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Crossways Connections
2017 February Issue
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Winter at camp is something magical. I can say that because I work in our Appleton office and have not yet had the pleasure of chipping away at ice for hours upon hours after all the storms we experienced in January. To me, winter at camp is still something to enjoy peacefully from inside your cozy cabin as you sip on hot chocolate and watch the snow fall outside. Who's with me?
Here at Crossways we have some exciting things coming up that this edition of our newsletter will highlight. First, just a reminder that we have switched from a twice-monthly format to a monthly format for this e-newsletter. That means you'll still get all the great news from camp that you love, but it will only show up in your inbox once a month. If you're itching for some camp news in the meantime, please visit our website:
www.crosswayscamps.org. It is updated regularly with current events, news, and program information!
In fact, as we strive to become a more environmentally-friendly and sustainable organization you will notice that our provision of paper materials may decline. We are shifting our main means of communication to our website, facebook page, and e-news. Should you ever be in need of documents, flyers, or other materials you are used to receiving in the mail, check our website first! If you're still having trouble locating what you need, please give us a call at 920-882-0023. We will be happy to help.
In this edition of the e-news you will also find information about our upcoming
Annual Meeting, being held
Saturday March 4 at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Neenah, WI. The meeting will run from 10:00am to 12:00pm and will be followed by a lunch provided by St. Mark's. Please see below for more details.
Finally, we will be highlighting summer programs in the upcoming editions of Crossways Connections. Summer 2017 registration is well under way and we want to make sure everyone is aware of the wonderful programs being offered at all three sites. We can't wait to see you at camp this summer!
Hoping you are reading this from the comfort of your home or office, inside where it is warm, sipping on coffee, tea, or cocoa,
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Gloria Allhiser
Program and Outreach Director
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An alternative date for our Annual Meeting, should there be a snowstorm, is Saturday, March 11th. Same location, same time!
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Upper Elementary Blast: March 31-April 2
Register soon, it's filling up!
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Are you hoping to bring a group of 3rd-6th grade youth to our spring Upper Elementary Blast retreat weekend at Imago Dei Village, March 31-April 2?
Contact Liz Locke ASAP to reserve a block for your group. Space is filling up fast and we don't want to leave anyone behind!
Cost: $100/youth, $45/adult
To register, contact Liz Locke at our administrative office: call 920-882-0023 or email liz@crosswayscamps.org
All groups must bring at least one adult for each gender represented in your group.
Registration deadline is March 17!
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Women's Wellness Retreat: March 31-April
Pine Lake Camp
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Come to Pine Lake for a weekend of relaxation, renewal, and rejuvenation with fellow sisters in Christ. We're excited to learn more about what it means to be "Present Over Perfect," and we'll spend some time in conversation over this theme, using Shauna Niequist's book of the same name as a guide. (You do not have to have read the book to participate!)
Other retreat activities include: hiking, nature walks, reading a good book, and even a paint-on-canvas activity (available for an additional fee).
Cost: $145 (lodging in Evergreen)
Registration deadline is March 17!
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Thank you, Bouwer Family Foundation!
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Through a generous donation from the Bouwer Family Foundation, based in Appleton, Crossways will be able to provide full scholarships for 15 Hmong youth to participate in our Appleton City-Wide Day Camp this June, as well as full scholarships for 15 Hmong youth to attend youth camp in July at either Imago Dei Village or Pine Lake Camp! Crossways has partnered with the Hmong American Partnership in Appleton who will select eligible youth for these programs.
"Every member of the Bouwer Family Foundation had the good fortune to attend day camps and week-long residential camps as kids, and we feel strongly that this sort of experience would be incredible rewarding, educational, and empowering for Hmong/Southeast Asian youth in our community," says Lisa Bouwer Hansen, Trustee of the Bouwer Family Foundation.
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We are so excited about the programs coming to Imago Dei Village, Pine Lake Camp, Waypost, and to congregations hosting Day Camp in the summer of 2017! Program information is available on our website for:
- Youth Camp (grades 1-12)
- Servant and Leadership Training (grades 8-12)
- Family & Grandparent/KID Camp
- Piece Together (camp for families with children on the autism spectrum)
For congregations looking for a mission trip experience but needing to stay close to home or save on expenses, our Mission Week program might be the perfect fit! Offered at Waypost (week 2) and Imago Dei Village (week 7), for groups with students in grades 6-12.
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Site Reserved:
What's happening at Waypost?
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If you have seen our summer 2017 program schedule you may have noticed that the phrase "Site Reserved" pops up frequently under Waypost's column. In fact, seven out of our nine weeks of summer operation at Waypost are "reserved." What does that mean?
It means a lot of people are coming to Waypost this summer and some very cool things are happening! Here are just two of the groups who will be at Waypost in 2017:
- SIMBA & SIMSA: Safe in my Brother's/Sister's Arms is a rural camp experience for African American young men and women ages 8-17 designed to provide for them "a safe space to examine their lives, their choices, and their futures," through the organization Rescue, Release, Restore, based in Chicago (www.rescuereleaserestore.org). These two programs, one for young men and one for young women, were hosted for the first time at Waypost in 2016. We are thrilled that our relationship with Rescue, Release, Restore and the SIMBA/SIMSA programs will continue at least through 2020. Waypost is bursting at the seams with youth, caring adults, and energy during these weeks!
- Manitowoc/Two Rivers YMCA & Central Wisconsin Boys & Girls Club: In 2015 Crossways partnered with the YMCA of Manitowoc/Two Rivers to offer a week of youth camp at Waypost to children and youth who were financially unable to afford such an experience on their own. In 2016 we welcomed campers from the Boys and Girls Club of Central WI to this week as well. This program is fully funded by generous donors so that each camper receives a full scholarship for camp! (To see this program in action, watch this short video!)
As we learn more about the qualities, abilities, and gifts of each unique site we are learning more about how we can reach out to others in our communities, as Christ calls us, with what we have. Waypost is unique in many ways and often times the perfect setting for specialized programs looking for a home. We are thankful to be able to offer our camp in partnership with these organizations!
We know firsthand (and you do, too!) the life-changing power of the camp experience. Isn't it wonderful that we are able to share this with more and more people each year?
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Do you know of a young adult who would be a perfect fit for our summer staff in 2017? Or are YOU a young adult looking for a place to spend your summer? We're hiring!
Not sure if working at summer camp is right for you? Here are a few links to consider:
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Crossways Camping Ministries
912. N. Oneida St., Appleton, WI 54911
p: 920.882.0023 | f: 920.882.9474
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