Fall 2013 Newsletter

Camp Lutherwood PostNews from Camp Lutherwood Oregon

Fall 2013 | Volume 1 | Issue 1

“Week of Love” at LutherwoodHow 23 kids received

an experience of

a lifetime from a

small congregation

in Sweet Home, OR.

lutherwoodoregon.org

Inside...

Continued on page 3

Called to Serve See how campers and staff learned something about themselves while serving others. pg. 3

Tree Identification Test your knowledge and learn fun facts about the trees around Camp Lutherwood. pg. 5

2014 Summer Dates! Mark your calendars now, and get ready for a big celebration! Back cover

Host a Lutherwood Sunday in your church!

Available dates in November:*

• November 3rd

• November 10th

• November 17th

Please contact Katie Bode, Outreach Coordinator, for more information or to sign up for your Lutherwood Sunday ([email protected])

*You can also arrange for 2014 dates

found 23 kids to send to Lutherwood for a week

unlike anything they had ever experienced before.

Holk explained, “A lot of the kids we send, it’s the

firsttimetheygetachancetoexperiencegoingto

camp,andtheirfirstchancetoexperiencelearning

about God.”

For Fir Lawn, it’s not just about sending kids to

camp. “The purpose of the project was for our people

to be engaged in the process and create ownership,”

describes Pastor Joe Medley.

on June 14, 2013, was overwhelmed when the

congregation raised more than $8,000.

“We’ve received tremendous support from

the community. Close to 70 people attended

the auction in June and most were from the

community,” Holk stated.

Exceeding their goal meant the congregation

could send 23 kids for a week of love at Camp

Lutherwood Oregon.

Through a nomination process and working

with the local Boys and Girls Club, the members

Fir Lawn Lutheran Church of Sweet Home,

OR, sent more kids to Camp Lutherwood in the

past two years than they have members of their

congregation.

The kicker, no kid they send is connected to their

church. In fact, Fir Lawn does not even have kids

in their congregation.

The idea of sending kids to camp took root more

than two years ago, and the congregation has

rallied to support the program. “Everyone in the

congregation knew the value of sending kids to

camp, and we were quick to support the idea,”

said member Patty Holk.

Last spring, the congregation planned a

community auction with the goal of sending 16

kids to camp, costing just over $5,000. Holk,

who helped organize the silent and live auction

“It’s the first time

they get a chance to

experience going to camp”

Summer campers at Friday closing campfire, 2013


Letter from the Director

Campers, parents and staff convene at Lower Campfire for closing campfire after our biggest week. Over 120 campers!

What a delight it is to be part of this dynamic,

life-changing ministry! The amazing thing about

Camp Lutherwood Oregon is the people. It is

the campers, the volunteers, the congregations,

the donors, the guests and all the friends that

have been made throughout the years. Camp

is about community and building relationships

with all kinds of people. When Lutherwood was

just a dream of an idea in 1958, our forefathers

and mothers knew how important it was to have

a place and a space where people could gather,

findrest,laugh,play,worshipandworkside

by side. Camp is never meant to be an empty

facility, but has always been expected to be a

placefilledwithpeopleexploring,discovering

and loving one another and the earth. So for over

fiftyyearswehavecontinuedtobejustthat,and

this year is no exception.

As you read through this publication please know

that it is our goal to stay in touch with all of our

friends and campers, both through electronic

means and in printed materials. We have not

done a printed newsletter for many years and

realized that we have been remiss in keeping

many of you current on the happenings of Camp

Lutherwood. Please enjoy this newsletter as a gift

of love to all of you. It is one way for us to share

the continuing life giving stories that are about the

people who are the ministry of Camp Lutherwood

Oregon.

Thank you to all of you who have so generously

contributed to the life of camp this year through your

gifts of money, time, prayer, participation and loving

support. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you

and on behalf of all the campers who come here all

through the year, thank you for continuing to keep

this place alive and well. ■

Andrea Scofield, Executive Director

Meet the Camp Lutherwood Staff!

Director of Programs - VacantFacility Manager - to be filled in November

AndreaScofield,ExecutiveDirector

of Camp Lutherwood Oregon,

builds and creates opportunities

for staff, guests, volunteers,

and donors to interact with the

ministry of Camp Lutherwood. Her

leadership has created a sustainable

program and organization that

continues to provide an outdoor

experience to all guests. Andrea’s

vision for Lutherwood is to

expand the capacity and potential

of Lutherwood and deepen the

relationship with churches and the

community.

CaitlinElwood,Development

Associate, joined the team in

August after Lutherwood received

a generous grant from The M.J.

Murdock Charitable Trust. Her

goals are to strengthen Camp

Lutherwood Oregon’s annual fund

by increasing donor participation

while working with those who

already have relationships with

Lutherwood. Caitlin hopes to grow

our monthly sustainer program and

increase the number of annual gifts.

She believes Lutherwood is a place

of discovery and transformation.

Elizabeth Herzfeldt-Kamprath,

Marketing and Communication

Coordinator, captures the story

of Lutherwood in different ways.

Elizabeth enjoys crafting important

information and sharing the

experience of Lutherwood by

supporting the work of her colleagues

and growing the community of

Lutherwood. Elizabeth sees this place

through the lens of her camera and

through talking about this place with

people. She believes in the story of

Lutherwood and it is a place worth

sharing.

Katie Bode, Guest and Outreach

Coordinator, builds new

relationships and strengthens

existing connections with churches,

schools and all groups that call

Camp Lutherwood Oregon their

place. She also heads up the

challenge course and team building

programs year round. Katie knows

Lutherwood is not just a place, but

it is the people who work and play

here. She believes in the gifts of

community and challenge that camp

brings, and is excited to provide that

to all who come to camp.

Joe Medley, Project Coordinator

DerekMichalski,Site Coordinator

Cindy Culpepper,Bookkeeper and OfficeManager

lutherwoodoregon.org page 3

Called to Serve OthersExodus 3:4 “When the Lord saw

that he had turned aside to

see, God called to him out of

the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And

he said, “Here I am.”

The 2013 summer theme was “Explore the

Call,” and Thursday’s daily theme was “Called to

Serve Others.” Each week kids going into first

grade, high school students and family campers

talked about how Moses was called to uniquely

serve the Israelites (despite his objections!),

and worked with a community as leader and

servant. While many campers explored service

this summer, Adventure in Service campers

in particular experienced what it meant to be

a servant leader and how faith calls us to use

unique gifts in service.

“There is definitely all kinds of service you can

do; you can be painting, doing physical work or

just spending time with people, there’s different

things you can do to help out,” one Adventure in

Service camper reflected. These campers went

into the local community to practice service with

St. Vincent de Paul, Shelter Care, Habitat for

Humanity and Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran

Church.

At Shepherd of the Valley, in Corvallis, OR,

Master Gardener, Jennifer Klammer asked

the question of our campers, “How can we

help God’s people? When we help people and

put our energy into that, it’s a bigger growing

experience. And it can be a really small thing and

it can be a really meaningful thing.”

Duringthesummermonths,CampLutherwood

serves all who walk across the bridge, from the

first day of staff training to the very last camper

to say goodbye to their counselor. Geoff Barrett,

a day camp team leader and second year staff

member reflected, “Something that I have

noticed without question this year is that one

week can truly change the lives and perspectives

of children. These kids discovered their gifts,

found ways to use them, and uncovered a love

of service to one another that all of us share as

children of a loving God.”

“We talked a lot about how we have see or feel

the Holy Spirit at camp. For me, I’ve experienced

it internally this summer in the most powerful

ways. God’s hands are at work here and because

of that I have been able to get just a small

glimpse of His grace,” noted Thomas Gustafson,

another staff member.

Adventure in Service campers harvest potatoes at the Giving Garden in Corvallis, OR.

Congregation United by “Week of Love”

Theexperienceofraisingfunds,findingkidsto

go to camp, and hearing about their experience

is a real gift for the older congregation. “You

get in a rut as an older congregation. There’s

nothing that livens you up more than youth, it’s

revitalizing!” exclaims Holk.

This was Fir Lawn’s second year of sending kids

to camp and they have grown closer as a result.

According to Pastor Medley, “we experienced

the joy of giving, numerous opportunities to

problem solve, and the excitement of success.”

In 2012 they successfully sent 12 kids after

raising $4,600. This year they nearly doubled

that, and Holk explains, “Our goal next year is to

send 25 and maybe we’ll send 30! Maybe some

day we’ll send 100!”

As Fir Lawn continues to recognize the need

in their community, they encourage other

congregations across Oregon to consider similar

ways of supporting youth. “They can make a

difference in a kid’s life, it doesn’t take a bunch of

people to do that! If they only send one kid, it’s one

more kid with the opportunity,” Holk said. ■

Continued from page 1

On Site Weeklong Campers*: On Site Partial Week/end Campers**:

Day Campers:

On Site Volunteers:

On Site Chaplains:

Day Camp Volunteers:

July 6th Celebration Attendees:

Confirmations/Adult Leaders:

Summer Staff:

Total People Served at Lutherwood:

People ServedSummer 2013

Those who served here found themselves being

served as well.

Adventure in Service campers reflected on “who”

should be served. One of them noted “People

different than us.” Another quickly responded with,

“People like us” and a third said, “Each other. We

all need to be served sometimes.”

It is clear that whether you were at Camp

Lutherwood for a few days or a few months, the

Spirit was at work as we explored what it means to

serve. ■

391

221

561

8

6

100

90

24

32

1433Joe Medley greets participants of the 2013 live and silent

auction at Fir Lawn Lutheran Church, Sweet Home, OR.

“Maybe someday

we’ll send 100!”

*Up 23% from 2012 Summer Season!**Up 82% from 2012 Summer Season!

Volunteer Spotlight

page 4 lutherwoodoregon.org

A wonderful addition to camp!

Lutherwood. Bill says his favorite part of doing

this project was designing the building and

watching it come together with the help of the

whole group. Bill coordinated the construction,

Debraisedmostofthemoney,andthegroup

built the entire thing in less than three months.

The Trading Post was a huge success with all our

campers too. It is a fun little space to gather for

an ice cream after a dip in the pool. We are so

thankfulforthesupportofDeb,Billandtheir

friends. They all are such a blessing to Camp

Lutherwood. Thanks for your creativity, your

generosity and your hard work!

ThankstoDebSandauandBillJohnsonfrom

Salem, who rallied their friends to add an

exciting new addition to camp this past summer.

This group funded and built a new Trading

Post that sits near the pool at camp. Most of the

group met 30 years ago at church when they

were starting to raise their children. Many of

their kids attended Camp Lutherwood together

in the 1990’s, and Bill’s son, Philip, even built

the Lutherwood bell tower as his Eagle Scout

project in 1998.

DebandherhusbandSteve,andBillandhis

wife, Brenda, are long-time supporters of Camp

If you are interested in volunteering at

Camp Lutherwood, please call the camp

office (541-998-6444) or check our website,

lutherwoodoregon.org. ■

Camp Lutherwood Oregon has been gifted with over 200 volunteers and countless hours in the past year, helping construct six new cabins, a new trading post, gaga ball pit and so much more! Thank you to all our volunteers!


Thank you to Thrivent and the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust

Camp Lutherwood Tree IdentificationMatch these five trees from around camp with their Fun Fact and leaf or bark picture:

1.

4.

2.

5.

3.

Lutherwood to expand its base of donors with

the intention of building the camp’s long term

financialstability.

Watch upcoming newsletters for information

about exciting collaborations between the Camp

Lutherwood and Thrivent in the months ahead!

This summer, Camp Lutherwood was blessed

with two incredible grants from the M.J.

Murdock Charitable Trust and the Thrivent

Financial for Lutherans Foundation.

The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust awarded

Lutherwood an $118,000 three- year grant,

makingitpossibletohireaDevelopment

Associate. This new staff member will assist

instrengtheningLutherwood’sfinancialbase

through fund raising, marketing and the

promotion and expansion of camp programs.

Lutherwood has already seen the early results

of this grant in the hiring of Caitlin Elwood in

AugusttoserveastheDevelopmentAssociate.

Caitlin grew up going to Camp Lutherwood and

worked in the spring and summer of 2011 as

the Registrar. She is back from Boston where

sheworkedattheDanaFarberCancerInstitute

supporting events and the annual fund. It is a

gift to have Caitlin join the team at Lutherwood.

She brings a love of camp, an understanding

of fundraising, and she looks forward to seeing

Camp Lutherwood grow and expand its reach to

campers and the community.

The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Foundation awarded Lutherwood with an

immediate grant for $20,000, as well as a

challenge grant for $12,500. The Foundation

has granted these funds to enable Camp

The Trust and the Foundation made these

grants because they believe in the work we are

doing through Camp Lutherwood–the impact

Lutherwood makes on the lives it touches

throughout the year would not be possible

without this support. Many thanks! ■

Redwood Sequoia Sequoia sempervirens

E. This is the state tree of Utah and Colorado, and its epithet means sharply pointed.

D. This tree is the only remaining of its species found in the Western US (besides Sequoiadendron that can be found in California).

C. This tree can grow at sea-level and up to 3,000 ft in elevation, with a height up to 80 ft.

A. Native Americans used the trunk of this tree for dug-out canoes.

B. The bark of this tree is a good fire-starter and can burn at high temperature, even when wet.

Paper Birch Betula papyrifera

Oregon Ash Fraxinus latifolia

Blue Spruce Picea pungens

American Sycamore Plantanus occidentalis

(Answers on page 7)

Brought to you in part by our summer naturalist Mary Scofield!

The Lutherwood team recieves Grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans presented by Rick Brathovde,

Financial Consultant from Eugene, OR.


What’s Lutherwood Anyway?

Become an Association Congregation of Camp!

A Place for You!

Charitable Giving: Where Head and Heart Meet

of stars. Lutherwood offers many opportunities

for kids to grow in their faith and make their

spiritual journey personal.

Fun. Yes, it’s true, lots of fun happens at

Lutherwood. The gaga ball pit, the craft shed,

the new climbing tower, the challenge course,

the hiking trails, the lodge at meal time—all

are venues for some serious fun. Summer staff

has been selected for many reasons, but an

uninhibited sense of humor seems essential.

ExperiencingLutherwoodchangeslives.Don’t

believe me? Ask the summer staff who have

become more grounded in their faith, more

focused on kids growing up, more skilled in

guiding them, and more connected to God’s

creation. Ask the campers who have experienced

the joy of discovery and the budding of new

friendships. Ask Andrea and her staff who have

fretted and toiled, lived and loved this summer

and were able to celebrate the most successful

camping year at Lutherwood!

My rallying shout to you is “Support

Lutherwood! Get involved,” or if you already

are involved, renew your commitment. It’s a

place worthy of your gifts and participation.

The Annual Association Meeting of Camp

Lutherwood will happen on November 17, 2013

from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, at Good Shepherd

Lutheran Church, Albany. Please come and share

your insights, your stories, and your enthusiastic

support. Encourage your congregation to choose

delegates. Come share the joy! ■

When I mentioned being on the Lutherwood

Board in a conversation with a non-church-

going friend of mine recently, he asked, “What’s

Lutherwood?” I was gripped by silence for a

moment, not because I had nothing to say, but

because too many thoughts crowded my mind.

For Lutherwood bears some similarity to a

jewel—too many facets to see or describe all at

once. I suggested to him several words that for

me embody “Lutherwood.”

Hospitality. Lutherwood is a welcoming place.

Children of all backgrounds and economic

classes share cabins. Adults and children with

disabilities experience the wonders of the

outdoors in a caring milieu. Kids that haven’t

strayed very far from the urban city limits learn

about the “wilds” of the natural world through

the eyes of welcoming staff. Families connect

with other families. Through scholarships, those

withlimitedfinancialresourcesareembraced.

All God’s children are welcome.

Nature. It’s important to wake up hearing

the creek babble near your cabin or tent. It’s

important to wonder if a deer or a bobcat has

been in the meadow. It’s important to discover

crayfishinthecreek,andinthesameday

marvelatthestarsthatfilltheheavens.Trading

electronic gadgets and toys for a walk in the

woodsisasignificantexperience,because

realizing God’s creation is a vital component of

any meaningful life. Learning to respect, care for

and protect that environment will have a lifelong

value. It happens at Lutherwood.

Faith. It’s a mysterious process by which the

Holy Spirit implants faith in kids or any of us. It

happens at Lutherwood, perhaps while campers

experience Bible study, worship, dialog with

young adult role models, or gazing at the canopy

“Experiencing

Lutherwood

changes lives”

Camp Lutherwood Oregon is owned and

operated by an Association of Lutheran

Congregations throughout Oregon and

Southwest Washington. The Association

CongregationselecttheBoardofDirectors,

approve the annual budget, support

Lutherwoodfinancially,aswellashelp

promote and participate in our programs.

We depend on Association Congregations

to keep Lutherwood moving forward.

Consistent and reliable support is critical for funding camp year-round and giving our Board and staff the ability to plan ahead responsibly. We would love the opportunity to partner with your congregation!

If you are interested in becoming an

Association Congregation, please call our

office(541-998-6444)orvisitourwebsite


After summer camp, we host hundreds

ofpeoplefromconfirmationstudentsto

elementary school outdoor experiences, as

well as community groups such as weddings,

businesses, sororities and music groups.

Tell your teachers, friends and community

organizations that Lutherwood is a place for

them.

You can encourage your pastors and church

members to host a Lutherwood Sunday.

We enjoy connecting with congregations

throughout Oregon and Southwest

Washington by worshiping with you and your

congregation and by being present within your

community. Our mission is to be a resource

for your community and we want to build and

strengthen our connections in your church.

Contact Katie Bode, Guest and Outreach

Coordinator at [email protected]

for more information.

Give generously and wisely. From

wills, living trusts, charitable gift annuities,

endowments and mini-foundations to gifts of

appreciated stock, retirement funds or real

estate, there are many vehicles through which

individuals can make charitable gifts. Special

care should be used to determine the option

thatmeetsone’sfinancialcircumstances.

Gifting some assets to IRS-recognized charities

may potentially reduce capital gains tax. Life

insurance may also be an excellent option to

magnify a gift.

Consult with experts. Always

This article was prepared by Thrivent Financial

consultantRonaldMohr.Hisofficeisat340

Miller St SE, Salem, OR and he can be reached at

503-362-3074

How can a person support organizations that

help people in need? Some may choose to

give their time and abilities through volunteer

service,whilestillothersprovidefinancial

support. Charitable giving provides an

opportunity to engage both head and heart in

making a difference. The following tips can help

donors make the most of their charitable gifts.

Choose a reputable organization. Never

givetoanorganizationwithoutfirstknowingits

purpose and effectiveness. The Philanthropic

Advisory Service of Better Business Bureaus

and National Charities Information Bureaus can

help.

Take advantage of tax benefits. For a

charitable donation to be tax-deductible, the

charity must be recognized by the IRS as a

qualifiedorganization.

Insurance products issued or offered by Thrivent

Financial for Lutherans, Appleton, WI. Not all

products are available in all states. Securities and

investment advisory services are offered through

Thrivent Investment Management Inc., 625 Fourth

Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55415, 800-847-4836,

a FINRA and SIPC member and a wholly owned

subsidiary of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Thrivent Financial representatives are registered

representatives of Thrivent Investment Management

Inc. They are also licensed insurance agents/

producers of Thrivent Financial. Thrivent Financial

for Lutherans and its respective associates and

employees cannot provide legal, accounting, or tax

advice or services. Work with your Thrivent Financial

representative, and as appropriate your attorney

and/or tax professional for additional information. ■

Gerry Stolp, Camp Lutherwood Board President

Annual Meetingof the Association

November 17, 2013 3:00 pmGood Shepherd Lutheran1910 34th Ave SEAlbany, OR 97322

Please RSVP your three delegates (two lay and one clergy) to [email protected]


Vibrant Faith @ HomeWish List

There’s a great new website that has hundreds

of faith-forming activities designed around these

six categories, and designed to help you raise

the next generation of committed Christians.

And it’s all FREE! Check it out at www.

vibrantfaithathome.org.

Better yet, wouldn’t it be great if your efforts

to grow in faith at home were aligned with the

faith-building your child or teen expereince at

camp? Vibrant Faith @ Camp is the perfect

tool to build the bridge between summer camp

and year round faith formation.

Youcanfindagreatresourcedirectly

on the Lutherwood website (go to www.

lutherwoodoregon.org/vibrant-faith-camp).

This resource provides a host of faith-forming

activities for the whole family, empowering

campers and their families to grow in faith

together all year round! Sort of like bringing

thecampfireands’moresrightintoyourliving

room!

All the activities are free and easily accessible.

You can choose an activity based on you, your

family, your age, or a life situation you may

be dealing with. All the activites are organized

around these themes: Bible, worship, prayer,

hospitality, and service. These are much the

same themes addressed each week at summer

camp. ■Leif Kehrwald

Team Leader for Vibrant Faith @ Home

TALK with each other about their faith

PRAY together in ways that are comfortable and comforting

RITUALIZE their important moments

REACH OUT in service and support of others.

SHARE BIBLE STORY to connect with family stories

LEARN ABOUT FAITH TOGETHER in comfortable and fun ways

Answers to Lutherwood Tree Identification:

Paper Birch, B, 5; Blue Spruce, E, 1; Redwood Sequioa, D, 3; Oregon Ash, C, 2; America Sycamore, A, 4

Source: oregonstate.edu/trees/index.html

Want to grow in faith at home? The research is clear and consistent

about what works. Families grow in faith when they...

(Check out the back cover for session dates!)

• 3 working vehicles (5-7 passenger preferred)

• 6-8 kayaks and paddles (one or two person)

• Commercial washer and dryer set for industrial laundry use

• 100 stacking chairs (contact camp if you want to help us complete this project)

• 50 Bibles - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

• 10 Hymnals (newest version ELCA)

• 10 Hymnals (newest version LCMS)

• 5 Lutheran Study Bibles

• Pots and pans (kitchen/baking ware)

Thank you to Ronald Mohr, Financial Consultant of the Northwest Oregon Group for making our newsletter possible!

NONPROFIT ORG

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

EUGENE, OR

PERMIT NO. 681

April 5

April 11-13

May 3May 4

May 31

June 7

June 22-27

June 29-July 1June 29-July 3

July 4-6July 5

July 6-9July 6-11

Spring Work Day

High School Retreat

Spring Work DayPreview Day in Portland/Vancouver Area

Preview Day at Camp Lutherwood OR

Spring Work Day

Confirmation 1, grades 6-9Discovery 1 Land, grades 7-9

Mini 1, grades 1-3 CREW, grades 11-12Pioneer 1, grades 3-5 Explorer 1, grades 5-6

Family Camp 1Celebration Day

H.S. 1/2 Week 1 Surf & Turf, grades 9-12Bethesda Servant Event, grades 9-adult

Summit, grades 10-12Base 1 Night Owls, grades 7-9Discovery 2 Water, grades 7-9

Family Camp 2

Pioneer 2, grades 3-5Explorer 2 Presbyterian Lead, grades 5-6Base 2 Creative Arts, grades 7-12

Confirmation 2, grades 6-9Adventure in Service, grades 8-12

Women’s Retreat

H.S. 1/2 Week 2 Backpacking, grades 9-12Family Camp, Holden Style

Mini Camp 2, grades 3-5Mini Camp 3, grades 5-6Pioneer 3, grades 9-12Explorer 3 Night Owls, grades 9-12

Registration will be available starting in December!

July 13-18

July 18-20

July 20-25

July 27-Aug 1

August 1-3

August 6-9August 7-10

August 10-12August 13-15August 10-15

Fall 2013 Newsletter

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Transcript of Fall 2013 Newsletter