|
 
Learning Labs
Tuesday, December 9
8:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m. | Track | Learning Lab | | Board Governance | Living with Your Board
Whiteboard Session with Don Goehner
This session is an interactive time to discuss the issues camp and conference center executive directors face with boards and vice versa. Consultant Don Goehner, who has conducted numerous workshops and retreats for organizational boards, will facilitate a discussion that addresses present issues your ministry is facing in the area of board leadership.
Don is the founder and president of The Goehner Group in San Jose, California, and a founder and board member of Next Step Bridges International, a worldwide ministry. |
Campers & Guests |
Pay It Forward
Seminar with Stan White
Looking for a different way to motivate and encourage your camp or conference staff to Christ-honoring customer service? How do you engage all campers and guests in ways that bless and affirm them? You will receive a variety of fresh ways and perspectives to train your staff members to “pay it forward.”
Stan, a leader in Christian camping for more than 20 years, has served at a variety of camps and conferences and is currently president of Forest Home Ministries in California.
|
Communications & Marketing |
The Irresistible Camp
Whiteboard Session with Kevin Sterner and David Grout
Increasingly, your camp competes with recreation and relaxation alternatives. There has never been a more critical moment to proclaim camping as a cultural imperative—a counter-weight that God uses to keep our pace and priorities in perspective. The irresistible camp tells stories of life change and adventure, fills beds, turns heads, and blows out retention rates. What makes you irresistible?
Kevin, owner of Brandpoet™, is a designer who has worked with clients including Peter Drucker, John C. Maxwell, and Willowcreek. David, who has served in a variety of positions at all sizes of camps for two decades, is the vice president of marketing, sales, and communications at Forest Home Ministries in California. |
Culinary Arts |
Cuisine, Walt Disney World® Style
Seminar
Pick up first-class culinary insights at this interactive session led by a Walt Disney World® Resort chef. You’ll take a tour of the resort kitchen, discuss menus and safety pointers, and spend about an hour in a hands-on session in the kitchen. Plus, take home a booklet of recipes and tips to use at your ministry.
Note: This session is also offered on Wednesday, December 10.
| | Imagineering | Learning to Think Like Walt Disney (Part I)
Seminar with McNair Wilson
How do Walt Disney Imagineers create the world’s greatest theme parks? Former Imagineer McNair Wilson knows, and he’ll teach you to recapture your creative spirit (the one you were born with) and employ powerful principles. He will discuss the seven agreements of brainstorming to design, plan, create, and reimagine every part of your organization’s program, people, and procedures.
A former Disney Imagineer (theme park designer) and an author of books and plays, McNair helps clients from Apple to the Salvation Army recapture their creative spirits. |
Leadership |
New Rules
Whiteboard Session with Barry McLeish
As a ministry leader, what should your assumptions be in the funding and marketing arenas, given new donor strategies? In this session, you will learn how to harness new media, design a compelling donor experience, and achieve immediate and long-term funding goals for your camp or conference center ministry.
Barry, author of several books, is the international vice president of the McConkey/Johnston Group, a fund-raising and marketing management consulting firm that’s worked with numerous camps.
|
Legal & Compliance Issues |
Hot Topics in the Challenge Course Industry
Roundtable Discussion with Bill Weaver
In this interactive session, a panel of challenge course professionals will engage in a lively discussion about some of the hottest topics in the challenge course industry today, such as the definition of a qualified challenge course practitioner, training requirements, practitioner certification, and hurricane damage. Come prepared to join the discussion and ask questions of your own.
Bill, a retired challenge course builder who primarily served Christian camps, is the professional services manager at the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT). E-mail him at bill@acctinfo.org.
| | Legal & Compliance Issues | The New IRS Form 990: What's Up?
Seminar with Dave Moja
The new, revised Form 990 presents interesting hurdles, pitfalls, and opportunities. Camps and conference centers will be required to report information that they have never before had to disclose to the IRS and the public. This learning lab surveys the changes and offers insight into how to best face the related challenges.
Dave is a CPA whose career experience includes working for Price Waterhouse, serving as CFO of a Christian missions organization, and managing his own CPA firm. |
Ministry Expressions |
Reject Recycling
Whiteboard Session with Nate Parks
At a time when creativity and innovation are the driving forces for the new economy, how do we recapture the entrepreneurial spirit, innovative ideas, and imagination of our forefathers? Innovation will play a large role in our “industrial re-evolution.” Join us to reinvent the idea of camp for the next century.
Nate, who holds a bachelor’s degree in youth ministry and Bible, has served full-time in Christian camping for more than 10 years, currently at Camp Berea in New Hampshire. |
New Frontiers |
Navigating Change in Our Churches
Roundtable Discussion with Greg Mengarelli
Change is happening faster than ever in our world and culture—and the church. Where is the church headed, and what do we need to do to change and adapt to meet the needs of the congregations we serve? During this session, we’ll discuss past, present, and future models of the church.
Greg, who holds a degree in park resource management, has served at United Christian Youth Camp since 1995, where he is the executive director. |
Operations
& Asset Advancement |
Forecasting: A Key Management Tool
Seminar with Byron Hill
Accurate forecasting is important to financial success in the good times—and absolutely critical in tough economic times. In this session, you will learn how to utilize long-term forecasting to improve your camp or conference center’s budgeting process, and how to use short-term forecasting to improve your ministry’s bottom line.
With 20 years of experience in the hotel industry, Byron serves as executive director of LifeWay Conference Centers and Camps in North Carolina and New Mexico.
|
Organizational Innovations |
Community Transformation and Day Camp
Roundtable Discussion with Tammy Lopez
During the summer of 2009, Georgia’s Camp All-American (CAA) is anticipating an attendance of more than 9,000 day campers. Explore and discuss the philosophy of CAA and how it is influencing the community in North Atlanta. This session will provide an overview of the foundational components for operating a successful day camp, as well as opportunities for dialogue and problem solving.
Tammy, who previously worked as a teacher and coach, has been the director of Camp All-American at Perimeter Church in Duluth, Georgia, for 10 years.
|
People Development |
People, Process, and Technology
Seminar with Mike Aleckson
Often we try to strengthen our ministries or solve problems by dealing with only one aspect of an issue. This seminar will demonstrate a proven approach to moving forward: addressing the people, process, and technology components that make up most challenges in business or ministry. We’ll discuss concrete examples from real-life situations and have a time of open discussion.
Mike, who has 20 years of experience in business and information technology consulting, is the director of client services at CircuiTree Solutions, the technology division of Kanakuk Kamps. |
Personal Formation |
My Story
Seminar with B. Lee Maize
More inspiration than instruction, this learning lab offers a message of hope and healing that can encourage and strengthen you in your daily life, ministry, and walk with Christ. Through his life story, Lee Maize will share his journey from pain and authentic struggle into the grace, forgiveness, and ever-present love of the Father.
Lee, director of Cedar Lake Bible Conference in Indiana, has served in Christian camping for 14 years and has designed the décor at CCCA national events for more than a decade. |
Personal Formation |
Prayer That Works
Seminar with Jill Briscoe
If you’ve ever become weary in prayer or wished someone would disciple you in prayer, this session is for you. Jill’s crisp, personal style feels like an honest chat with a wise friend. She’ll introduce you to biblical concepts guaranteed to ignite your passion for prayer and help you to discover its power in a whole new way.
A highly sought-after Bible teacher who travels around the world speaking, Jill is the co-founder of Telling the Truth, has penned more than 40 books, and serves as executive editor of Just Between Us. |
Resource Development |
Reimagine a Capital Campaign
Seminar with Don Distelberg, CFRE
Gain a new understanding of the importance of a capital campaign for your ministry in this session led by a certified fund raising executive. You will be encouraged to reimagine how a capital campaign links your strategic plan to your facility master plan to the funds necessary to implement part or all of that plan.
Don, senior vice president of consulting firm The Timothy Group, previously served in leadership positions with the United Way of Kent County and Calvin College & Seminary. |
Site & Facility Management |
Addition by Subtraction
Whiteboard Session with Jim Fletemeyer and Dave Lee
The camp of the future must be more resourceful than ever. Join us to reevaluate the common objectives of camp facilities, discussing ways to assess the effectiveness of what you have, and exploring creative ideas to maximize use of new and existing facilities. Camps large and small will benefit from discovering how less can actually be more.
Jim and Dave are principals of Fletemeyer & Lee Associates, an architecture, landscape architecture, and master planning services firm that has served camps for about 25 years. Jim, who has 34 years of landscape architecture experience, has been involved in Christian education programs for 30 years. Dave, who holds a master’s degree in architecture, has served on the boards of several nonprofits. |
Wednesday, December 10
9:15 a.m.– 10:45 a.m.
| Track | Learning Lab | | Board Governance | Governing Boards That Work
Seminar with Bob Andringa, Ph.D.
Board governance can make or break a ministry. A board-oriented chief executive is one necessary factor for success. We will discuss at least 10 key principles that work for almost every board in clarifying roles, structure, committees, evaluation, planning, and funding. We’ll include numerous take-home applications for board members and senior staff.
Bob, author and managing partner of The Andringa Group, has spent 40 years serving government, higher education, and the broader nonprofit sector. |
Campers & Guests |
Understanding Today's Youth Culture
Seminar with Walt Mueller, D.Min.
In today’s rapidly changing culture, it’s increasingly necessary for camp leaders to know God’s story and understand the cultural context in which it must be told. This lab will look at the landscape of youth culture and the trends shaping students’ lives, and explore how to share God’s story in ways that connect with campers and speak to the issues they face daily.
Walt Mueller, founder and president of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding, is an author and radio commentator who has worked with young people and families for more than three decades. |
Communications & Marketing |
The Real Value of a Website
Seminar with Brad McCrory
In this learning lab, we’ll talk about some of the common concerns and questions related to how to effectively use online technologies to make your camp or conference center run more efficiently. We will also discuss specific examples of how websites can help your ministry connect, cultivate, and create a community.
Brad, a senior account executive with Chicago-based web design firm BolderImage.com, was previously a sales manager for Honeywell International. |
Culinary Arts |
Cuisine, Walt Disney World® Style
Seminar
Pick up first-class culinary insights at this interactive session led by a Walt Disney World® Resort chef. You’ll take a tour of the resort kitchen, discuss menus and safety pointers, and spend about an hour in a hands-on session in the kitchen. Plus, take home a booklet of recipes and tips to use at your ministry.
Note: This session is also offered on Tuesday, December 19. |
Imagineering |
Learning to Think Like Walt Disney (Part II)
Seminar with McNair Wilson
Walt Disney’s unique way of managing people motivated his teams to create their best. Learn to think like Walt and produce the best in others as you leverage the creativity of every staff member. Explore two words that will transform every professional and personal relationship you have, and create The Newsletter of the Future, practicing powerful brainstorming and planning for the future.
A former Disney Imagineer (theme park designer) and an author of books and plays, McNair helps clients from Apple to the Salvation Army recapture their creative spirits. |
Leadership |
Revolutionary Leadership
Seminar with Daniel Wallace
Are you leading or taking a walk? This is determined by whether people are behind you. Would people be following you if you were without your title of power? This seminar challenges a number of traditional leadership ideologies and presents a compelling model that can revolutionize your leadership and draw people behind you—willingly.
Daniel, who has 25 summers of Christian camping experience, is the executive director of Gull Lake Ministries, a Christian conference center and family resort in Hickory Corners, Michigan.
|
Legal & Compliance Issues |
Contract Pitfalls
Seminar with Rob Skinner and John Wylie
Major purchases, leases, and other transactions normally require contracts. In this learning lab, two attorneys will address some of the key issues to consider before you sign a contract on behalf of your camp or conference center. They will explain the common provisions and “fine print” found in most contracts.
Rob, formerly general counsel for HCJB Global, represents nonprofit organizations, including camps and conferences, as part of Holme Roberts & Owen’s Nonprofit Team. John, who is a partner of the same firm in the Colorado Springs office and the head of the Nonprofit Team, has represented camps and other nonprofit organizations for about 25 years. |
Ministry Expressions |
Production Innovations
Seminar with Darrel Girardier
How can we pull off productions at our ministries in a cost-effective, creative way? We’ll explore how to set up and run productions that will wow campers and stretch your dollars. You’ll learn how to use lights, video, sound, and drama in camp productions in ways that add the most value to your camp program.
The creative director for LifeWay Training and Events, Darrel develops programming content for events and provides thematic development and creative direction for all camps and events. |
New Frontiers |
Making Camp a Lifelong Experience
Roundtable Discussion with Melissa Yonan
Much like in university communities, alumni involvement can make your camp a stronger organization. During this session, we will explore the benefits and challenges of creating and developing an alumni program. No matter how many alumni you have, they can have a valuable and important effect on your camp’s future that can’t be replicated by any other group of stakeholders.
Melissa is the director of alumni relations and development for Christian Camps and Conferences, Inc., home of Camp Brookwoods, Camp Deer Run, and Moose River Outpost.
|
Operations
& Asset Advancement |
Escape from Financial Distress
Whiteboard Session with Ron Mattocks
Is your camp in perpetual financial distress? You are not alone. It’s time to fix it, merge, or file for dissolution. Identify common symptoms and common solutions regarding financially distressed camps in this session facilitated by consultant and author Ron Mattocks. You can accelerate the recovery curve and move your ministry to a financially viable future.
Ron, who has been a camp guest, staffer, donor, and board member, is an author and a management and governance consultant who works exclusively with nonprofit organizations and ministries. |
Organizational Innovations |
A Camp Re-Visioned
Whiteboard Session with Rob Ribbe
HoneyRock, the Northwoods Camp, and Wheaton College experienced a significant re-visioning process from 2003 to 2008. The lessons learned from this experience can help other ministries navigate challenging times and provide hope for the future. We’ll guide you through the process of naming your current reality, diagnosing probable causes, and laying out possible directions. Come ready to honestly discuss difficult issues.
Rob, the director of HoneyRock since 2000 and an instructor at Wheaton College, has been involved in camp ministry and Christian higher education for 18 years. |
People Development
|
People: Your Organization’s Greatest Asset
Seminar with Linda Paulk
Learn how to recruit, hire, train, and retain employees in any environment. This session will provide valuable guidance and help you identify and avoid the most common pitfalls. We’ll cover the top 10 reasons—with biblical application—to pay attention to hiring the right person, and how to provide excellence as an employer.
Linda, formerly president and CEO of one of the country’s largest staffing firms, serves as president and CEO of Sky Ranch Christian Camps, which runs facilities in Texas, Colorado, and Oklahoma.
|
Personal Formation |
Why Christian Leaders Fail
Seminar with Don Goehner
Presented by a veteran leader who has served in ministry for nearly five decades, this session will examine the pitfalls of ministry leadership and why many gifted leaders fail. Don Goehner will discuss some case studies, which he’ll present in an anonymous manner. Learn how you can succeed as you serve God through camp and conference center ministry.
Don is the founder and president of The Goehner Group in San Jose, California, and a founder and board member of Next Step Bridges International, a worldwide ministry. |
Resource Development |
Raising Money in Difficult Times
Whiteboard Session with Barry McLeish
Current economic conditions are hard on both camps and many donors. Barry McLeish, author of Yours, Mine, and Ours: Creating a Compelling Donor Experience (John Wiley & Sons, 2007), will provide clear, step-by-step advice and guidance. He’ll discuss the tools you need to develop and implement a funding program tailored to your organization in difficult economic times.
Barry, author of several books, is the international vice president of the McConkey/Johnston Group, a fund-raising and marketing management consulting firm that’s worked with numerous camps.
|
Site & Facility Management |
Vision Planning
Whiteboard Session with Mike Fraze
In this session, we’ll discuss the opportunities and rewards gained from an integrated site planning, design, and programming approach. The collaborative process partners with the camp staff to deliver a site and program that capitalize upon each other. We’ll discuss real camp situations, including the Collin County Adventure Camp and Fellowship Church Camp.
Mike is a principal at MESA, a planning and landscape architecture design firm that assists public and private agencies in the development of camps, nature centers, and parks. |
|
