The Great Outdoors: How LCEF’s New Partnership with NLOMA Will Help Lutheran Camps Grow and Thrive

Synopsis
Lutheran camps are often called the “side door to ministry” because so many young men and women have decided to go into full-time church work while serving as summer camp counselors. Lutheran camping has been serving the greater church for more than 70 years. Camps continue to be vibrant and unique places where people of all ages encounter God in nature. This year, LCEF is excited to begin a new partnership with the National Lutheran Outdoor Ministry Association (NLOMA) to enhance and improve the business of camping, so the ministry of camping reaches many more generations. 

Article
Robby was bent on making Brian’s life miserable that week of summer camp. He wasn’t a bully in the traditional sense, but his sarcastic comments and humor at Brian’s expense were obviously ruining Brian’s time at camp. Sixth graders can be particularly cruel, and Robby had it down to an art…until I stepped in. As a first-year camp counselor, I had already learned so much about dealing with kids and knew my decision to become a Lutheran schoolteacher was the right one. During a cookout early in the week, I took Robby aside and made it clear his behavior was unacceptable and would not be tolerated for one more minute. I would stay on him the rest of the week to assure all the boys in my cabin group had the best possible experience.  

Our Lutheran camps are a priceless gem in the LCMS. They provide experiences and opportunities that can only happen in the outdoors and only when there’s time for things to happen and process them. Altogether, I spent four years as a summer camp counselor at Walcamp in Kingston, Illinois. I treasure friendships to this day with people I worked alongside at camp–many of whom went on to be pastors, teachers and DCEs across the country. Some went on to be full-time camp staff and camp directors. I was privileged to serve under one of the very first full-time camp directors in Lutheran camping and one of the founding members of the National Lutheran Outdoor Ministry Association (NLOMA). The association, started in the 1970s, continues to this day as an association of individual camp leaders. Those leaders represent nearly 30 Lutheran camps across the country from the heart of the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf Shores of Alabama; from an island in the middle of a Minnesota lake to the rolling hills of southern Indiana. Camps large and small that serve thousands of children, youth and families year-round. Camps that incubate future leaders for our churches and schools 

This year, LCEF has entered a collaborative partnership with NLOMA to bring our services to all our camps through the NLOMA network. From capital campaign fundraising to strategic planning to donor development and lending, LCEF is committed to helping our camps grow and thrive. We are working on new processes specifically designed to help camp leaders and camp boards deliver their unique ministry with excellence.  

Oh, and Robby? He and Brian became best friends. Rob went on to be a camp counselor himself. Then he became a Lutheran teacher, and principal with a long and successful career leading Lutheran schools. We’re still friends today–the college kid and the sixth grader now both grandparents, thankful for the lifelong blessing Lutheran camps have been to us. If you’re connected to a Lutheran camp and want to learn more about how LCEF and NLOMA can help your camp, contact me by emailing Tim.Kurth@lcef.org.