AN OPEN REPLY TO A QUESTION...
My dear friend, Thanks for the post and the concerns. I know you care about Calvin Crest and all the changes that are taking place. The craft/first aider position is only a craft position who will help out the nurses on Sundays and Saturdays with check-in and check-out. They will not be taking people down the hill during the daytime but may, just like the program assistants or dishwashers, be taking people down when they are not "on duty."
The goal for crafts and everything is minimize spending, maximize learning and knowing. Throw-away crafts are gone. I would rather put money into something that will outlast their faith impact (mid-November).
I appreciate your asking but this is still thinking IN THE PAST. Quit trying to save what we have done with less people and start thinking what needs to happen and we will hire the resources to make it happen (some resources being people).
I want to think about and react to what are the things that need to happen on that blessed property, that can't happen in their homes, churches, malls, iPods, X-boxes, HD TVs, cinemas, bedrooms,...
In your subject line, you called it "Redesigning Camp" but it should be reImagining Camp. Take the pencil out of your hand for a while and just listen. Keep asking your very appreciated questions, but dream/pray more. Open your eyes to what is going on around you. Get out and meet people. Not just their names but their souls and hidden places where fear, pain, hope, and joy dwells. We cannot design if we do not know what is happening or what can happen. What needs do we have that are in this area, where we are planted (Central California), where we can transform lives through the power, wisdom, magic, and love of the Spirit of God.
So you see it is more than just what the craft person will be doing. The question comes down to what do we see people need to know and be able to do, so they can navigate well in the Kingdom of God and I am not talking about when they die.
This is more than just Bible Study (however The Story must be taught well), it may be learning how to tie a knot, solve a puzzle, make bread, visit the sick, raise the dead, question the information coming to them, fall in love with the Savior and their neighbor again,...
I know there are a lot of concerns and even more opinions, but this is not the time to resist change but to listen to The Voice as we are led, I believe, through this desert time to a place of promise. This will take hard work and commitment and the uninvested will not be a part of the conversation. We will need people who will lay down their opinions and pick up their cross.
Sorry, I started to preach...
8 comments:
I will pray for your change as change is good and pray for people who will strungle. I so agree with you. If there is anything I can do please let me know. God be with you and your team Toni.
Thank you, Tony for being honest, genuine, and insightful. I remember one of the summers on staff early on that you challenged us to ask, "why do you do what you do? Why do we sing the songs we do, play the games, have the crafts, speakers, etc." This mind set and focus changed the way I make decisions in ministry and beyond. Thank for asking the hard questions, even the ones that aren't popular. I will pray with you in this change. God Bless you friend.
Asking questions is hard and challenging, so thank you Tony and team for doing just that.
Of course, we who love Calvin Crest will get nostalgic as changes are made in our "favorite places". But that's no reason to avoid asking the questions, right!
May God forgive us, if we have doubted His power to inspire, invite, renew, direct and give vision to His people at Calvin Crest. And may He remind us to pray so that His will can be accomplished.
With love to all at "that blessed place".
Peace, love, imagination and power to you, my friend. May your part of the kingdom be ever perfected in Christ to better reconcile the world around it to our Lord and Savior.
water to wine
Simon to Peter
paralyzed to walking
scarlet to white
change can be pretty good
There are things in life that every person must acknowlege, HE made change only one of them. For however confined we become over the years in our thinking, change will rattle us at first (this is where some people feel that nastalgia fading) but then sooth into our lives as a new companion one to help us along our journey to him. So I say, see it as an opportunity to grow( may sound a bit cliche) and soldier on.. so Tony I trust that you are one of the people that can make this happen, because if the burden is not a heavy one then it is not worth carrying!! im prayin....Hector
Hi, it's a very great blog.
I could tell how much efforts you've taken on it.
Keep doing!
A man once wanted to follow Jesus but asked to "go and bury" his father first. Jesus said, "let the dead bury their own dead". Ouch. There will always be those who are more concerned with the dead and dying things then engaging in the vibrant, transforming, challenging work of Jesus. The old ways of camp are dead, let the dead mourn, whine, and bitch about it and let the followers of Jesus leave their comfort zones and follow.
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