March 15, 2012
A Jewel for the Church
“The goal is to send these younger people home, have them fired up and passionate about the scriptures and with strong prayer lives and a real sense of what they believe, so they can continue to do those kinds of things in the local setting,” says Tim McNeil.- Posted at 6:00 a.m.
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