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Director’s Update and Announcements

Greetings friends! This year’s newsletter includes voices from parents, volunteers and staff. Our goal in sharing from their experiences is to help you connect with what happens at camp.

The Soil and Seed Project

One of those voices is past staffer Greg “Elvis” Yoder who brought the Soil and the Seed Project to my attention. Their work represents one of the ways we like to help campers understand spiritual concepts and practices. Elvis worked at camp, contributed much to our music, and started what some know as “rock the pond.” We demoed the Soil and seed Project at camp this summer and highly recommend it. In their words: The Soil and the Seed Project nurtures faith through music, art, and Little Liturgies for daily and weekly use in the home. These resources help establish new rhythms of faith as together we turn towards Jesus, believing and celebrating the Good News of God’s Love for the whole world. The resources are free and you can find them at: https:// thesoilandtheseedproject.org. If you have kiddos at home, give it a try as a post dinner or pre bedtime practice.

School Outings

In other news, we have recently partnered with a few local school groups. It started when a friend and teacher at Woodstock Middle School, Erin Hanrahan, suggested that her class really needed fresh air, a chance to connect more deeply, and to have fun. Her and program director Anna “Meatball” Martin planned two days filled with activities, free time, team building, and of course, food! It felt a lot like a camp program. We are hopeful that the students benefited and went back to school rejuvenated and with renewed hope in their lives. Some other nearby schools have partnered to provide a similar experience for their students. If you are within a school system and interested in this, let us know and we can share some of the options.

Camp Staffing

No doubt you have seen some of your favorite organizations and companies looking to fill open staff roles. Bethany Birches is no different. While we are in conversation with a few past staff and hopeful those folks can meet the needs, current gaps include food service, facilities and maintenance, rental coordination, and bookkeeping. If you know someone who might be a good fit to work within one or multiple of these roles please let me know: brandon@ bethanybirches.org or call the office at 802-672-5220. On the topic of staffing, join us in praying for and recruiting the winter 2023 seasonal staff and volunteer team. This winter we have planned to host 8 weekend programs including one for Camp Agape and one day for families. Winter camp gives us a chance to fulfill our goal for every young person within a 60 mile radius to have a chance to experience God in community and nature. The staff team utilizes kitchen, facilities, program, and counseling staff. We can use you even if you have only one weekend to join us! And for you teens, there will be an internship program happening each Saturday. DM the Bethany Birches Instagram for more information. There is so much more to share, but, the page is getting shorter. You’ll just have to find your way out here to Bethany Birches to be part of the fun. Come visit, or sign yourself up as a volunteer. Indicate interest by going to our website and hovering over “give” then select “volunteer.” Grace and peace to you,

~ Brandon “Tuna” Bergey, Executive Director

Board Spotlight: Body of Christ and Recruitment

I first came to Bethany Birches Camp in the spring of 2015. Amber (Cheeks) Bergey who was running the program had recently found out she was expecting their first child that summer, so Brandon asked me to help by jumping in as Program Director. I ended up staying for an additional three summers and falling in love with the camp and its mission. However, I also desperately missed my family in Pennsylvania and didn’t enjoy wading through two feet of snow just to get to work many months out of the year. So eventually my wife and I moved back to Pennsylvania where we now reside with our one-year-old son. When the board reached out to me about joining I was ecstatic. As I said, I love the mission and vision of the camp but wasn’t able to support the work of the camp in person. Joining board meetings over Zoom and periodically meeting in person seem like a great way to support BBC while also providing a unique perspective to the board because of my hands-on summer and winter camp experiences.

So far I’ve been incredibly honored to be part of a group willing to donate so freely of their time and skills to further the camp’s mission. In so many ways this small group represents what Paul talked about when he described the Body of Christ. Each one of us has our own experiences and skills that we bring to the table. Some have been on boards before, for some this is their first time. Some have extensive experience working with finances, others can provide well established opinions on construction projects. No one of us alone can do it all, but together we’re honored to provide leadership for the camp and are excited to see Bethany Birches grow. I’m one of a few members on the Board Development Committee. We’re always looking for great people to join the board. As I mentioned above, you don’t need to have board experience. For many of us, our love of BBC is the main reason we joined the board. If you or someone you know would be a great addition to our team please let us know! You can email [email protected] and we’ll follow up with you.

~ Dan “Chick” Laubach

Changes and Constants

As the seasons change here on the hill, I’ve been reflecting on the changes camp has undergone as well as the spirit that has remained constant. My faith was ignited and continues to be supported by Bethany Birches. The foundation was laid by compassionate counselors, engaging Bible stories, and prayer songs. As a teenager, the intern program kept me tethered to a faith that was slipping away. Interning also catalyzed the slow transition from receiving to giving at camp. Years later, as a staff member, I witnessed the power of Christ-centered community living: consistently challenged by the work at hand yet supported by people who want you to grow towards God. And now, as a community member who works when I can, I see the immense amount of labor and complexity within decision-making that is needed to keep camp running. Each phase of camp has brought me closer to God in new ways as well as exposing my difficulty with welcoming change.

Hanging in the camp office is a beautiful painting of the old pavilion. When I see that building, I sometimes feel nostalgia for the simplicity of that era: a small, semi beaten-down pavilion, minimal technology, CDs at the end of a camp week. Fifteen years after coming to camp for the first time, there seems to be more of everything: more buildings, more campers, more technology. There are times that I struggle to let go of the camp I remember from my childhood. But spending time with the community here reminds me of the impact camp has had in my life and in so many others. I used to believe that the joy and fulfillment I felt at camp was due to some kind of “magic bubble” around the property. I’ve heard so many campers and former staff refer to Bethany Birches as one of their few “safe spaces”. As a counselor, there was a camper in one of my cabin groups who said they felt like they could only be themselves while at camp. When they were picked up at the end of the week I watched their face fall at the reality of returning to the rest of the world. But at Bethany Birches we get to tell campers the good news: God’s Love is with them wherever they are! As I continue to witness this camp as a vessel for that Love, it becomes easier to embrace the changes to camp’s property and programming. More buildings allow more campers to have the experiences I’ve had. More technology allows us to worship in new ways and receive funding for the camp’s growth. These changes have supported the constancy of BBC’s core mission: to help young people develop their relationship with God by providing them with a Christ-centered camping experience in a natural and nurturing setting. This mission is alive and fed by the relationship-building that has always been at the heart of it. In my many years at camp, the greatest constant and blessing has been the Bergey family. The devotion that Tuna and Cheeks have poured into camp permeates every corner, drawing equally devoted staffers and maintaining its central values. Yet in their humility, they have illustrated that without God, we can do nothing. They consistently point to the true center of camp: Jesus Christ, who has worked through them to provide and grow this “safe space” for the community. All of us who have loved Bethany Birches have been given the gift of knowing Christ through belonging somewhere. And, because there is no “magic bubble” over camp, we can carry what we’ve received off Lynds Hill and into the next place we’re called.

~ Isabelle “Jack Jack” Jenne

Rhythm of Life: What’s Next?

The life of an organization can be similar to the life of a person. There are seasons of growth, stagnation, seasons of vision and hope, and times of challenge and fear. This is likely so because organizations, especially camps like Bethany Birches, centered on community and relationships, are filled with people! Just like many people, the camp did a little less at the beginning of and into the pandemic. Turns out that doing anything at all during the pandemic felt harder than doing a lot in a normal year. While we are a bit worn out, we are energized by the signs of campers on site (more than 400 total camper weeks summer 2021), meeting with supporters, and other normalized activities. We are energized enough that we even scheduled 8 winter weekends of programming this December – February, are invested in the counselor in training program (CIT), and working faster than normal to find summer 2022 staff and volunteers. Now we just have to pace ourselves.

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We have to pace ourselves so that as we work toward our current goal of winter camp growth, we can see that task to completion. The Bethany Birches mission, while stated in different terms over its lifespan, has long been to help young people connect with God and others in nature. Providing a Christ-centered camping experience is at the core of what we do. We feel that if a camper can be at camp more often their growth in faith, maturity, and strength can be accelerated. It’s a little like starting your plants in a greenhouse during the late winter and early spring.

As we come to terms with the reality that Covid-19 seems to be here to stay, and we create strategies to mitigate risk, similar to so many other illnesses and diseases, we begin to be free to think about what’s next. Will you join me in prayer, and seeking wisdom for how to take the next steps into the future of Bethany Birches? We are working to envision a winter camp experience that will enrich many young people for generations to come, and introduce them to the sustaining and peaceful love of Jesus. May it be so.

-Brandon “Tuna” Bergey, Executive Director

Family Affair: Father and Sons as Camp Counselors

Last summer I worked for a week at BBC as a counselor. As a parent of three sons who have loved camp for a decade, I was excited to stick around past drop-off and get an insider’s look. When I arrived on Sunday afternoon Meatball handed me a grey staff shirt. The shirt had the summer’s theme – TOGETHER – written in block letters on the front. It has since become my favorite t-shirt because of the great memories connected to it, and also because that word “together”, says so much about what makes BBC special.

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Even before the campers arrived that day, I saw the staff intentionally cultivate togetherness amongst themselves. The final thing they do to prepare for campers is what they call “Prayer Hike”, in which they walk silently as a group to all of the cabins. They stop at each one and say personalized prayers for the cabin’s counselors. This togetherness amongst the counselors continues throughout the week. They have regular, brief staff meetings that are light on agenda, and heavy on affirmation. Every staff member I worked with that week was a tremendously talented and loving individual, and the extra steps they took to work and love together helped them serve the campers even better.

I also watched campers spontaneously come together to help each other and have more fun. At every chance they got, they ran to the gaga pit where there were always campers encouraging others to jump in and play. One night at Fireside, while singing songs after dinner, a few campers swung their arms around each others’ shoulders and swayed back and forth while they sang. It wasn’t long before every camper had their arms around another’s shoulders.

All this togetherness at camp is only possible because camp does it all together with God. The Gospel tells us, “Without me you can do nothing.” The Gospel tells us we have to – and get to – do everything together with God. Whenever I put on my favorite shirt, I think of campers and counselors being together, and I thank God for working together with BBC to do great things for kids.

-Andy “Gumby” Smith, Camp Dad and Volunteer Counselor

Time and Talent. Making Camp Happen.

Bethany Birches was very fortunate to have two young, retired, volunteer couples join the team summer 2021. Rita and Lowell Peachey from Kansas, and Mark and Kathy Alt, of Maryland. Head cook Amber “Cheeks” Bergey who worked with them asked a little about their experience.

How’d you find Bethany Birches?

Kathy: We found them on the internet. The information was good and we felt God call us there.

Lowell: We are in a stage of life where we are volunteering at church camps and other organizations while living in our RV. We were introduced to BBC by Joe Friesen, our nephew, who was a college friend of Brandon.

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What were some challenges of living at camp for the summer?

Kathy: I didn’t really experience too many challenges living on the campus. It was so nice to be able to walk to work, serve in the kitchen, and share a meal with the staff and be able to use the washer and dryer when needed.

Could you talk about joys and highlights of living at camp for the summer?

Kathy: I absolutely loved working with Cheeks in the kitchen. It was both a challenge and a joy. The challenge came with learning the kitchen and cooking for large amounts of people, special diets and packing the crates sufficiently. The joy came when it all worked out and came together at the end of my shift. I would have to say that having prayer time together with Cheeks each morning before facing the day was a big highlight for me. Another highlight was the end of the week small group time with the counselors and staff. Listening to their challenges and highlights was so inspiring especially knowing the sacrifices of comfort and how they loved all the campers.

Lowell: We enjoyed learning to know counselors and interacting with them, sharing meals together, and some interaction with the campers. Lowell enjoyed the time spent with Brandon looking at plans and visions for the future of the camp along with discussing operational challenges. We really enjoyed being in Vermont and exploring the state.

What have you taken with you from the experience?

Kathy: Definitely inspiration from staff and counselors for the way they sacrificed and loved the campers. Tackling the challenge of learning the kitchen and coming away with new skills acquired and friendships made.

Lowell: We enjoyed not being in charge of anything and being able to serve as needed. We tried to offer the gift of flexibility to the camp to help the team create a meaningful experience for campers and counselors.

What would you say to someone else who may be considering a similar experience?

Kathy: The biggest draw to come back next summer is the challenge of working in the kitchen again. There is a certain type of excitement meeting those goals each day and figuring out new ways for better time management. There is also the added joy of working with the staff again and living in a beautiful Green Mountain state.

Lowell: Go for it! This was our third volunteer gig and the rewards clearly outweigh the challenges. Having said that, your experience is mostly what you make of it. If you have a concern or question about your assignment make sure to let your volunteer coordinator know at the time of the discomfort rather than waiting for the exit interview at the end of the assignment.

Let me add one more thing. It is clear that camp leadership and the board are in alignment as to values and strategic direction and there is a great support – financially and otherwise – from the constituency. BBC is a gem given its clear focus and role in the community. God lives there; He can be seen in the seeds planted among campers and counselors, in the seedbeds tended by counselors leadership and the church community, and in the majesty and beauty of the surrounding mountains and forest.

Full Circle: From Camper to Counselor

When it comes to long-time campers who love camp Maja is as loved and well known as they come. Maja has been coming to camp since 2014, when she was 7 years old, and has had the experience we hope all campers can have at camp. I asked Maja how she would describe her experience at BBC with someone who has never been here, and she said, “Camp is a place where, either if it’s your first year or fifth year coming, there’s always something new that you will experience and it’s always a good experience. I only have good memories.”

Maja is one of the many campers that remind me of why I love to work at camp. Not only has she come for 6 summers, but this past summer she participated in our two leadership programs.

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During the second week of camp Maja arrived as an LIT (Leader in Training); it quickly became evident, to her counselors, myself, and other staff, that she was someone who would grow to be a strong counselor at camp. Partway through her LIT week I pulled Maja aside and encouraged her to apply for the CIT (Counselor in Training) program happening later in the summer. Maja is a loud and energetic person, but I don’t think I’ve seen her as excited as she was at this moment. I watched a long time camper with dreams of becoming a counselor jump up and down, literally, as she realized that she was a step closer to her dream. When I asked her later what that moment felt like she said “All I thought was ‘I’m going to be able to do something I’ve wanted to do for a long time a lot earlier than I thought.'”

When Maja walked up to the registration line on day one of CIT there was nothing but excitement in her eyes. She was ready, and I couldn’t wait to see how she would use her gifts of connecting with others easily, participating to the fullest, caring for those around her, and of course brining pure joy to whoever she came in contact with. To put it simply, Maja did not disappoint. It was rare in her weeks as a CIT that Maja was seen without a handful of campers by her side. When observing her it appeared as though she was already an assistant counselor, rather than a counselor in training. Her campers clearly loved her, and the counselors, leaders, and staff who worked alongside her were impressed by her ability to step up, without being asked, to serve anyone and everyone around her. When it came time at the end of the program to recommend next steps, I did not hesitate to encourage Maja to apply to be on staff.

While interviewing Maja it remained clear that helping campers grow to become counselors is meant to be a part of what we do here at BBC. There is something about a past camper becoming a staff member that helps them connect deeply with our campers during the summer. Campers get to look up to a counselor who was them; that’s special. Maja will get the opportunity to be that example this summer as a female assistant counselor. When I asked Maja what she was most excited for as a staff member she said, “Meal time. Me and the girls in my cabin during LIT week all got to connect in different ways than we would because we were all sitting together. It’s been like that since I was younger. Meal times was that time when we could connect, and were when the funniest moments happened.” I cannot wait to walk up to Maja’s cabin this summer and see her making her campers burst into laughter, watch as she teaches them how to safely cook over the fire, or simply know that she is investing in their lives the same way that so many counselors did when she was a camper.
Maja puts it simply, “Camp has been such a big influence on my life, and that is because of people who have supported camp. They’ve given me that opportunity and they are going to give that opportunity to so many other people. Camp really leaves an impact on your life that you wouldn’t get anywhere else.” Maja is just one example of the campers that have and will experience growth and a beautiful community at Bethany Birches. Here’s to the many campers who have come before Maja and the many who will come after. May BBC provide them with a safe space to experience personal growth, connect deeply with God, and be lifted up by a community of joy.

-Anna “Meatball” Martin

Program Director

Thankfulness?

Dear Bethany Birches Community, I write to you with a full heart. My heart is filled with thankfulness, grace, and abundance. 2020 has been a challenging year for most. For some, it has been beyond challenging. For us here at Bethany Birches it has been stressful, especially this summer. When we realized summer camp would be possible and safe, and that young people needed a Christ centered camp experience now more than ever, we were determined to find a way to abide by the guidelines, keep everyone safe, and run camp! We are so glad we did. Though it was tiring, stressful and extremely challenging, it was character-building and it was worth all of it. I suppose that’s the way it is in the Kingdom of God. Jesus himself said in Luke 17 that whoever tries to keep their life will lose it and whoever loses their life will preserve it. That’s kind of a big topic to throw out in a newsletter, but I keep trying to understand the truth of it. This summer, and year in general has brought various kinds of losses. But we have also gained much including confidence, deeper understanding of our program, and mission success.

On the topic of our mission, I couldn’t be more pleased with one of our counselors this summer. While I was pleased with many of them, and think the summer team did a great job, the story of this one young woman helps me to envision the heart of our work. She had come to camp many years as a child and then into her teen years. She was at camp every chance she got. She brought her friends. As she grew, and became involved in more activities, we saw less of her in her later teen years. She came back to us to be on staff a prior summer. That summer she wasn’t sure she could be a counselor so took a support role. In 2020 she realized she wanted to be a counselor. She wasn’t sure her faith was strong enough, or that her Bible knowledge was great enough. We hired her with enthusiasm because we know and love her and felt she was enough, and trusted her to guide campers toward their own relationships with God as her counselors did with her for so many years. As the summer wore on, she asked hard questions of us. She shared honestly and passionately. She gave deeply of herself to her campers and fellow staff. She started to read her Bible more often. After summer, she asked multiple times for us to begin a Bible study for staff and campers which is now underway – if you’re in 9th grade or above, come join us! She is working hard to apply all she is learning to her daily life. It is young people like this that are so needed right now. This young woman helps me remember that people are connecting deeply with God and those around them through the work we do at camp.

I hope this short example illuminates why my heart is full and why I am filled with thankfulness. If thankfulness is far from you, I get it. That sentiment has been far from me many times this year as well. In light of that, I invite you to join me in celebrating anything positive in your life right now. May the Lord bless you and keep you,

~ Brandon Bergey

Executive Director,

Bethany Birches Camp

P.S. it almost seems there is tradition beginning… here’s our current family photo.

To Camp or Not to Camp?

At time of writing we have lived through eight months of posing similar questions. Should we or shouldn’t we? If you’re like me, we approach each day with a risk/ benefit analysis of the day’s activities, because in this pandemic, the risk is very real. On the surface, camp may seem an expendable frill, an enrichment activity, wonderful and amazing, but not necessary for the healthy growth and development of our children. That may very well be true. So it may not be worth the risk. On the other hand, a child is only ever seven, or ten, or thirteen years old once. Each age of childhood has a unique window of development that is open for a short time to influences that may be transformational. That one moment may lead a child into a lifelong love of outdoor activity that will keep them healthy for a lifetime; that one moment may provide healthy relationships with peers or mentors that may serve as models for future lifelong relationships; that one moment may plant the seed of a deeper foundational knowing of God’s love and acceptance. These are not small moments in the trajectory of a child’s life, and the window may only be open for a brief time for that transformational influence. So it may be worth the risk.

We struggled through the spring months, debating whether to proceed with camp, or put it on hold for a safer season. By the beginning of June, the decision was made. Let’s put all of our energy and resources into making camp as safe as possible, and reevaluate the decision on a weekly basis. State guidelines were closely followed. Protocols were written, space was expanded for safe eating and sleeping, hand-washing stations were erected, twice as many staff were hired and trained to serve the number of children we could accommodate. All of our protocols continued to be reviewed and revised as we lived them. A huge part of the safety of this summer’s camp season was due to the camper families and staff that were committed to arriving at camp with as little exposure to the virus as possible. That required changing behaviors, deferring activities, and making sacrifices.

Camp happened! It was wonderful and amazing, and we know of no COVID-19 illness that occurred as a result. We relied on the changeless recipe of God present in each other and in the richness of God’s creation that is Bethany Birches. And those transformational moments? When we let go, and let God shine through, we know that they happen.

~ Beth Ann Maier, retired pediatrician, Health and Safety coordinator, Bethany Birches

Join Me in Welcoming Anna “Meatball” Martin to year-round service at BBC

I love shoes and clothes that fit well. It often takes me a little time to find garments that fit just right. Sometimes a garment or shoe is close and just needs a little bit of adjustment to get to that ideal fit. In some ways building our staff team here at camp is similar. When Meatball (aka Anna) finished up her first summer, I encouraged her to come back for another round, starting with the following winter because as far as I could tell, she fit really well. She came back that winter and then again the next summer. After each season ended, I encouraged her to come back. She identifies with our core values, our mission, and is able to do good work here. So naturally, when the role of Program Director became available, I encouraged her to apply. I am delighted to say that she has accepted that role permanently and I look forward to strengthening our efforts to serve youngsters who need an important camp experience. I believe she is a great fit for Bethany Birches! Join me in welcoming her. Here she shares a bit about her process of coming to accept the role

~ Brandon

As a college student, I searched for a camp to counsel at that would place a large importance on relationships and also push me out of my comfort zone. The first time I volunteered at a BBC winter camp I felt a sense of belonging and immediately knew I wanted to serve as a counselor. My two years of counseling instilled in me a deep sense of purpose and growth. I always felt supported and encouraged even on the days when my campers would wake me up four times in the middle of the night. When I finished my second year of counseling I felt drawn to helping create the environment that I felt so uplifted by. While my transition to Program Director took a few extra steps, and was fairly unconventional I am thankful for all of it. I have been so blessed by the staff who have spent their summers at camp, and so excited to see familiar faces as campers arrive each week at camp. As I was discerning whether to take on the role of Program Director, I was constantly reminded that working at BBC means you are a part of something greater than yourself. It’s not just the fun activities, spending time with kids, the mud pit, or working outdoors that draws me here; although those are huge perks. I have yet to find a place that balances progress and support as well as BBC. I know it will not be easy and there will be difficult campers and long tiring days, but I also know that I will grow. It always excites me to have a new camper, staff member, or volunteer come to camp because they get to be a part of a place that is unique in its unwavering dedication to having people feel known. I am overjoyed to spend the coming years working to help others experience the camp I love so dearly.

~ Anna “Meatball” Martin, Program Director