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Outdoor Ministries teams explore ideas for camps

Mark Boyd reports on his first few months as executive director.

Mark Boyd explores future for both PNC camp sites.

Pilgrim Firs Camp and Conference Center has usually been busy into early September, but this year is busy until the end of October, said Mark Boyd, executive director of outdoor ministries.

“We have been intentional to save spaces for churches as more churches are coming back or coming for the first time,” he said.

St. Paul’s is sharing with United Churches of Olympia and Fox island is coming with Suquamish. Alki and Spirit of Peace are also having church retreats.

Pilgrim Firs will host a first Buddhist silent retreat in December and added the Northwest Women’s Sculptors, along with regulars like Warrior PATHH (Progressive Alternative Training for Healing Heroes) and Guitar camps.

While hosting camps, staff are keeping up on maintenance projects and improvements, like replacing electrical outlets with outlets that include USB ports.

On N-Sid-Sen, Mark reported that 80 percent of partner groups have come back as that site continues to “climb back up and out to have its income be greater than expenses,” he said. “The state of the economy does not help.”

He pointed out that both camps need to price use so people will come and come back, but they need to take into account that food prices are up. For example, coffee is affected by tariffs because it’s imported.

Often groups sign up this year for dates next year, but costs next year are uncertain, Mark explained.

At an Outdoor Ministries meeting in September at N-Sid-Sen, it was announced that the nurse and two lifeguards were hired, and the leaders of youth and family camps are returning.

The committee divided work into teams, such as to address safety plans and curriculum. Those teams will recruit others to help them.

Mark has met one-to-one in person or on Zoom with all but one summer camp director to find out what worked, what didn’t work, what concerns they had and what ideas they have.

Those who were interviewed said they appreciated the on-site staff, clear policies and good feedback from volunteers.

In mid-October, a team from the committee are meeting with directors and managers of other area camps to find what works for them, what their models of staffing are, how they recruit campers and how they have built a sustainable donor base.

“We can’t just visit another camp and apply what they do to Pilgrim Firs and N-Sid-Sen, but we need to be willing to try new things,” said Mark, looking forward to those reports.

“As with any nonprofit, camps need to have 20 to 30 percent of their income from donations,” Mark added.

“Both of our camps struggle with that,” he pointed out. “We need to be more comfortable with asking people to support the camps or to meet specific needs.”

Mark particularly praised the gift of time Randy and Linda Crowe are giving as they serve as on-site volunteers at N-Sid-Sen, connecting folks and recruiting volunteers.

The Pullman Community Congregational UCC, which usually has 20 come for a retreat at N-Sid-Sen the same weekend as Richland Shalom UCC, which usually has 40 come, recruited 50, filling the camp with 90.

While they were there, Linda told the campers that N-Sid-Sen needed to a used sewing machine dpmated.

At the end of that church retreat, one woman gave a check that would cover the cost of a sewing machine.

“People want to be asked. They want to be involved in the camps and churches. We need to ask for what we specifically need,” Mark said.

Pilgrim Firs was using bedside stools as bedside tables, Mark mentioned to one camper the need for bedside tables, and she gave him a check for 40 tables.

At N-Sid-Sen, when he mentioned several years ago that there was need for a new oven in the kitchen, one Richland family camper went home and raised funds in her church to buy a double convection oven, so camp could continue to bake the beloved cinnamon rolls.

“It’s about relationships,” Mark said, adding the importance of campers reporting to their churches about their experiences at camp. “Younger voices make a difference.”

Mark added that he and Phil are developing a job description for the associate director at N-Sid-Sen, so the search for that position can begin.

“Like we do in interim ministry, we need to look at who we are, who the camp wants to be and how we get there,” he added.

For information, call 360-876-2031 or visit pilgrim-firs.org.

 

Pacific Northwest Conference UCC News © copyright Fall 2025

 

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