The Power of Clarity
“Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what he loves” Blaine Pascal. I saw Pascal’s thinking in action when I visited our Day Camp at River Oaks Community Church – http://riveroaks.org/ this past week . I had the opportunity to meet with Tim Rowland, Senior Pastor, and hear the vision and philosophy behind this effective Goshen, IN church.
Tim Rowland discussing the vision of River Oaks Community Church When I asked him why he believed our Day Camp partnership has been so successful in its first year (over 200 kids including 70 financially disadvantaged kids from local grades schools, fully underwritten by their church family). Tim responded that there was a clear match between SpringHill’s Day Camp ministry and River Oaks vision for its church community.
Tim then outlined, with ease and clarity, the vision of River Oaks and it’s people. First, that all their church family would, through their day-to-day lives, reach out to “lost” people around them. Secondly, that all their people would be growing in their faith in Jesus Christ and finally they would all demonstrate compassion for the poor and needy.
Tim then explained how Day Camps was helping them fulfill this vision in very tangible ways. Because of these tangible outcomes it created enormous passion and energy within their church family around this opportunity to make a life changing impact on the lives of 200 kids from their church and community. Thus the incredible success in their first year of hosting SpringHill Day Camps.
I loved the clarity Tim and River Oaks has for their church family. Because they have “clarity of passion” and a “clear mind” that “loves ardently and sees distinctly what they love” it allows them to make a decision to partner with a ministry like SpringHill and to follow through on that decision with the energy to make it a reality.
Speaking of clarity, we have a new portable ropes course that will be at a number of day camp locations (see below). It has proven to be a great challenge and a lot of fun for our campers as well as creating numerous teachable moments and object lessons that our staff can use to help reinforce the lessons we are sharing with our campers each day. Nothing creates clarity for people, regardless of the age, like having a tangible and hands on experience, such as a ropes course, to grasp and remember a lesson or spiritual truth.
Camper making his way through the high ropes course. 
Campers debriefing their high ropes experience (someone must have asked the counselor a hard question). S2 Twice Daily
Safety and souls, this is my prayer for our campers, staff and guests. I pray for these two things two times each day. Once in the morning and once at night before going to bed. There is nothing more important when people are a part of a SpringHill Experience than their safety and their spiritual nurture and transformation.
Eleanor and her IN Staff now trained & certified to send campers down the zipline. There are only a hand full of things I pray for regularly twice daily. They are things like my kids, my wife Denise and other specific people and situations God has placed in my life. Why twice daily? It’s because these are the things that are heavy on my heart and I have a sense of responsibility for them as God’s steward. I pray regularly for other things of course but just a small number make the “twice daily” list.
That’s why yesterday I took a walk around Rust Lake at our Indiana camp (and because of the fact it was so beautiful outside I didn’t want to sit in an office any longer) and prayed for summer camp, our campers, staff and guests. It was appropriate to pray for S2 during this week since we are in the middle of staff training. This week and the previous three weeks is where we prepare our staff to provide an S2 experience for everyone who comes to SpringHill.
It’s our way of acknowledging that God generally answers prayers through His people. This means we need to do our part to cooperate with God in answering our prayers. Prayer doesn’t allow us to run from our responsibilities, it forces us to acknowledge where the ultimate source of all good things comes from yet do the part He has called us to do in fulfilling those things.
Please join me in praying for S2 for everyone who has a SpringHill Experience this summer.
Campers Who Don’t Want to Leave Camp
Making it to the Top Yesterday as I was on my way down to staff training at our overnight camp in Indiana I stopped by our Day Camp at Brookside Church in Fort Wayne. Our Camp Director, Danae Durling, gave me a tour of the location and also the opportunity to see staff and campers. It was obvious kids were having a blast on day two of camp.
One mother had come early to pick up her son so he could go to a baseball playoff game. This boy was having a great time with his friends and his counselor until his mother told him he had to go. Then it was all tears. We never want to see kids have sad tears at camp, but this one touched our staff. This boy’s tears were because he did not want to leave camp – even to play baseball.
We are thankful for the experience and the impact it is having on this boy but we also pray that the same impact will be had by the over 4000 Day Campers we expect this summer.
The good news for this camper? He is coming back to SpringHill today and has 3 more days of camp.
I finished my day in worship with our staff in Indiana. A huge thunder-storm rolled through as we were together. As we sang “Hallelujah grace like rain falls down on me” we could all hear the patter of rain falling on the club room.
After worship most of the rain had stopped and we stepped out onto the deck overlooking the lake. The sky was bright pink and fire orange. Across the lake there was an incredible rainbow. It was a powerful picture that not only does God’s grace like rain fall down on us but also reminded us of another reality of which we sang “hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away”. A great ending to a great day.
Camper receives a little help from one of our staff. 
One of the small ("cabin") group talking about Sin and it's impact on our lives. My Summer Work + a Post Dinner Dance
With my first summer road trip starting today I have been reflecting on what I need to accomplish these next couple of months as I make the rounds to the different locations where we will be having SpringHill Experiences. Over the weekend, while looking through Newsweek, I ran across an interview with John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems Inc. that articulates nicely what my summer work needs to be.
Chambers, when asked how he was a different CEO today than when he started in 1995, answered this way –
“When I started, I viewed my job as three main areas: vision and strategy of the company, development and recruitment of the team to implement that vision and strategy, and the need to communicate all of the above. Within four or five years I realized that there was something that many of us do not understand when we take a leadership role: culture. Great companies have very strong and great cultures. A huge part of a leadership role is to drive the culture of the company and to reinforce it.” (from Newsweek, June 14, 2010, p. 46)
Chambers captures exactly what my summer work needs to be as I travel the mid-west meeting with staff, campers, parents, partners and supporters. I will be clarifying and communicating our vision, strategy and culture while investing in the people who make it all reality.
By the way last night at dinner in the New Frontier’s Dining Hall all of us diners were entertained to a post dinner dance by the TST team. A perfect ending to the first day of summer camp. Check out these photos.
New Frontier's TST Team Week 1 
The dance continues 
Opening Day at Our Michigan Overnight Camp
Today was our opening day of SpringHill summer camp. Camp opened for our overnight camp in Michigan followed by opening days on Monday in three day camp locations, Brookside Community Church in Dyer, IN, Liberty Bible Church in Chesterton, IN and River Oaks Community Church in Goshen, IN.
My day started with the opportunity to speak to our summer staff at staff worship. I shared about “God as Our Personal Revealer” focusing on His primary way of revealing Himself through Scripture based on James 1:22-25. I provide three challenges to our staff. First to read all of Scripture, secondly to believe in faith that it is God’s Word and finally to live it out, to obey what it says. By the way if you have never been to one of our staff worships either in Michigan or Indiana you need to attend if you are in the area of either. Sunday’s throughout the summer at 10:00 am.
Following staff worship Todd Leinberger, our Michigan VP and Camp Director, Kayla Kiley our Michigan Communication Coordinator and myself had lunch with Rick and Dawn Northrup, parents of one of our now more famous campers Colin (story to follow later this summer). During lunch we were all able to share stories about Colin and how God has used him to make a difference in the lives of many, many people. Frankly, lunch was one of those times when I am reminded of the incredible privilege to do what I do. These folks are great people and their son is being used by God to make a difference in the lives of others.
Finally I was part of greeting campers and parents. What a day. Lots of new campers. Staff was very fired up, each area having created its own song to great campers and their parents. Having kids at camp is why we exist at SpringHill. It really is the essence of our being and the calling God has given us.
Summer camp is finally here and the universe now seems to be in balance.
New Frontiers Staff Greeting Campers to their Housing Area Giving Voice to Those With No Voice!
Sara, Eric, Eric and Keltie from Mac Avenue Community Church leading a discussion about ministering to urban kids with our summer staff. On Tuesday we had the privilege of having the staff and their families from Mack Avenue Community Church from Detroit http://www.mackave.com/ (also see http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126142947448500607.html ) spend the day with us. We were able have them experience SpringHill, meet staff, discuss their and our ministries but most importantly we had the opportunity to hear from them how we could serve them as they carry on their work.
And I want you to know that this team, Eric and Sara Russ, Leon and Rebecca Stevenson and Eric and Keltie Nielson are inspiring. People worth following and emulating. Here are a few reasons that I and our staff finished our day with these folks both inspired and challenged.
First, they have heeded a call to serve people and an area of our world that has, in many ways, been abandoned. They believe in the Biblical truth that all people are created in the image of God and thus there are no insignificant people. Even those whom the world has abandoned.
Secondly, they are doing their work by moving in, living with and amongst those whom they are serving. I call this living incarnationally, following John 1:14 where “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” Literally “made His dwelling” means to pitch a tent. This is what these friends have done- “pitched their tents” among those they are serving in an “abandoned” part of Detroit.
Thirdly, they are reflecting a holistic view of the Gospel. Their work is both physical and spiritual. They are treating their neighbors as physical, emotional and spiritual beings working to meet their needs at each level following the example and command of Christ (Matthew 25 and 28).
Fourth, the leaders of Mack Avenue are doing all their work within, as they themselves called it, a Biblical centric approach. They are working to stay true to solid theology about missions, ministry and living.
Finally, they exude both a humble spirit balanced with a confidence in Christ that is both refreshing and compelling.
One challenge they gave us, which is still ringing in my ears, is that Christ has called us to be the voice to those with no voice. This is a simple stewardship issue. Most of us, probably everyone reading this blog, has a voice in this world because of the place God has put them. Like any resource God has entrusted to us we are to use it to meet the needs of others who do not have it.
I, and the staff of SpringHill, want to give voice to all the kids and young people of the world who do not have a voice. By being God’s image bearers all kids are created to have a voice of their own. We want to help them find that voice and to use that voice to sing for and to the glory of God.
Summer Staff listening to the discussion with the staff from Mack Avenue Vision and the “SpringHill Way of Life” Part II
Michigan and Day Camp Staff Worship After sharing with staff the need for vision in our lives, to become all that God created and intended them to be in Christ, much like my daughter Christina has done in desiring to become a professional ballerina, I shared with them the need to live their lives in such a way that leads to fulfillment on their vision. To have a “way of life” as my daughter does living a ballerina’s life.
In an effort to help our staff see what a Christian “way of life” looks like we create what we are calling the “SpringHill Way of Life.” We asked all our staff to commit to this “way of life” this summer with the hopes that it will lay a foundation of living for the rest of their lives.
The “SpringHill Way of Life” is a simple summary reflecting classic Christian spiritual practices and commitments historically called a “way of life”. A commitment to a “Way of life” is usually made by either individuals or a group of people in an effort to achieve certain spiritual goals. A defined “way of life” provides guidance, accountability and encouragement for individuals and groups of people who wanted to grow in their relationship with Christ and make a difference in the world.
There are two components to the SpringHill Way of Life. The first component is the engaging in the spiritual practices that help develop us in to “righteous living people”. These practices are really general categories of practices and are to be tailored to each person based on who they are, how God created them and where they are in their lives.
The second is the “righteous living” component. We call it “righteous” because being righteous is to be right with God, reflecting the reality of Christ in us through how we think, work, live, love and serve. It’s the difference we make in the world. This is what our life looks like to others – what they see in us.
We have captured all of this in an acronym called VISION which stands for:
Voice- seeking to hear God’s voice and see His revelation in Scripture, in the spiritual community and through creation. II Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 4:12, Ephesians 6:17,
Intercession- making prayer a regular part of our daily lives. Proverbs 15:8, Philippians 4:6, James 5:15
Sabbath- taking daily, weekly and annual breaks from our work and regular life to reflect on Christ and our relationship to him. Exodus 20:8, Deuteronomy 5:12,
Intimate- living and serving in an intimate spiritual community. Acts 5:12, I Peter 2:17, Colossians 2:2-3,
Others- serving others, making a difference in the lives of others, answering the call on our lives to be the “salt and light of the world”. Hosea 6:6, Isaiah 1:17
New creation- living holy lives as people who are new creations in Christ. I Peter 1:14-16, Romans 12:1, II Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 5:17-21
The first four are the spiritual practices component of the SpringHill Way of Life and the second two are the “righteous living” component. Together, these six commitments reflect our VISION for our lives this summer and for the pattern we want to have for rest of our lives so we can become all that God created and intended us to be in Christ.
Imagine the impact on the 14,000 campers this summer (and ultimately their impact on the world) when 800 summer and professional staff and volunteers commit themselves to this vision and this way of life? Now that’s a photo for my blog.
Vision and the “SpringHill Way of Life” Part I
My daughter Christina and I talking after she danced before our staff Sunday morning I had the opportunity to speak to our Michigan overnight and Day Camp summer staff teams about having a Godly vision for one’s life and how to achieve that vision. I had my daughter perform a ballet piece where she was on point a number of times and perform pirouettes as part of her routine. She was my illustration for the message. Here is the summary of the first part of my message to our staff:
Vision is a dream that you have a plan to achieve and then you work to that end.
Vision answer’s the “Be” question. Who do you want to be? What do you want to become? It’s qualitative in nature compared to be quantitive.
It’s what you see in your mind’s eye about who and what you want to be.
It’s also what others see in you, who they see you as. This factor becomes a test of whether we are fulfilling our vision- do others see this as well.
The “Be” question is different from the “Do” question in which we answer the question “what do we want to do?”, “what do we want to accomplish?” The “Do” question is the mission question and mission and vision are not the same thing.
Vision is about “being” and mission is about “doing”. Both questions are essential in our lives and our work but they are not the same thing.
Without vision we can not have mission, without the quality of “being” we cannot sustain any sense of “doing”. We run the risk of “doing” without integrity.
Yet to have vision without a mission is to risk being self-absorbed, to miss the calling God has on our life or the calling on the organizations we lead and serve.
My daughter’s vision is to be a professional ballerina. This requires an enormous commitment on her part, for her to live a “way of life” In my next post I will walk through the “SpringHill Way of Life” I shared with staff, it’s our way of helping staff achieve the vision God has for their and our lives.
A Graduation Ceremony
Our first son, MD, graduated from Northern Michigan Christian School last night. It was an incredible evening for us as a family as we celebrated both this great achievement but also the next chapter in the story of his life. We are blessed that he has done so well in this first chapter and can’t wait to see what the rest of the God’s story will be for him.
One of MD’s close friends, Riemer Praamsma, was valedictorian of their class. He gave an excellent speech and challenge to his classmates which in turn was a challenge for all of us who were in attendance. In part of his message he quoted the second stanza from a poem titled ‘As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies dráw fláme’ by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889). It was a poem read to their class by their English teacher, Mr. Harris, in preparation for their mission trip to the Dominican Republic.
As I listen to Riemer read that second stanza and then challenge his classmates I too was challenged by this moving poem and it’s message for us.
I say more: the just man justices;
Keeps grace: that keeps all his goings graces;
Acts in God’s eye what in God’s eye he is-
Christ-for Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men’s faces.
As Riemer said to us last night, “we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ ‘in ten thousand places””.
Transparency
Today I met with Bill Payne, good friend, long-time SpringHill board member/supporter and Chief of Staff of Amway Corporation. Every time I meet with Bill we have an excellent conversation and I walk away being challenged and/or having a new idea or perspective on some subject.
Our conversation today ended up on the topic of transparency in leadership and within in organizations. We both acknowledged that transparency is essential to a healthy organization and for effective leadership. This led me to further thoughts on the necessity of transparency in leadership and within organizations. But first a definition of transparency.
Transparency is where one can see something clearly. Clear glass in transparent, frosted or dirty glass is not. When there is transparency there is nothing the hides or blocks ones view. We see things as they are with no distortion. With this definition in mind here are some thoughts about why we need transparency in our lives, leadership and organizations:
Where there is transparency there is:
- Trust – because everyone knows what everyone else knows.
- Accountability – which leads to better performance and higher personal integrity.
- Teamwork – because shared knowledge and information creates shared power and responsibility.
- Respect and appreciation for the work and lives of others.
- Truth is held in the highest honor.
Where there is little or no transparency there is:
- Lack of trust because where there is a lack of information people tend to assume the worst.
- Little accountability but instead unclear responsibilities, goals and expectations.
- Silos, in fighting, territorialism.
- Cynicism, back biting, gossiping and arm-chair quarterbacking.
- Where the truth is bent, massaged and manipulated to protect, hide and cloud issues.
When you look at the two lists it’s obvious which option is the best for our relationships, leadership and the organizations we serve, support and endorse. One might say there is risk to being transparent and in some cases there maybe, but the reality is that the risk is small compared to the risk on not being transparent.
We desperately need to be transparent as people then as leaders, followed by assuring transparency in the organizations we serve in, work for and support. It’s the foundation that our lives, our leadership and the organizations we serve need for reaching their full potential, doing and being all that God intend us and our organizations to be.
If you have some other qualities to add to one of the lists above please pass them on, we will add to the above list.
