Reflections on the Seven Foundations for Camp & Retreat Ministries

Intro to Foundation 5: Teaching Creation Care and Appreciation

by Todd Bartlett, Executive Director for Camp and Retreat Ministries

My journey with creation care and appreciation began when I was a young child. When our family would go camping, my sister and I were paid by our parents 1 penny for every scrap of garbage that we picked up. This helped us to live out the “leave it better than you found it” mantra. There were field trips, scout trips, and of course, church camps, which all demonstrated and encouraged me to live out these values.

When I was the director at the Collins Retreat Center I had the joy of being able to regularly walk through its incredible temperate rain forest. I would inevitably encounter something that would catch my eye and, if I had been thoughtful enough to bring my camera, I would attempt to capture the image. 

What would often catch my eye was the color of flowers, water, small animals, and the many shades of green.  Integral to all of these was light.  The rays of sunlight streaming through forest canopy and the vivid contrast to the dark understory are great opportunities to depict the beauty and wonder of God’s creation.

I was blessed with figuring out how to share this appreciation with others by using those photos in cards sold at our gift shop and in our welcome sign in the lobby of the retreat center.

See you around the campfire soon,