Upcoming Courses
Below is the schedule for upcoming face-to-face courses and the directed study in Site Administration. When classes are offered back-to-back, participants have the option of taking one or both courses.
October 1-4
Articulating Our Mission, Role, and Value
St. Columba (Memphis, TN)
October 4-7
Nonprofit Business Management
St. Columba (Memphis, TN)
Directed Study
Site Administration
October 1-4
Articulating Our Mission, Role, and Value
About the Course
Do you know where your ministry is going? Can you clearly articulate for others who you are, and why you exist? Identification and implementation of mission, core values, and philosophy are central to all aspects of successful outdoor ministry: program, site management, hospitality, marketing, finances and more. Participants will delve into their organization’s mission and core values. This course involves organizational introspection and will engage with a wide variety of concepts, ideas and activities. Course work will challenge a new, or clearer perspective concerning mission, philosophy, vision and core values in your outdoor ministry.
By the end of the course, participants will:
- Be challenged to clearly understand mission, philosophy, vision and core values in their outdoor ministry.
- Articulate their organization’s purpose.
- Develop an elevator speech in order to share that purpose with constituency.
This course will be held at St. Columba (Memphis, TN) and will be taught by Todd Bartlett of the Camp and Retreat Ministry of the Oregon-Idaho United Methodist Church and Margie Fiedler of Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp (Lakeside, MT).
About the Instructors
Todd Bartlett has served as the Executive Director for Camp and Retreat Ministry of the Oregon-Idaho United Methodist Church since 2016. He is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church having served churches for 18+ years, followed by 8+ years as the director of the Alton L. Collins Retreat Center near Sandy, OR. He has a BA in International Relations from the University of MN and an MDiv from Boston University School of Theology. He enjoys photography, good food, and being on the water. His great joy in camp and retreat ministry is helping others learn and experience gracious hospitality.
Margie Fiedler has served at the Executive Director of Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp in Montana since 2011. She previously served as the Associate Vice President of Marketing for the ELCA’s Mission Investment Fund. From 1977-1997, Margie served as Executive Director for Lutheran Outdoor Ministries, at Lutherhaven, ID, and Lutheran Outdoor Ministries, Ohio. She worked as an Associate for GSB Fundraising and consulted with camps and non-profits in fund development, strategic planning, board development, and trainings. Stewardship, youth, camping, hospitality, and global mission, are among her passions. Margie enjoys hiking, skiing, canoeing, reading, traveling, baking, and being with her family.
About the Tuition, Lodging, and Meals
Transportation
Please arrive at St. Columba by 5:00pm on Sunday. This first course ends after lunch on Wednesday. For those participants flying into the Memphis Airport (MEM), there will be a shuttle leaving the airport at 4:00pm. Please plan your flights accordingly. If you are taking the shuttle back to the airport on Wednesday or Saturday, we ask that you schedule your departure no earlier than 2:30pm. St. Columba is about a 25 minute drive from the airport. The cost for the round-trip airport shuttle is $30.00.
Required Reading
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t (Chapters 1-3) by Jim Collins
Anxious Church, Anxious People: How to Lead Change in an Age of Anxiety by Jack Shitama
View the TEDx Talk Start with Why – How Great Leaders Inspire Action by Simon Sinek
Recommended Reading
Fish!: A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results by Stephen C. Lundin
Questions?
Please contact Joel Winchip at joel@pccca.net or 803.322.0232 if you should have any questions about this class or the entire program.
October 4-7
Nonprofit Business Management
About the Course
Success for our camp and retreat ministries depends upon the use of sound business practices. Understanding and implementing these non-profit management practices can spell the difference between a thriving vibrant ministry and one that fails to meet its potential. This course will challenge students to adopt effective practices in such areas as communications, risk management, finances, and an administrative plan.
By the end of the course, participants will learn best practices in:
- Budgeting, budget management, cost analysis, key financial reports, and financial sustainability
- Facilities management and risk assessment
- Operational management, policies, and procedures.
This course will be held at St. Columba (Memphis, TN) and will be taught by Lauri SoJourner of SoJourner Coaching and Consulting and Michael Huber of Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center (Lake Junaluska, NC).
About the Instructors
Lauri SoJourner
As a skilled and experienced trainer, facilitator, coach, and leader, Lauri owns her own business, SoJourner Coaching and Consulting, where she works with nonprofits to build capacity and leadership. Lauri served as an executive director, first at Gravatt Camp and Conference Center and then at Lake Logan – Retreat Center | Camp Henry | Outdoor School, for a combined 16 years, and was Gravatt’s summer camp director prior to that. She sat on the board of the Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers for six years, also serving as the first female president of the organization, and was on the Design Team for the OMC Great Gathering. She earned her BA in English – Professional Communications and a Certificate of Nonprofit Management, both from Winthrop University, and her MA in Student Personnel Administration from Ball State University. Lauri lives in Waynesville, NC with her husband, one of their six children, and a small zoo of animals. Her core values are community, curiosity, and growth.
Michael Huber
Michael Huber serves as the General Manager/COO of Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center in Western North Carolina. He has over 30 years of camp, conference and retreat experience, in a variety of roles. Michael’s volunteer work included serving on the National United Methodist Camp and Retreat Committee, an Accreditation Visitor with the American Camp Association, President of his local School Board of Education and Board Member of the local TDA. He has a BS in Elementary Education as well as being a certified Camp & Retreat Ministry Leader through Drew University. Michael has a love and passion for experiential learning and education, he loves his family, his dogs, playing guitar around the campfire, and meeting new people.
About the Tuition, Lodging, and Meals
The tuition for this certificate course is just $325. The lodging/meals options are single occupancy ($285) and double occupancy ($245). This includes three nights in private bath bedroom accommodations (linens are provided) and all of your meals (Wednesday dinner through Saturday lunch).
Transportation
If you are just taking this course, please arrive at St. Columba by 5:00pm on Wednesday. This course ends after lunch on Saturday. For those participants flying into the Memphis Airport (MEM), there will be a shuttle leaving the airport at 4:00pm on Wednesday. Please plan your flights accordingly. If you are taking the shuttle back to the airport on Saturday, we ask that you schedule your departure no earlier than 2:30pm. St. Columba is about a 25 minute drive from the airport. The cost for the round-trip airport shuttle is $30.00.
Required Reading
Faith-Based Management: Leading Organizations That are Based on More Than Just Mission (Chapters 6, 8, and 9) by Peter C. Brinckerhoff
Hidden in Plain Sight: Understanding Nonprofit Capital Structure by Clara Miller
The Nonprofit Marketing Guide: High-Impact, Low-Cost Ways to Build Support for Your Good Cause by Kivi Leroux Miller
Questions?
Please contact Joel Winchip at joel@pccca.net or 803.322.0232 if you should have any questions about this class or the entire program.
Directed Study
Site Administration
About the Course
The Site Administration course is a self-directed study that will involve you visiting a camp and retreat center and interviewing their staff related to hospitality, food service, maintenance, and communications/registrations/office management. The portfolio piece will be a 5-7 page paper that pulls together what you learned from your visit. This paper is due one month after the visit is completed.
Prerequisites
You can purchase the curriculum for this directed study at any time. The completion of other Compass Points classes is not required.
Purchasing the Curriculum
The cost for the course is $100.00. When you submit payment, you will receive a digital copy of the curriculum by email.
Questions?
Please contact Joel Winchip at joel@pccca.net or 803.322.0232 if you should have any questions about this directed study or the entire program.