Impact Report | North Georgia Camp & Retreat Ministries

What a year!
We paused after the summer to reflect (and, frankly, to take a breath!)
on the wondrous things God has done in this 90th year of camping
ministry in North Georgia. Counting blessings can be a transformational
spiritual practice: Doing so this year led us to create something we’ve
been considering for years – a first Annual Report of our ministries.
The document you hold is offered with two hopes in mind. As a
stakeholder in these ministries please read this as an accounting of
our work in the spirit of the traditional organizational “annual report”.
As a partner in our ongoing and growing collaboration in God’s work
in the lives of children, youth and young adults, please read this as a
celebration of the fruit of our efforts, an “impact report”.
Since the opening of the place we call “Glisson” in 1925 our work has
been about the practice of faith. Now “North Georgia Camp and
Retreat Ministries, Inc.” continues and deepens the practice through
expansion of Glisson’s ministries, the broad reach of Grow Day Camps,
and the intentional depth of the Experiential Leadership Institute (ELI).
And we’re looking ahead to broadening our opportunities in 2018 with
the introduction of a new residential camping program.
We invite you to celebrate with us the impact of our ministries together…
Lee Highsmith
Chairperson NGCRM, Inc.
C. Russell Davis
Executive Director
Contents
IMPACT
REPORT
2015
Letter from Leadership 1
Mission · Core Values 2
2020 Vision 2
Ministry Sites 2
Glisson Village 3
An Experiential Christian Community 3
Village Schedule 3
John’s Village Story 4
More Than Just Eating 4
A Gift to Keep Growing 5
Glisson Sparrowwood 6
Where Campers Aren’t Defined by Disability 6
Michael’s Sparrowwood Story 6
Sparrowwood Schedule 6
ELI 7
Grow in Faith, Develop as Leaders, Make a Difference 7
ELI Program Sponsors 7
ELI Schedule 7
Taylor’s ELI Story 8
Leaders’ Circle 8
ELI Participants 8
Glisson Outpost 9
Outdoor Living Skills 9
Outpost Schedule 9
Leigh’s Outpost Story 10
Expanding to Make Room for More Explorers 10
Grow Day Camps 11
Camp Ministry Experience 11
Grow Day Camps Schedule 11
Demetrius’ Grow Story 12
Glisson Annual Fund 13
The Circle of 100 13
Annual Fund Donors 13
Ministry By The Numbers 14
Financials 14
Team 14
Board of Directors 14
OUR MISSION
North Georgia Camp and Retreat Ministries
joins with the church to make disciples of Jesus
Christ and to nurture leadership by creating
experiences in Creation and in Christian
community that encourage transformation,
growth, and renewal for all people.
GLISSON
GROW
ELI
32 sites
throughout
the 12 districts of the
North Georgia Conference UMC
In 2010, after 16 months of prayerful discernment by a task force
appointed by Bishop Watson, the North Georgia Annual Conference
adopted the following vision for its Camp and Retreat Ministries:
To advance the evangelism and discipleship efforts of the local
church, the North Georgia Annual Conference commits to rekindling
its Camping and Retreat Ministries. We intend to develop Christian
camping experiences that are more accessible geographically,
culturally, ethnically and physically. Using existing facilities, churches
and other available sites, we will double the current number of campers
from 2,500 to 5,000 in the next 10 years.
In 2015 – halfway to 2020 – we served 3,747 campers – halfway to our
goal! Since 2010, we have expanded from Glisson as our only ministry
to North Georgia Camp and Retreat Ministries, INC – a family of sibling
ministries serving the children, youth, and adults of the North Georgia
CORE
VALUES
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
RADICAL ACCEPTANCE
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
2020 Conference Vision for Camp & Retreat Ministries
Conference and beyond; Grow Day Camps was born, growing from a
Glisson pilot program serving 69 campers at three church sites in 2010
to a stand-alone sibling ministry serving 928 campers at 32 church
sites all over the annual conference; finally, the Experiential Leadership
Institute developed from a leader-in-training pilot program at Glisson
into a more accessible sibling ministry focused on offering the highest
quality Christian servant leadership development, pairing leadership
training with the opportunity to lead.
While these ministry programs continue to grow – 2015 was the highest
attended summer on record for Village, Sparrowwood, Outpost, ELI,
and Grow – we’re not done growing yet. In 2018 we’ll introduce a
new resident summer camping ministry designed to support making
disciples in ways we’ve never done before. Reaching 5,000 children
and youth for Christ – changing one life at a time.
North Georgia Camp & Retreat Ministries 1 IMPACT REPORT · 2015 IMPACT REPORT · 2015 2
North Georgia Camp & Retreat Ministries