Preparing for Camps & Conferences in a Pandemic O


By Trip McGill


ne of the great joys of working at camp for me, is planning and preparation. I love seeing where


God is leading and then seeing the plans come to life in the eyes and hearts of our campers, counselors, counselors in train- ing and staff each summer at Bonclarken. Planning and preparing for the Bonclarken Music Drama Camp, Bonclarken Music Conference and both sessions of Camp Bonclarken are my fa- vorite ways to serve our denomination. From having camp and conference plan- ning team sessions, recruiting counsel- ors and staff, deciding themes of each week and choosing the t-shirt color are just a few of the responsibilities. During this unusual time of the pan-


demic, the challenges of planning and preparing are great! Lynn Grimsley, Cheri Owensby and I spend hours on phone calls, emails and through virtual meeting online. This process is in full swing as we plan and hope for the sum- mer of 2020! We are reviewing counselor applications, doing online counselor in- terviews and reviewing the texts of the music lists selected for music conference. We plan to have everything prepared for the summer of 2020, as we always do each year. Plans for new medical protocol


through meeting with camp medical per- sonnel is another thing to add to the list. We plan to be prepared in accordance with the American Camping Association and Christian Camps and Conference Center’s suggestions and protocol as well. We have attended webinars to con- fer with other camp directors and con- tinue to monitor the details of the North Carolina Governor’s mandates and fed- eral guidelines. Of course, we are in con- stant contact with Chip Sherer, President of Bonclarken. Our plan is to make a decision about Bonclarken Camps and the Bonclarken Music Conference on June 15th. Please be in prayer for our camps and conferences! We certainly want to have camp in person this summer. We are in daily prayer for our campers, families, staff, counselors and counselors in training. We have had record registration for Bonclarken Camps for this summer. We have our staff and counselors in place. We pray daily that


22 The Associate Reformed Presbyterian


God’s will be done with regards to camp during this coming summer! To help us continue planning, we encourage all of the churches, choirs and choir


directors to register for Music Conference and adhere to the deadlines in the Music Con- ference information. If the decision has to be made that we not have the conference, fees will be returned in full. In the meantime, we continue to prepare and plan for the summer of 2020. We con-


tinue with our online Devotions and Music with our campers, their families and our staff and counselors. We continue to have camp hangouts where we can just be together virtually and support one another. We continue to brainstorm and think of how we could do some type of online camp


this summer with activities and Bible classes in a new and creative way. We’d rather be together in person, but we will meet together in some way virtually, should we be in that situation during the summer. We ask you, the ARP denomination, to pray for Bonclarken, pray for our planning


and preparation, but more than anything, pray that God’s will be done during this time of planning and decisions. Our campers and all of our staff are family! We are bound together with our belief in God and our trusting in Him for what is best for all during this incredibly uncertain time.


2 Corinthians 4: 16 – 18 says, So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being re-


newed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 8as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.


We will continue to have hope for the summer and we continue to not lose heart, for God will lead us!?


Trip McGill, is a member of First ARP Church, Gastonia where he serves as Director of Music and Organist. He is also the camp director of the Bonclarken Music Drama Camp and is Co-Conference Director of the Bonclarken Music Conference. He is also Co-Camp Director of Camp Bonclarken.


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