January 2024
Tending the Fire is a monthly series sharing a deeper look at the people who make up Camp and Retreat Ministries. Each month we will share a story from our campers, donors, staff and volunteers and what impact Camp and Retreat Ministries has had on them, and them on us. We hope these stories will educate you, uplift you and inspire you to get involved in whatever ways you can.
Camp and Retreat Ministries welcomes campers, guests, staff, and volunteers from many different denominational partners, including Presbyterian, Lutheran, Catholic, and Episcopal. The Rev. Carol Sedlacek is one such volunteer. Carol served Episcopal congregations for 19 years before serving on the staff for the Episcopal Diocese of Western Oregon.
Carol grew up camping, hiking, and being outdoors with her family and friends where she learned about cooking over campfires, setting up tents, and countless other skills. She attended Episcopal camps in Oregon, the last of which closed in the mid 2000’s. After that, the Diocese formed a partnership with the OR-ID Camp and Retreat Ministries that allowed for opportunities for the life-changing ministry of camp and retreat to be available for members of the diocese.
In 2011 Carol was invited by Beth Dieker (Director of Camping and Youth Ministries for the Diocese) and Jill Smith (her childhood friend) to participate in leadership as the chaplain for the Mid-High session at Suttle Lake, Carol would become the dean of this event in 2013. In the same year, the Bishop asked Carol to become the next Director of Camping and Youth Ministries for the diocese, which she accepted. Carol professed, “There was a deep ‘yes’ in my heart.” This change of focus of her ministry allowed for growth and transformation, personally and professionally.
Something Carol has always loved about camp is that in terms of human development, faith development and relationship growth, so much more can be accomplished in a week at camp than in traditional church settings. “There’s time for silliness, time for seriousness, amazing generosity, giving people space to try new things, risk and stretch and therefore grow. I’ve experienced more Holy moments in the context of camp.” Camping ministry is “a place for formation, learning more about God, more about the world around us and nature, how to be in community.”
A moment that stands out for Carol about how camp supports others, came from a Latino Camp in the early 2010’s. While exploring Skylight Cave, she remembers a camper who was scared to go into the cave; one side was light, but the other side where the group gathered was very dark. With encouragement, he became willing to try, and as he got in, he saw a beam of light coming into the cave, just as someone was telling the Creation story , and said, “Let there be light.” The camper was willing to take that risk, and it paid off, because, as Carol stated, “It was a Holy moment.” This was just one example of Carol’s comment, “The transformation of lives in a week of camp is pretty powerful.”
Carol is a sustaining donor of Camp and Retreat Ministry. A sustaining donor is one who gives regularly (usually monthly), which helps the six sites continue the work of bringing God to our campers and guests. When asked why she donates, Carol said that it’s for many reasons, but first and foremost it’s as a thanks to God for the blessing that is camp and retreat ministry. A thank you to the people who were there when she was a camper, young adult and adult, and to make sure it continues to be available in the present and the future.
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To join Carol as a sustaining donor, click the button below. |
© 2014 Camp and Retreat Ministries:
A partnership between The Oregon-Idaho Conference of The United Methodist Church
and The Episcopal Diocese of Oregon