Page Contents
- Headline News
- Caroline Furnace Camper Registration
- Camp Luther Concludes
- Camps
- Scouting
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Camping
Ministry
(24 July 2023)
Headline News
Caroline Furnace Camper Registration
Caroline Furnace is already underway, but there may be
some openings. For details, click here.
Camp Luther Concludes
Camp Luther wrapped up its Summer 2023 season 24 June
2023. We're awaiting photos. You can track things on Camp
Luther's website and facebook page. For links, click here.
Camps
Caroline Furnace Lutheran
Camp & Retreat Center
Caroline Furnace's summer camp registration is open. Click here
for information on summer camp and for on-line
registration.
Established in
1957, Caroline Furnace provides year-round retreat center
services and eight weeks of summer camp. Caroline
Furnace's primary facility is located in the heart of the
Shenandoah Valley in Fort Valley, VA. Enumerating
everything Caroline Furnace offers on this page would be
difficult. Explore the surprising options at CarolineFurnace.org.
Caroline Furnace is a constituent camp of the WV-WMD
Synod, i.e., there is a formal relationship, and the
WV-WMD Synod has seats on the Caroline Furnace Board of
Directors. This relationship has its roots in pre-ELCA
days. The Eastern Pandhandle of the WV-WMD Synod was part
of the Virginia Synod of the LCA. When the CNLC proposed
that those congregations be part of the newly forming
WV-WMD Synod (called "West Virginia Synod" at the time),
the Eastern Panhandle congregations asked that their
historic support of Caroline Furnace (their church camp)
be continue in the new synod. Part of that support is
maintaining financial support for Caroline Furnace in the
synod budget.
Summer 2023
Caroline Furnace is offering eight weeks of camping this
summer, several of them with special themes. There is even
one session of a two-week camp and also family camp and
and adult camp. There are camps for those as young as
children entering first grade. For descriptions of each of
the camps, visit Caroline
Furnace's Summer Camp 2023 page.
Support the Caroline Furnace Summer
Staff
You can support the summer staff at Caroline Furnace in
several different ways:
- send mail,
- send snacks, and/or
- fund a Friday lunch.
While it may be fun to be a camp counselor for the summer,
it is also work. These counselors are basically on duty
around the clock from the time the campers arrive on Sunday
until they leave Friday morning. That's eight week! And it
doesn't count staff training time before the summer camping
season opens. So, show a kindness to these young adults on
the front lines of outdoor ministry.
Camp
Luther
Camp Luther has met for seventy-five years at Camp
Caesar, the Webster County 4H camp. For many decades, the
Camp Luther has operated for one week in June with an all
volunteer counselor, teaching, and program staff, at its
high point serving over 400 campers grades 3-12, divided
into junior, intermediate, and senior camps. Learn more by
visiting CampLutherWV.com.
Camp Luther is a constituent camp of the WV-WMD Synod.
The relationship has its roots in the West Virginia Synod
of the ULCA.
Camp Agapé
Camp Agapé, a Lutheran camp located in Pennsylvania just
over the line from West Virginia's Northern Panhandle and
has historic ties to the some of the congregations of the
Northern Panhandle. WV-WMD was not included as a
constituent synod when ALC de-districting took place at
the formation of the ELCA. Nevertheless, WV-WMD is happy
to share information about Camp Agapé's offerings. You can
also check our Camp Agapé's website: https://www.campagape.org.
Summer 2023
Camp Agapé will be offering its first full summer
programming since the pandemic began.
-

For traditional youth camping...
- June 18-23 — Science Week
- June 25-30 — Arts Week
- July 9-14 — Outdoor Living Week
- July 16-21 — “From Farm to Table” Week
- July 23-29 — Performing Arts
- And two intergenerational camps...
- Grandparents/Kids Camp — July 5-8 — This
is a special camp where Grandma and/or Grandpa bring
their grandkid(s) and leave mom and dad home. Limited
cabin housing, but lots of room for your RV or camping
unit.
- Family Camp — July 31-Aug. 5 — A
vacation for the whole family! No one has to cook,
drive, decide what to do, etc. Limited cabin
space, but lots of space for RV’s or Campers, etc.
Camp Agapé provides a downloadable bulletin insert in PDF
that explains its programming. Download
and use in your congregation
Camp Melanchthon
Camp Melanchthon operated from the late '90s into the
late '00s. It provided a camping ministry to
collegiate-age young adults during the Christmas recess.
Throughout its history, it met in Garrett County, MD,
moving between Herrington Manor and New Germany State
Parks. At its largest, nearly twenty collegians attended
the largest year. It's educational ministry, the hallmark
of the camp, centered on a different book each year,
including Bonhoeffer's Life Together, Ralph C.
Wood's The Gospel According to Tolkien: Visions of the
Kingdom in Middle-Earth, and Karen Armstrong's A
History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism,
Christianity and Islam. Worship, common meals,
recreation (including rather cut-throat games of Scrabble)
and continually burning fire were all part of the camp.
Camp Melanchthon ceased operations when shifts in the
economy, society in general, and WVU's football fortunes
changed the collegiate culture surrounding Christmas
recess. Camp Melanchthon was a constituent camp of the
WV-WMD Synod. For more information, contact +Riegel.
Scouting
National Lutheran Association on
Scouting
The National Lutheran
Association on Scouting. describes itself as "a
resource for youth and adults who wish to know more about
the religious emblems program, endorsed by the Lutheran
Churches for members of Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts
USA, American Heritage Girls, 4H and Camp Fire USA." It
also coordinates Lutheran chaplaincy services during
jamborees.
The NLAS Facebook
page featuring news of particular interest to Lutheran
scouts and leaders.
Jamboree
The Jamboree 2023 is underway at Becthel
Summit Reserve, having begun 16 July 2023. It will run
through 29 July 2023.
Bishop Riegel participated in the 23 July 2023 Lutheran
service at the Jambo. 475 scouts and scouters attended. We
have a pic here, but, if you would like to see more, visit
the NLAS Facebook
page.
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