Calling

Pastor Kate first came to camp as a third grader and later returned as a summer camp staff member. She loved the friendships, the faith-filled community, and being surrounded by God’s creation.

She never expected camp to shape her future the way it did. “Camp is the reason I am a pastor,” she said. “I had never thought about becoming a pastor. I just wanted to work at camp because I loved camp.”

“At the time, I imagined a future in another helping profession,” she said. “I wanted to sit with people in the hard and in the joy in their life.”

That calling became clearer through camp. Deep faith conversations with fellow staff encouraged her to explore leadership, but one unexpected moment changed everything.

“I remember being asked to share a chapel message my first summer on staff,” Kate said. “I was like, ‘I don’t know how to do this.’” But she stepped forward.

“There was something that felt right about that,” she said. “Sharing God’s love for people… the Holy Spirit kind of takes over.” That experience became the beginning of her call to ministry. “The more years I worked at camp, the more I felt that calling.”

Today, Pastor Kate serves others through ministry, walking with people through life’s joys and struggles. “Now I get to do that in a pastoral capacity.”

Because of generous donors, camp is more than a summer experience. It is a place where young people discover their gifts, grow in faith, and sometimes hear God calling them toward a future they never imagined.