Michael Perry
Married to Denise Perry, we have four children. I work at SpringHill serving as it's President and CEO. I love my family, reading, cooking, coaching my kids and fishing. I'm also a student of organizations and those who lead them. All of which leaves little time to get into trouble.
Hangin with the SpringHill Family
We often talk about SpringHill staff as “our team” but when we speak about staff and camper alumni, volunteers, donors, ambassadors, board members and ministry partners we tend to speak in terms of family. The SpringHill family’s large and diverse and I’ve grown to love and appreciate it more every year.
Part of my work includes spending time with SpringHill family members both when they attend a SpringHill Experience and with them in their homes, their places of work and at their favorite coffee shops and restaurants. The places where we meet are as diverse as the members of the SpringHill family which makes being with them one of the most enjoyable parts of my work.
For example, this week I’ve had the opportunity, along with Todd Leinberger our Great Lakes Region Vice President and my wife Denise, to spend time with these SpringHill family members:
Scott, a successful commercial real estate business owner, a competitive tri-athlete and a very active member on a number of ministry boards
David (in photo above), who’s responsible for all the tire, wheel and jack engineering globally for Ford Motor Company
Paul and Cindie, long time friends of Denise’s and mine from our church in Grand Rapids. Cindie works with teenage moms and Paul owns a wealth management and financial advisory business
Our friends Scott and Karen who’ve given much of their lives to a number of global ministries and businesses
And later this week Denise and I will have dinner and see Butler University’s Nutcracker Ballet with 18 of the SpringHill family in Indianapolis (look for my next post)
Every time I have coffee, lunch or dinner with a SpringHill family member I’m blessed because I learn something new, gain greater perspective on SpringHill and better understand the world in which the SpringHill family lives and works.
Submitting to the Mission
I’m reading Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen’s new book Great by Choice where, for illustrative purposes, they compare the leadership styles of the two Antarctic explorers, the well-known Robert Scott and the lesser known Roald Amundsen, who raced each other to the South Pole. In particular, Collins and Hansen references Roland Huntford’s fantastic book The Last Place on Earth – Scott and Amundsen’s Race to the South Pole.
I read The Last Place on Earth in 2009 and immediately appreciated it as both an important historic account as well as a great study in leadership. It combines the two types of books I love to read – history books and in particular biographies of historic characters and books about real life adventure. The Last Place on Earth takes a historic look at one of the great adventures of all time – the story of the two men who raced to be the first to reach the South Pole.
I won’t repeat Collins and Hansen’s leadership lessons (you can read their book) but instead share one leadership observation and one conclusion I drew from The Last Place on Earth.
The observation – Scott ended up being the more celebrated of the two explorers though he failed in his mission which ended in his and his team’s death while Amundsen, the first man to the South Pole, is largely unknown outside of historical and exploration circles.
The conclusion – if a leader submits all, including their own personal ambitions and recognition, to the fulfillment of the team’s mission they’re more likely to be successful. At the same time they’re more likely to be unknown or forgotten because they made accomplishing the mission look easy while doing it with less drama than those who failed.
The Tension between Unlimited Wants & Limited Resources
One of the first things I learned in my introduction to economics class back at Central Michigan University was that economics is best described as the tension between “unlimited wants and limited resources.”
This perfectly describes the tension we experience at SpringHill every fall as we finish our upcoming year’s financial plan, or what we affectionately call “the budget.” It’s an “all hands on deck” (or should I say “all brains on deck”) activity because of the importance we place on the entire team’s input and ultimate ownership of the financial plan. It tends to be a time where everyone’s brain hurts and passions (and frustrations?) run high.
But for us the financial plan’s actually the final step in the development of what we call our annual ministry plan for it’s the anticipated financial outcome of that plan. Our ministry plan includes; which SpringHill Experiences (SHX) we’ll offer to whom, where we’ll offer these SHX’s, and the anticipated number of participants. We also work out the details of everything we’ll need to carry out these SHX’s including capital investment and staffing. Finally we align this plan with our 5 year strategic plan to assure we’re headed in the right direction and accomplishing our long-term goals.
We dream big for God which results in big plans early in the process. Then we begin to put dollars and cents to these plans and the tension begins to rise because our dreams are always unlimited but, we discover, God generally gives us limited resources. Over the years I’ve become convinced that God does this so that our big plans become His plans.
And in the end that’s our desire – that our plans will be God’s plans because we want the results and the glory to be all His.
Qualities of Trustworthy Youth Organizations
Denise and I hold two important, but at times conflicting, goals in raising our children. The first one’s simply to assure our kids have experiences that help them grow physically, emotionally, socially, intellectually and spiritually. Secondly, we want to do all we can to keep our kids safe and to protect them from the consequences of evil.
It’s when we need to entrust our children and their safety to those who provide them life transforming experiences that we can feel conflicted. We want to provide our children these experiences and at the same time assure their safety.
The best way to achieve both is to verify that the organizations we entrust our children to have the following three qualities.
Transparency
The organization and its staff are transparent. Transparency mean’s there’s nothing hidden about its history, operations, philosophies, track record and methods. Transparency also includes our child’s experience.
Accessibility
Related to transparency is accessibility. Organizations and staff are accessible to parents. In addition, if necessary, our kids are accessible when involved with the organization. We should expect our phone calls and emails to be returned timely as well as the opportunity to meet the staff when dropping off and picking up our child as well as any other time we want to interact with them.
Professionalism
Professionalism includes a broad range of key activities that we should expect from an organization and its staff including verifiable training, quality control, safety practices and policies that the staff know and demonstrate commitment to by their adherence to these policies.
These three qualities should permeate the entire culture of an organization as reflected in the staff, websites, promotional material and most importantly in their reputation.
With prayerful due diligence, we as parents, can reduce the possibility of any harm coming to our children and yet still provide them those formative experiences they so desperately need to reach their potential.
The Penn State Tragedy and My Heart Breaking Twice
I’ve been hesitant to write this blog. But I can’t escape the need to address one of the unspoken consequences of the sad and tragic story of alleged sexual abuse of young boys by a former Penn State assistant football coach.
First, let me say, that if the alleged charges prove to be true then the worst consequences, by far, are the effects of these evil acts on the lives of these young men. There’s nothing worse.
Yet there’s another consequence that also breaks my heart every time a situation like this comes to light.
It’s the consequence that every organization committed to serving children will have a growing black cloud hanging over it. This black cloud’s the mistrust of parents of all organizations that serve kids because of the tragic and broken trust by one unrelated person or organization. That black cloud can especially become a reality for organizations, such as camps, to whom parents temporarily entrust the care and safety of their children.
And when parents, out of fear and mistrust, begin to exclude their kids from experiences , such as Christian camps, that can help their children grow physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually then the ripple effect of evil continues . In a world where children need every advantage, every opportunity to grow, every chance to become all that God’s created them to be – to see organizations committed to these goals lose the opportunity to serve kids and their families – breaks my heart all over again.
In my next post I’ll outline some of the characteristics parents should look for in an organization they’re considering entrusting the temporary care and safety of their children to.
For another take on the impact of the Penn State situation on youth ministry read my friend Jeff Munroe’s blog by clicking here.
Intersection of the Past, Present and Future
My high school Young Life group at Wilderness Ranch There are those moments in our lives where our past crosses our present as it moves towards the future. It’s in those moments of intersection that God provides a glimpse into how He’s orchestrating our lives for a purpose we may have never seen or anticipated.
I had one of these moments this past week when I had the opportunity to speak with Young Life’s Camping Department about leadership, professionalism and the current state of Christian camping. It’s an intersection because of the significant role Young Life’s played in my life.
I’m a Young Life kid meaning I attended Young Life club, campaigners and camp as a high school student. Next, my wife Denise and I served seven years as volunteer Young Life leaders. Then I moved into involvement on Young Life area committees before stepping back because of family and work commitments.
Young Life’s played an enormous role in my spiritual, emotional and leadership development as well as influenced my personal philosophy of ministry. So when I was asked by Steve Thompson, Young Life’s Vice President for camping, to speak to his team, an intersection of my past and present occurred.
But it’s also an intersection of the present and the future because of the continued need of Christian camps and other youth ministries to work together to serve young people. Because of the world in which we live and the culture we’re called to work, I’m convinced the future of effective ministry to young people will require the cooperation of like-minded organizations such as SpringHill and Young Life.
This week my past intersected with my present, but it’s to the future where I’ve now set my eyes and will continue to take steps on the path God’s graciously illuminated for me.
Some of My Favorite People
Leaders from Ridge Point Community Church Imagine working a full week and on Friday afternoon, instead of heading home to relax, you rush off to a church parking lot. There you get into a van, school bus or coach loaded with dozens of students. You then make a multiple hour trip to a camp where you’ll be sleeping in a sleeping bag, eating camp food and staying in a cabin with a dozen students for a weekend retreat.
Anyone willing to give up a weekend to be an adult leader at a student retreat makes my “favorite people in the world” list. These retreats, which are so often life changing experiences for students, couldn’t happen without the volunteer leaders and the pastoral staff who commit themselves to the spiritual development of young people.
This past weekend we had our first of 14 student retreats that occur between now and the end of March at our Michigan camp. This first weekend was a Juniors Retreat designed for 4th thru 6th grade students. I had the opportunity to have Saturday night dinner with leaders and students from Ridge Point Community Church in Holland, MI.
Watching these leaders interact with their students was fun and encouraging. It was encouraging because elementary age students are the most important age group of people for the Church to invest in. And it was fun because it was apparent these leaders had special relationships with their students.
So make it a point to thank the youth leaders and other adults who work with kids that you know. Thank them for giving up their weekends, their sleep and their diets, but more importantly thank them for investing in the lives of our children.
SpringHill Alumni
There have been tens of thousands of SpringHill campers and summer staff over our 42 year history which means there are SpringHill alumni literally all over the world.
I had this reality driven home during my “pastor day” this past Tuesday when I ran into two former SpringHill summer staff, one who’s now working for Kensington Community Church and another serving Mack Avenue Community Church.
First I had the opportunity to reconnect with Cameron Underdown who’s the high school and college director for Kensington’s Orion/Rochester campus. Cameron’s playing a key role in a significant ministry. Talking with him reminded me of the part SpringHill play’s in the spiritual, personal and professional development of college age people.
Later that day while touring with Eric Russ I had the opportunity to talk with Kristen VanderPlas Selle. Kristen and her husband Scott live in one of the poorest communities in Detroit (and thus in the country) where they’re both involved in the Mack Avenue Community Church family. In particular Kristen leads Mack Avenue Community Church’s literary and tutoring program designed to serve the young children of the Mack Avenue neighborhood. As I watched Kristen working with some of the students I couldn’t help feeling a bit of pride knowing that a SpringHill alumnus is serving the “least of these” in this way.
These two friends represent the literally thousands of SpringHill alumni who’ve committed their lives to the service of others and to expanding Christ’s Kingdom. We, at SpringHill, pray every summer that God would use us to help our summer staff and campers grow in their faith as well as to develop as people and leaders who’ll make a difference in Christ’s Kingdom.
So “pastor day” had a second blessing – to see our prayer answered in two SpringHill alumni.
My Pastor Day
Terry Prisk 
Steve Andrews 
Eric Russ and family My wife Denise called Tuesday my “pastor day” because I had the opportunity to hang out in metro Detroit with three dear friends who are also inspiring pastors and incredible leaders – Terry Prisk, Steve Andrews and Eric Russ.
My first stop was with Terry Prisk, a long time SpringHill partner and leader of The River Community Church. Terry and I meet every few months to share, challenge and encourage each other in our respected leadership positions. As usually happens we exchanged books we’re each reading knowing we’ll discuss their respected contents the next time we’re together.
Next I had the opportunity to have coffee with Steve Andrews from Kensington Community Church. Steve’s a former SpringHill board member and current member of our strategic planning team. In these roles, as he did once again in our time together, Steve’s spoken into my life by challenging me to think big about SpringHill and its place in God’s Kingdom.
I ended my day near downtown Detroit with Eric Russ, a current SpringHill board member, who leads Mack Avenue Community Church. Eric and I spent our time together riding in the “Mack Truck”, an old pickup truck used by the church. We toured the neighborhood where his church ministers. I’m inspired every time I’m with Eric but never more than when I see the community, people and work he’s committed his life too.
As I drove home from Detroit I thought to myself “what a great day”. I also thanked God for each of these men and the significant impact they’ve made on both SpringHill and on me. In my final thought of the day I searched for answers to this question “how can SpringHill and I better support them and their churches in the incredibly important work they do in the communities they serve?”
Why Do You Spend Your Precious Time…?
Yesterday we had one of our three yearly “all staff” meetings which follow each of our three “seasons”. Our agenda’s consistent for each meeting – we review the results of the completed season as well as the anticipated results of the upcoming season and year.
It’s an opportunity to celebrate and pray together as well as ask questions, make suggestions and assure we’re aligned as a team.
We want these meetings to be fun, informative, causal, real and helpful in achieving our goals. We speak frankly and with full transparency about how we’re performing and what’s needed in the months and years to come.
At the end of this particular meeting, as a first in many discussions related to the task of re-articulating SpringHill’s vision statement, I asked our staff to begin to think, reflect and pray about the following three questions (taken from What to Ask the Person in the Mirror by Robert Steven Kaplan –see my 10/23/2011 post) .
-
What do we (you) hope SpringHill will achieve in the years ahead?
-
What’s special about SpringHill?
- Why do you spend your precious time and energy working for SpringHill?
Over the next several months the answers to these questions will become key inputs into our vision re-articulation.
But today I asked our team for some impromptu answers. Their responses were moving, inspiring, stunning and made me proud to be on this team.
Here are just three of many answers (paraphrased) to question 3 our staff shared:
“I’m able to fulfill God’s calling in my life of creating cool and inspiring environments that God can use to transform lives.”
“God changed my life when I was a SpringHill camper, now I can help create the same life transforming experiences for other people.”
We have a great start to this important task of brining new clarity to the SpringHill vision.
-
