Search PNC News for stories of people and churches in our UCC Conference:

 

Pam Peterson reports on summer at N-Sid-Sen

Reporting at the PNC Annual Meeting, Pam Peterson, designated managing director of N-Sid-Sen camp and retreat center on Lake Coeur d’Alene expressed her vision that N-Sid-Sen can be a place to create unity in the Conference.

Pam Peterson says N-Sid-Sen is a place to build unity.

“It’s a place where people from Seattle and Wallace can come together to talk and build unity,” she said, describing the 270 acres as a sacred space for children, youth and adults to come to share their gifts.”

Pam, an ordained UCC minister, sees N-Sid-Sen as a place to sit around tables, porches, the beach and campfires to build relationships.

She welcomes clergy from the 76 churches, hoping they will help tell the camp story to recruit campers, directors and volunteers. She will also preach at churches on ecotheology.

Arriving at N-Sid-Sen last year, Pam thought she had a full staff, small budget and calendar full of guest groups. Within three weeks she had half the staff she needed, realized there was a budget deficit. and groups cancelled with fee increases.

This summer N-Sid-Sen brought back aqua camps float trips on the Spokane River.

“Last summer I directed camp from the kitchen, but this year we had professional cooks, maintenance staff and lifeguards,” Pam said.

“Rather than paying a full-time chef, we have shifted to sourcing out our kitchen for the summer season and will continue to rely on local caterers for the shoulder seasons,” Pam explained. “We have been fortunate to find local contractors, housekeepers and dishwashers to step in where needed, thus reducing the cost of providing housing for our staff.”

Upper Crust Food Services of Missouri, provided staff who prepared and served meals for 65 camps May 1 to Aug. 26. They draw chefs from sororities and fraternities, providing summer jobs. N-Sid-Sen had chefs from the University of Idaho. They stayed in Syringa Lodge and also washed dishes.

Chelsea Gypsey Kitchen from Spirit Lake has come just to do meals since then, with N-Sid-Sen providing dishwashers and kitchen help.

Irene and Mike Daanen, who have a cottage nearby, asked if N-Sid-Sen needed help and are now doing housekeeping and offseason kitchen help through mid-October.

There are few groups November to April, Pam said.

“The summer theme, ‘Linked by Love,’ carries us into the future,” she said. “We are committed to building relationships with our community and our churches, linking ourselves through a love for our faith and our traditions.”

While numbers for N-Sid-Sen summer camps from UCC churches were up. Camps were run with the help of 52 volunteers from different churches.

Kevin Bechtolt of Plymouth Seattle and Mark Cuiller a Lutheran in Spokane teamed up to direct 30 high school campers—up 10 from 2023—

From July 14 to 20, there were 14 junior high youth sharing camp with 14 intermediate campers. Leah Bilinski of Fauntleroy Seattle and Bob Feeny of Westminster Spokane directed junior high and Shirley Asmussen of Fauntleroy led intermediate camp.

You and Me Camp, led by Kaila and Mark Russell July 21 to 24, and Kids Camp, led July 24 to 27 by Linda and Randy Crowe of Westminster, overlapped with Senior High Camp.

Chris Hager and Tyler Smith are lifeguards and maintenance staff.

Summer 2024 had a staff chaplain, Dana Sprenkle of Shalom UCC in Richland. She assisted with administration and housekeeping, along with planning worship and programs, and leading antiracism workshops at two camps.

Two Camp America staff, Ignacy Knapic of Poland and Can Walters of Germany trained at the lifeguard camp N-Sid-Sen hosted July 8 to 10, along with Tyler Smith and Chris Hager, who provide 1.5 FTE as maintenance staff, and Roger Hardy, a neighbor.

Float Adventures Spokane led the junior and senior high float trips, the first since 2018.

Volunteers brought boats, so there was tubing for all four weeks of camp—including two family camps.

There were 85 at Family Camp led July 28 to Aug. 3 by Ryan Lambert of Kirkland and Emily Hanson. There were 55 at Camp Together, led by Janet Malley of Bellingham.

There were new and returning outside groups with the Unitarian Universalist Blue Boat Youth Camp drawing 75 campers and 25 adults in August and booking again for 2025. The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints Girls’ Camp drew 100 campers and 30 leaders in June. Lady of the Lakes Dance Camp returned with 130 campers. The Laestidian Lutheran Confirmation Camp had 30 youth and 15 adult leaders.

There were three weddings and one family reunion, plus two Yoga Retreats.

Westminster/Chewelah came Sept. 6 to 8, and Pullman/Richland come Sept. 12 to 15.

There are more openings for church retreats through the year, Pam said.

“We have a capacity to seat 130 in Forrester Lodge but have beds for 160 if all top bunks are used,” said Pam, noting there were no major repair bills over the summer, but there was need to rebuild the shower house and fireplace/chimney in Forrester.

For information, visit n-sid-sen.org.

 

 

 

Share this article on your favorite social media