September: Become acclimated with Crossways, set goals for the program year, learn about “the why” of camp, begin retreat hosting, and dive in to developing a strong and healthy “church” (our camp community).
October: Learn more about different groups of people from a ministry lens, take stock of your strengths and spiritual gifts, and host, host, host! Everyone loves having fall retreats!
November: Attend conferences, continue hosting throughout the busy fall season, develop plans for self-initiated projects, and evaluate faith formation.
December: Retreat hosting gets put on hold for the month so that you can begin your own projects, develop your portfolio, discern a call to the summer ministry team, and take some time to reunite with family.
January: Retreat with your team off-site with the purpose of refocusing, taking time for prayer, and building each other up, resume retreat-hosting, and dive into Lutheran tradition and theology.
February: Connect with other folks in the field you're interested in, jump on the recruitment train to trek along to different universities, and amp up on congregational visits and marketing strategies.
March: Swap ideas with other outdoor ministry professionals at the Region 5 Share-A-Thon, help with our alternative spring break program, and examine how to process different seasons of your life and how it can jive in your faith life.
April: Showcase your heart’s progress as hosting continues, begin preparing the way for future interns, and explore a “hot topic” of faith. May: Wrap things by compiling your portfolio, finishing up self-initiated projects, organizing your thoughts about the program, and prepping the sites for the summer season.