Pathways Happenings (Jan 2018 Newsletter)

It’s Time to Sign Up for Summer Camp at Camp Emmaus! Register Today! Programs for All Ages

Camp Emmaus is home for a variety of programs for youth and families in a beautiful rustic setting with its own spring fed lake teaming with trout and pair of loons.  Campers have the experience to camp, hike, play, swim, worship, sing, make lots of new friends in a Christian community setting and explore 340 acres of woods with the possibility of experiencing the full challenge course or an overnight canoe trip.  Make it point to come away to a special place of faith, fun and adventure this summer!

For more information on each program and to register visit the www.PathwaysBibleCamps.org website!

Early bird discount deadline is March 16.

The early bird gets the discount!  Register by March 16 and receive a $20 discount for all week-long Emmaus programs and a $10 discount for Elementary Mini and Junior programs.

Introducing Two New Members of the Year-Round Pathways Ministry Team

Pathways Welcomes New Year-Round Program Director Andrea Wright

Andrea comes to the Pathways year round staff with a wealth of experience, gifts and skills.  Her experience includes several summers serving on the Camp Emmaus summer ministry team.  Andrea worked on the Emmaus summer ministry team as a counselor the summers of 2011-2013 and as summer program director in 2014.  Other significant ministry experience Andrea brings to this position includes serving as a Lutheran Campus Ministry Peer Minister and spending a year doing a variety of ministries in the United Kingdom through the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission Program.  During that year in the UK she planned and led worship in a variety of settings, did a variety of administrative tasks, planned and lead youth event, engaged with community development, interacted with and participated in several committees, non-profit organizations and large scale projects including the ‘Speak up for the love of” campaign, lead young adult Bible and theological discussion groups, and coordinated youth confirmation retreats.  For the last two years she has been working in the hospitality industry currently serving as Hospitality manager at an Inn in the Canal Park area of Duluth.

Andrea grew up in Crookston, MN as an active member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.  She has a B.A. degree English with a minor in Communications from the University of Minnesota in Duluth. Her personal gifts include a vibrant personality.

Coming to this important Pathways Program Director position Andrea brings a passion for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and helping children, youth and people of all ages discover and explore Christian faith through living out the Pathways mission of “offering unique environments where God encounters people and renews them to live lives of love.”  Andrea will begin February 6.

Pathways Welcomes New Office Manager and Hospitality Coordinator Laura Anderson  

In order to better serve Pathway’s mission, a new full time position has been created managing the  Pathways Administrative office and providing for Pathways hospitality services through directing and administrating the retreat ministry of Pathways.

Pathways is very excited that Laura Anderson has accepted this position and will begin in the Pathways office February 19.  Laura has most recently been working as a Youth and Family minister in Anchorage, Alaska.  She has a wide range of experience working for camps and congregations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Alaska in program and administrative work.  Her family roots are in the Frazee Minnesota area so she is coming home!  Pathways is excited to have an office manager again after going several months piecing things together in the office in preparation for staffing the new office in Moorhead.  There is also excitement over the gifts and ideas Laura will over time bring to the retreat ministry of Pathways as well as other ways of enhancing hospitality in this ministry.

Young Adults Are Needed for the Pathways 2018 Summer Ministry Team!

There is no better way to spend a summer as a young adult wanting to be part of an intentional Christian community, learn leadership skills, make a postitive difference in young lives, grow in serving Christ and just have a a blast  than working at Camp Emmaus.  Applications and position information are available online!

The Pathways Annual Meeting is set for Saturday March 10

At Trinity Lutheran Church in Crookston

1:30 Refreshments and conversation
2:00 Meeting

PATHWAYS is owned by nearly 170 member congregations including all the congregations of the Roseau, Thief River Falls, Crookston, Bemidji, Moorhead and Cluster 19 of the Detroit Lakes Conferences of the Northwest Synod of the ELCA.  All of the congregations in these conferences are especially invited to send representatives.  All are invited for this annual get together of members of the Pathways Family for fun, participation, business of the Pathways Corporation and inspiration for moving forward as a special ministry and mission movement of congregations.  This year the annual meeting will include a progress report on Pathways Program Vision planning.

Donate Now!  Matching funds for camperships are now available through a grant awarded to Pathways

The Episcopal Church in Minnesota’s Department of Indian Work and Pathways Lutheran Outdoor Ministries have worked together to support camping opportunities at Camp Emmaus for children and youth from the Leech Lake and White Earth Reservations. Last year 18 youth attended summer camp.   Those grant funds have been used up.

Now, an anonymous Lutheran Church related foundation has stepped up, offering to match up to $5000 in designated contributions to Pathway’s “Ojibwe Episcopal Partnership.”

Donations can be made at https://pathwaysbiblecamps.org/ways-to-give/  or they can be sent to:

Pathways Lutheran Outdoor Ministries

P.O. Box 627

Moorhead, MN 56561-0627

Please note “Ojibwe Episcopal Partnership” or “OEP” in the memo line of your check.

Pathways Ends the Year Well Financially

For the third year in a row, Pathways was able to finish “in the black”.  The Pathways board and staff are very grateful for the financial support of many individuals and congregations who made this possible.

There is great hope that the value of this ministry and desire for expanding its reach will inspire continued, new and expanded financial support in 2018.

From the Executive Director:  Pathways is Moving Forward

It has been such a privilege for me to be part of the ministry of Pathways over the past few years.  It has been a joy to see the light of Christ shine around dozens of campfires, burn in the hearts of many young adult summer staff and countless campers as Christ is encountered them and brought life, hope, healing and calling to life in their lives.  This has been priceless.  I can’t wait to see this happen again this coming summer.  I hope you and/or your children will be around those campfires this summer.  It’s hard for me to imagine a better way to spend a few days this summer.  These are rare and special opportunities not to be missed.

Pathways has offered special experiences for a lot of years now.  That will continue this summer and as Pathways now moves forward with a new office in Moorhead in a location well situated to better connect with congregations and resources.  This will continue under exciting new leaders like Andrea Wright and Laura Anderson, highlighted in this newsletter.

It will now be my privilege to be part of a careful moving forward process for Pathways in Executive Director Leadership.  On March 1 I will begin serving Pathways as Executive Director on a half-time basis while working closely with a Pathways transition team between March 1 and July 31 to work to position Pathways well for new Executive Director Leadership.  During this time I will begin a new half time interim parish pastor ministry with Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Moorhead that will continue after I complete my service with Pathways.  I am excited about this time of transition forward for both myself and especially for Pathways.  This really will be a time of moving forward in anticipation of the ways God will continue to move in this ministry to shine the light of Christ and cause hearts to burn warm and deep and lovingly through this special ministry.