It’s a Camp staff tradition to look back at the end of a year and celebrate the fun ideas from the past 12 months. And then the staff team votes to choose the “Idea of the Year.” The variety of the ideas is fascinating, as they can range from new ways of doing office processes all the way to designing a new building or retreat. Ideas abound and it’s fun to remember the best ones!
We wanted to invite you in and share the ideas from 2021 with you. Which is your favorite?
Let's start with the honorable mentions...
Tubing Hill Warming House
Someday it could be the ice skating warming house it was originally conceived to be, but it has sure enhanced tubing hill operations in the meantime. Plus, it served the bonus purpose of being storing all the equipment for Camp’s big-top tent.
Compact Track Loader / Bobcat Replacement
Funded with fall offerings and donations, Camp’s new machine will save the staff significant time and add operational efficiency. The old Bobcat skidsteer was sold to stretch ministry dollars. There’s more! Vern Frericks, on Camp’s maintenance team, brought Melrose VFW 7050 Vice Commander Steve Worms with him to present a super-sized copy of a $5790 check to Camp. The gift totally covered the new 74 inch snowblower that will go with the compact track loader. Woo-hoo!
Canteen Soda Pop Switcheroo
Switching from fountain pop to 16.9 ounce bottles has been a great decision on multiple fronts. Sales and profitability increased for Camp. Guests enjoy and appreciate the bottles of pop more than the soda cups. And the canteen floor is no longer sticky due to the big mess the pop machine always created!
Dump Tank
Camp upgraded its dump tank, enhancing Super Kids carnival nights!
Wibit Water Volleyball
Camp’s waterfront guests enjoyed the fun addition. Countless laughs from people of all ages!
Hiring Esteban Mora
Esteban has filled a much needed role at Camp since his hire in May of 2021. His heart for service and ability to learn quickly has been evident since he started working with Camp’s rental guest groups. Being fluent in Spanish, Esteban has been able to elevate the intentionality of ministering to our many Spanish-speaking guest groups.
Swinging For Summer - Year #2
Even though this really belongs in the year 2020, the idea to hold the 12 hour wiffleball marathon again was significant! God moved 90+ people to support the cause and used this event to pay for Camp’s big-top tent (significant for ministry during COVID), contribute towards the future upgrades of Camp’s snow tubing hill, and provide scholarship support.
Summer Blog Moved to the Main Website
Moving Camp’s summer blog from it’s own web domain to be included on Camp’s main website was a huge win, exposing thousands of additional people to the ministry and mission of Camp Lebanon. Plus, the blog was a way better experience for parents who followed along with their child’s week at Camp.
Mother-Daughter - Weekend #2
This idea was the result of high demand. Instead of leaving a bunch of moms and daughters on the wait list, adding a second weekend allowed for more precious relationships to be strengthened and more people to be encouraged in their walk with God. Huge shout out to the Camp team and to our speaker, Katie Zintek, for the extra effort. It made a big enough impact that it’s sticking around for 2022!
"Curling"
A new winter activity at last! Plus, they look cool, too! The Pryde family was among the first to embrace Camp’s new game. (see photo)
4 Man Ping Pong
Have you had the chance to play 4 man ping pong at Camp yet? If not, it functions like 4 square but with a ping pong ball & paddle. Lots of fun and a great activity enhancement.
Pontoon Fleet Upgrade
The Spring Quilt Bargain Barn & Memorial Gifts funded new floats for 3 existing pontoon boats and helped purchase a 4th….all to the delight of Camp’s guests. This is Camp’s best pontoon fleet ever!
Transition to Kindful CRM
Moving Camp’s donor database to a new system is all about relationships. We can’t thank our donors enough, and this new system will help us steward their gifts and open more time to cultivate relationships instead of burning time in a clunky database.
AND NOW...THE 2021 "IDEA OF THE YEAR!"
Camp's Big-Top Tent!
The tent was a great outdoor worship and meeting space, allowing Camp to say “YES!” to more campers while increasing safety during the COVID pandemic. While it’s been said that necessity is the mother of invention, the tent was truly a blessing to all of Camp! It provided a true “outdoor” meeting place with God. Being able to hear the singing outside was unmistakingly “A Taste of Heaven.” And you better believe the tent will be back again in 2022!
