God of Creation, you have blessed us with the changing of the seasons.
As we embrace these autumn months,
May the earlier setting of the sun
Remind us to take time to rest.
May the crunch of the leaves beneath our feet
Remind us of the brevity of this earthly life.
May the steam of our breath in the cool air
Remind us that it is you who give us your breath of life.
May the scurrying of the squirrels and the migration of the birds
Remind us that you call us to follow you.
(prayer entitled, Autumn Prayer)
In early November thirty members of our summer staff met up at Camp Alkulana for a weekend and enjoyed a slow-paced retreat together. It was a rainy weekend that brought us indoors to enjoy puzzles and board games in the camp dining hall or a basketball game in the Big Lodge. We shared life updates about school and work as we sipped coffee and tea. In the evening we did our one order of business—we met to talk about how the summer went and visioned for our next summer together. Then we closed in worship. We read the Autumn Prayer (above), talked about the changes that the fall season brings to our life rhythms, and encouraged each other to take time for rest.
Camp staff retreats always remind me of the joy of coming together in a space that allows us to be authentic—it’s a space where you’ll equally experience the big belly laughs of unbridled happiness and quiet tears shed when sharing a story of hardship with a dear friend. Alkulana provides a space where young adults can be real with each other. They find family in each other. And God meets them there.
At Camp Alkulana we train our staff that relationships are at the core of our ministry. The life-long memories that we create at camp are all based in the relationships that we build when we live together with our campers for one or two weeks of the summer. We eat meals together, cheer each other during challenging new activities, sing songs together around the fire, and share space in our cabins. We become family in those shared spaces.
Our staff retreat is just one example of how we continue our summer friendships. As summer ends each August, we pivot to continuing relationships with our camp family throughout the year. Over the last several years we’ve built opportunities for campers and former campers to gather regularly through two school-year programs, Alkulana RVA (ages 9-13) and the Alkulana Peer Program (ages 14-18). Under the leadership of two Alkulana interns, these Alkulana programs helps us to continue friendships from the summer, have fun, build life skills, and be formed into leaders.
On October 29, the RCFN and Alkulana community gathered together at the Belmont Golf Course. Bill Rusher, Camp Alkulana Support Team (CAST) chairperson, has led our golf tournament for nearly twenty years. This year, he had a new vision—what if our tournament event better reflected our mission at Camp Alkulana? What if it included families and children having fun together and exploring new-to-them activities? What if our churches rallied around them and supported that day of fun? It was a bold revisioning of an already successful fundraising event.
So this year, in addition to golfers representing five RCFN churches playing in a captain’s choice tournament, youth from our churches joined Alkulana campers and former counselors on an 18-hole putting green. Everyone shared a meal together afterwards. Members of the Richmond community stepped up to sponsor the event, covering all of our costs and raising additional money for Camp Alkulana. This is what it looks like when community comes together! This is what we dream of creating through Camp Alkulana each summer. This is the family God calls us to be.
Our Baptist centers are calling us together in a similar way this time of year as we rally to provide Thanksgiving meals and Christmas gifts for our families across Richmond. This year, thanks to your generosity, we will be able to include Alkulana campers in these holiday efforts. Our counselors have written cards to campers and their families and are eager to help deliver meals and gifts. This is how we come together as family.
As you are gathering together with friends and family members this holiday season, make time for rest. Make time for sharing in the fruits of good relationships—both laughter and tears. Celebrate the power of coming together on behalf of those who need your love. And find God among you as you gather.
By: Beth Wright, Camp Director