Building sacred community is key for this summer’s Outdoor Ministries’ young adult volunteers

John Muir, the Scottish-born American naturalist and “Father of the National Parks,” once wrote that “between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life.”

This summer, ten young adults will be opening Muir’s proverbial door, going into the woods, mountains and shorelines of various Outdoor Ministries Association-United Church of Christ (OMA-UCC) sites to serve as camp chaplains and community facilitators.

In return, they will receive valuable mentoring, acquire leadership skills and connect with peers, as well as have a place to lay their heads and receive a monthly stipend.

“This is a great opportunity for young adults. It allows them to connect with themselves, God and others through nature,” said Danielle Hickman, minister of volunteer engagement for Global H.O.P.E.’s Volunteer Ministries, which provides grant money that makes possible the summer experience through its Partners in Service Young Adult Fellowship program.

By working collaboratively with OMA-UCC, Hickman adds that the denomination has a “touch point” with young adults who might not visit a UCC church every Sunday, but who grew up within the denomination. “The partnership also continues OMA’s long-standing commitment — almost 60 years — to stewarding young people’s passions and purposes in life,” she said.

Building a sacred community

Stewarding the passions and purposes of young lives requires new ways of doing things. This year, that means calling out of retirement — yet again — long-time camp executive and director, Tim Hughes.

Hughes, who has been in the camp and conference world since the 1970s, now serves on the OMA-UCC board as outdoor ministry volunteer. He will step into his new role of intentionally shepherding the young adult fellows through their experience and, in the process, help them build a sacred community that will last after the summer camp season is over.

Hughes’ role was born out of the pressing question not just within the UCC, but across all of society: How do we better support young people today, especially amid growing mental health concerns?

“They have gone through a lot in the last few years. The landscape has changed and has intensified. How can we be there for them?” asked Hughes.

The seasoned camp executive, who has served as director of Silver Lake Camp and Retreat Center in Sharon, Conn. and, most recently, Horton Center in Gorham, N.H., will be visiting the OMA-UCC young adult fellow host sites, meeting with camp directors, fellows and campers. Hughes plans to take “lots of video” to share on social media to lift the value of outdoor camps to a broader audience. He calls this going “beyond the brochure.”

“We need to get the word out about the value of our camps in new ways,” said Hughes.

Hughes will also host weekly Zoom meetings with the fellows to foster a network of support. “They are having a shared experience even though they are all in very different settings. It’s important for them to hear from their peers and to know that they are not alone in their questioning and wondering,” he said.

Each fellow, too, will be able to discuss — and hold one another accountable — about the three goals Hughes will ask them to reflect on during their camp experience. The goals include spiritual, work/camp and personal.

The fellows aren’t the only ones with goals. Hughes has his own.

“My goal is for the fellows to understand better what the UCC is all about. How can I tell the UCC story in the face of where we are? Why I love it? What I found?” he said.

Hughes looks forward to giving the fellows such questions, then putting them in a beautiful setting and letting them ponder. “It’s about bringing them into a mindset of questioning and letting them find the answers. And it is here where they can then build a sacred community,” he said.

Developing more useful tools

For Hickman, who joined the UCC national staff last fall, spearheading Volunteer Ministries is more than just about programing. It’s about developing tools and providing resources for leaders to better serve youth.

Recently, members from the 2024 young fellows host sites flew into the UCC Cleveland offices for a two-day Outdoor Ministry Gathering. The retreat focused on mental health; sex, gender and identity; and creating rituals at the camp site. Leading the retreat was the Rev. Dr. Elyse Wagner Berry, associate for advocacy and leadership development for UCC’s The Council for Health & Human Service Ministries. Joining Berry were Amy Johnson, minister for sexuality education and justice; and, the Rev. Shari Prestemon, UCC acting associate general minister, who together hosted a panel on sex, gender and education.

“The retreat provided space for camp leaders to ask questions, gather resources for serving youth and learn how to create inclusive spaces at camp to help all individuals feel welcomed regardless of cultural/racial or sexual identify,” said Hickman.

Hughes was especially appreciative that the retreat was structured to emulate the camp experience, with immersive activities that leaders could master.

“It was really us experiencing what we can take to back to our campers and staff,” he said.

While the retreat was to help leaders strengthen connections among their own staff and campers, it also succeeded in strengthening ties among colleagues.

“Many discussed the feelings of being on their own island and being withdrawn from others. This retreat allowed community to be formed and reminded all that they were not alone,” said Hickman. “Each individual walked away replenished, encouraged, seen and celebrated.”

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