By Chad Hershberger

Outreach. If I had to choose a word that best describes our off-site program, it would be that one. Why? There are three reasons!

1. Off-sites can open a doorway to camp! It’s a powerful reflection of Christ’s ministry of travel and discipleship. We can provide a camp experience where kids get to try out what camp is like in the comfort of their hometown. They may want to come on-site. We had one girl who came to Camp Mount Luther this summer because she participated in an off-site last year. She told me repeatedly how she was glad to see me every day and not just when her off-site visited camp last year. That’s powerful!
2. Congregations connect with their community. We have found that most of our sites get community kids who don’t go to their church rather than kids from their church. That’s an awesome way to share Jesus with them, even if it is for just one week of the year. Off-sites can be a public witness for congregations to show just what they are all about.
3. And there can be lots of collaboration, often ecumenically. At our site in Bloomsburg this week, three congregations from three denominations (The Table, ELCA; First Presbyterian, and Trinity Reformed UCC) worked together to provide the experience for their churches and others. We also had a camp this summer that was three Lutheran churches and they held it a fourth congregation. What a way to partner!

In addition to the Bloomsburg site, this week we were at Zion, Turbotville and the Buffalo Valley Lutheran Parish (First, Mifflinburg, and Christ’s United, Millmont). Buffalo Valley held their camp in the evenings at the Mifflinburg Community Park. I visited there on Sunday and when we were singing “Jesus Loves Me,” I noticed a few kids who were there on the playground joined in. How cool!

In fact, the first Day Camp that Camp Mount Luther conducted was in Montgomery at a local park in conjunction with Christ, Montgomery. That was back in 1995 when my predecessor started the off-site program. According to my records, we’ve had 43 sites over the years for this program, with one in New York state and one at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware! When the program started, it was meant to be a supplement to Vacation Bible School. Now, most churches use this program with our trained to staff, to be their VBS program.

This year, in addition to the three sites this week, we were also at Trinity, McAlisterville; Milton Lutheran Parish/United In Christ, West Milton/Christ’s, Lewisburg at Faith, Lewisburg; and St. Peter’s, Kreamer.

If you are interested in partnering with us for an off-site camp in 2025, please contact chad@campmountluther.org. We start scheduling these in September so don’t delay!