PNC Board names Mark Boyd as the new N-Sid-Sen manager

Mark Boyd, who directed PNC summer camps, mid-winter and confirmation retreats at Pilgrim Firs and was a counselor for family camp at N-Sid-Sen, was named Feb. 1 camp manager of N-Sid-Sen on Lake Coeur d’Alene.  He replaces Randy Crowe, who is retiring in April after 22 years in that role.

Deeg Nelson, manager of Pilgrim Firs, left, and Randy Crowe, manager of N-Sid-Sen, congratulate Mark Boyd.

Boyd has served as youth ministries coordinator at United Churches of Olympia, where he has been a member since 1989 and has been facilities manager at Pilgrim Firs, responsible for maintaining camp buildings and the grounds since 2010.

As resident camp manager at N-Sid-Sen, his role will be the fiscal and physical management of the site and maintaining the integrity of the programs.

His vision as camp manager is to build a strong sense of ownership among the campers, fostering a covenantal relationship among the congregations in the conference, the PNC outdoor ministries program and the camps.

He said he seeks to maintain a welcoming and hospitable experience for everyone who comes to N-Sid-Sen.

“It’s a natural next step for me, bringing together my skills in management, maintenance and camp programs,” Boyd said.  “I will seek to continue and build on the legacy of Randy.

“I will hold up who we are as the United Church of Christ for church groups and secular groups—not by preaching to them, but by showing them through offering a ministry of hospitality,” he said. “The most important thing is to help people who use the camp realize it is their camp.”

He seeks to make time at camp enjoyable, relaxing and an experience they want to come back to.

Boyd had been scheduled to be director for the junior high camp at Pilgrim Firs and is wrapping up his work at Pilgrim Firs and Olympia before moving with his wife, Julie, a teacher, to N-Sid-Sen the end of March.

The Boyd’s four children are grown and living in Olympia, Seattle, Boise and the Republic of Georgia.

Born in Mountain Home, Idaho, and growing up in Olympia since 1956, he was not involved in a church until he began attending United Churches of Olympia. 

Having occasionally gone to church when he visited an aunt in the summers in Tacoma, he said he “felt a yearning for” a church community.

When he first attended United Churches, he said he felt immediately at home. 

He soon began to volunteer with the youth group, seeking to share with them an outlet he had not had, “a faith so unconditionally accepting that I wanted to give back.”

After high school, Boyd went to work at his father’s wholesale plumbing business and continued to work 22 years with Ferguson Enterprises, which bought his father’s business.  He moved into management, so had responsibilities for staff supervision, budgeting and purchasing.

At Pilgrim Firs, Boyd has added signs around the site to help visitors find buildings.

He has also helped improve the water system, by adding filters and reducing flow in toilets and showers.  In addition, he created a juice bar in the lodge, maintained the lodge, done trail maintenance and shifted the mindset from emergency maintenance to preventative maintenance.

“I’m incredibly honored to be in this position and I look forward to the challenges ahead,” Boyd said.

Pilgrim Firs and N-Sid-Sen announce summer camps

The 2012 summer camp directors have been selected and will share with campers using a curriculum with the theme, “Secrets of the Kingdom: The Parables of Jesus.”

At Pilgrim Firs, the PNC camp season begins with the Leadership Retreat, May 18 to 20; Work Camp, May 25 to 27; Spiritual Renewal GLBTQ, June 1 to 3; Young Adults, June 22 to 24.

The Senior High camp directors are Andrew Shanafelt of Bellevue First and Jenna Veatch of Everett, July 1 to 7. Junior High is July 8 to 14; Intermediate, led by Stephen Hadden of Tolt in Carnation and Bobbi Virta of Ferndale, July 15 to 21; Kids, led by Kaila Russell of University Congregational UCC in Seattle and Katie Lloyd of Finley Street Christian in Seattle, July 22 to 25, and Family, led by Rich and Leslie Porter of United Church in Yakima, Aug. 19 to 23.

For information, call Pilgrim Firs, 360-876-2031 or visit www.pilgrimfirs.org.

At N-Sid-Sen will hold a retirement party for manager Randy Crowe on April 14.

The MidWinter Youth Retreat is March 9 to 11; Women’s Retreat, led by Lynn Nelson of Colfax, May 18 to 20; Work Camp, led by Mark Boyd, June 17 to 23; Kids, led by Doris Northrup and Trudy Lambert of Veradale UCC, July 8 to 11; Intermediate, with Bob Watrous of Shalom UCC in Richland and Kim Schultz of Tekoa, July 8 to 14; Junior High Aqua, with Dana Sprenkle and John Hubbe of Shalom Richland, Aug. 5 to 11; Senior High Aqua, with Lynn Stulz of Plymouth Seattle and Sam Yeaw of Newport, July 22 to 28; Family Camp #1, with Amy Johnson from Wayside in Federal Way and Ryan Lambert of Corvallis, July 29 to Aug. 4, and Family Camp #2,Esther Pfeifer of Eltopia, Aug. 12 to 18.

For information, call N-Sid-Sen at 208-689-3489 or visit www.n-sid-sen.org.

Copyright Pacific Northwest Conference News © February 2012