I’m sitting on a couch in front of a cozy fire. There are dozens of other people in this lobby, milling about and chatting with one another as we wait for the dining hall to open for lunch. I hear people talking about the workshops they attended this morning, the association meeting where decisions were made and upcoming events were promoted, and the weather in Black Mountain, North Carolina in November.

I’m at Montreat for the annual conference for the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association (PCCCA) and I couldn’t feel more at home.

Ferncliff is a member of the PCCCA, which is an organization that provides support, fellowship, and education for camps and conference centers across the US and Canada. The mission of the PCCCA is to equip camp professionals with the skills and knowledge for vibrant, sustainable ministries. The annual conference is their signature event; camp personnel at every level gather for a week of workshops, keynote addresses, association meetings, worship, and fellowship together at some camp or conference site. This year, we are at Montreat in North Carolina. The Ferncliff group consists of me, David Gill, Joel Gill, board member Duke Monroe, and our interns Dorothy and Kelsey.

I went to my first annual conference last year, and now I’m hooked on conferences! I love having these places to be around “my people” – the people who understand camp ministry, why anyone would do it, why it’s important, why it’s hard. I love attending the workshops that help me develop my skills as a leader and gather ideas to improve and grow our camp programs. I love seeing new camps and sites. I love the connections I make with all kinds of camp professionals, and the informal time spent chatting, eating together, playing games, and sharing funny stories from the summer. I always leave gatherings with camp people feeling affirmed, refreshed, and excited to get back to work.

This year I’ve attended some really interesting workshops – women in leadership, how to lead change in a changing camping climate, how to engage campers in scripture, making tough decisions as a leader, general tips and tricks for programming, and ideas for worship.

The keynote speaker was Rodger Nishioka, a member of the Montreat board, professor Christian Education at Columbia Theological Seminary, former director of the PC(USA)’s youth and young adult ministry, and all-around incredibly interesting human being. He’s just about the most engaging and hilarious speaker I’ve ever seen. His sessions were wonderful.

In between there has been so much opportunity for informal fellowship. I sit with new people at every meal and learn about what’s going on in their lives and at their sites. Yesterday I got to spend some time in downtown Asheville, visiting with a few friends in the area and exploring a cool new city. I’ve occasionally stayed up too late playing cards and laughing with friends.

I’m not excited to leave, but I am excited about taking my new knowledge and connections back to Ferncliff to develop and grow our own programs. I’m thankful for the opportunities to meet at conferences like this with my ever-expanding camp family. I can’t wait to see everyone again around this time in 2016. And I won’t even have to travel very far – the next annual conference will be held at Ferncliff!

-Emily