Expand your vision #3

John Vandervelde - Program Director   

When I was a student Wheaton College in the late 90's, HoneyRock was perceived by many students as a place reserved for either P.E. majors (or Kinesiology or Applied Health Science) or granola eating tree-hugger types who didn't shower very regularly.  There was also a perception that HoneyRock was very rustic, had no heat or running water, and that everyone slept in tents on the ground. 

When I finally came to HoneyRock in 1999 I was shocked by how wrong many of those perceptions were.  Yes, there were a lot of P.E. majors here and I must admit I might have been a bit of a granola eating guy with long hair who preferred a swim in the lake over a shower, but HoneyRock was much more than that.  There were students taking education classes, ecology classes, and Bible Classes, and students and faculty from all different departments on campus.

Over the years HoneyRock has continued to work hard to involve students, faculty, and staff from all over Wheaton's campus in what we are doing here.  Not only has the involvement of the greater Wheaton community helped shape the current perception of HoneyRock, but it has also offered a rich diversity to our culture and our programming. 

Some examples:  Last year we had 241 students participate in our Wheaton Passage program.  These students represented every major offered on campus.  32 faculty representing 15 different academic departments were also involved in the Passage program.  In the summer we offer courses in 11 different departments.  During the school year we host retreats for departments such as HNGR, the Conservatory of Music, Education, Urban Studies, Athletics, Admissions (Diakoni), and Residential Life.  Each August 200 student leaders and staff from Student Development meet here for a week of planning and preparation before the start of the school year.  For nearly 30 years we've hosted the annual Wheaton College Fish Camp which involves faculty and staff from all over campus who come here for a weekend to fish on our Northwood's lakes.  On the Graduate School side of things we have strategic partnerships with the Christian Formation and Ministry Department and the Evangelism and Leadership Program.  Perhaps now more than ever before in our history HoneyRock is embraced and utilized by more students and more departments.  Click here to read more about our partnerships with Wheaton College departments. 

Personally, I feel like my vision for what HoneyRock can be in and for Wheaton College is continually expanding.  Academic departments continue to work with us to see how HoneyRock can enhance what they are doing.  There is a new depth and richness to what is going on at HoneyRock due to the diversity of the the groups and departments we serve.  We are excited about what God is doing in and through HoneyRock, and we look forward to what He has planned for our future.

Expand your vision - #2

John Vandervelde - Program Director   

Yesterday I wrote about how my vision for HoneyRock
and the ministry
that takes place here expanded greatly when I experienced my first
winter season here at The Rock.  Another way my vision of HoneyRock has
expanded since coming on staff is in the area of group ministry.

In the past, when I reflect on my time at HoneyRock, I typically
thought of HoneyRock as only being a camp and campus of Wheaton College
where individual young people grades 3-12 sign up for camp.  These kids
then participate in programs run by college students who are learning
experientially about leadership and ministry.  No doubt this is true,
and is a major thrust of our ministry, but did you know that we have a
large group ministry here at HoneyRock? 

The bulk of our group ministry takes place during the school year
and we will serve approximately 60 different groups during that time. 
Many of these groups are youth groups from all over the Midwest but we
also have family groups, school groups, and other adult groups that
come to HoneyRock for fun, rest, and adventure.  These groups are run
by Wheaton College graduate students who are participating in our GPA program. 

We are now not only serving groups here during the school year, but we also have a growing group ministry that
is taking place over the summer.  This summer our Adventure Ministry
Team is going to be working with several groups in a variety of
different programs.  From wilderness trips, to in-camp experiences,
adventures on the ropes course, and service projects we have something for nearly every group.

So today, I hope your vision has been expanded about what HoneyRock
does in the the area of group ministry.  Or perhaps you knew all this
already and this blog entry can simply serve as a reminder to pray
about this area of programming.  Maybe an experience at HoneyRock is
something you think would be good for your group.  If so, you can find
our more by clicking here. 

 
 

Expand your vision

John Vandervelde - Program Director

As a Wheaton College student I spent the summer of 1999 at HoneyRock leading wilderness trips.  It was one of the most formational experiences of my life.  I learned a tremendous amount about myself, my strengths, and my weakness, and I gained a vision for how I wanted to spend my life in ministry.  My faith and knowledge of the Lord also grew that summer.  After leaving HoneyRock I would reflect back on the setting and my experiences there with great fondness.  I had a perfect picture in my head of what HoneyRock was all about: kids learning about Jesus while canoeing, waterskiing, backpacking, and riding horses, all in the beauty of a Northwood's summer.

When I returned to HoneyRock 6 years later to join the staff team, I quickly realized that my vision of HoneyRock and what the ministry was all about was incomplete.  The winter ministry of HoneyRock that takes place from late November to early April each year was missing.  This winter we will host approximately 2,500 people at HoneyRock in a variety of different programs.  About half of these people are Wheaton College students.

If you've never been to HoneyRock in the winter, you need to come!  This place transforms into a winter wonderland full of cool activities (like broomball), warm fires in fireplaces, and ridiculous amounts of hot chocolate.  Our ministry philosophy on life transformation remains the same, but the tools we use and  our setting are drastically different.

So if you're able, I encourage you to come up to HoneyRock this winter and "expand your vision" for what we're all about.  We love hosting volunteers, or you can rent a cabin with your friends and family.  Give us a call: 715-479-7474

Upcoming Events:

January 15-18, 2010:  Martin Luther King weekend - nearly every single guest bed at camp will be full.  A very fun and busy weekend here at HoneyRock!  Pray with us for safety and great learning to take place.

February 6, 2010:  Partners Banquet in Wheaton.  All HoneyRock parents, friends, and supporters are invited.  6:00pm - 8:00pm at Anderson Commons on the Wheaton campus.  Contact Liz Henderson at liz@honeyrockcamp.org for more information. 

Wonderful* Winter Weather Gear: The Snow Pant

Becki Henderson--Administrative Assistant

(*The adjective “wonderful”
is modifying the word “gear,” not the word “weather.”)

Today I wanted to spend some time looking at one of the most
crucial elements of winter weather gear that you can have.  For some of you, you may not have worn a pair
of these since you were in elementary school and had to put them on in order to
go outside for recess.  But let me tell
you, this clothing article is a must-have for those who live in the snowy
Northwoods of Wisconsin.

What am I talking about, you ask?

The snow pant.

Snow pants are basically just like regular pants, except
bigger and often waterproof.  What makes
them great is the function they accomplish: keeping you warm and dry. 

There are several myths associated with snow pants that I
would like to dispel for you now.

Myth #1: I look fat in my snow pants; therefore I should not
wear snow pants.

Fact #1: Virtually everyone looks fat in snow pants.  Even skinny people.  It just doesn’t matter.  Snow pants are not designed to be
slimming—they are designed to keep you warm. 
Let them do that job.

Myth #2:  Capris look
great on me in the summer; therefore capris would be a good look for snow pants.

Fact #2: Capri-length snow pants (if there are such a thing)
would probably make you look like you were wearing lederhosen.  You definitely want your snow pants to be
long enough.  They need to reach down to
your boots so there isn’t exposed skin or sock between the end of your pants
and the top of your boots.  That is where
snow can (and will) get in.  Nobody wants
that.  Brrr!

 
Myth #3: I wear low-rise jeans all year; therefore I should
wear the lowest cut snow pants I can find.

Fact #3: Let me assure you, both for your own sake and the
sake of the people around you, you want your snow pants to be high enough.  They need to cover all of your bottom so that
when you fall down your bottom does not show. 
This applies whether you are playing broomball, cross-country skiing,
tubing or snowshoeing.  It is possible to
fall down doing any of those activities, and you want your coat or jacket to
meet and even cover the top of your snow pants. 
Trust me on this.

 

Myth #4: I am too cool to wear snow pants.

Fact #4: No one is too cool to wear snow pants.  Take, for example, great heroes of history,
like George Washington or Elvis Presley or Albert Einstein.  I am absolutely certain that they would wear
snow pants if they were playing broomball at HoneyRock.  They just would.

*This does not mean that if you are visiting HoneyRock for a
long weekend you need to buy yourself some snow pants.  Feel free to borrow some from your brother or
whatever.  I’m just saying that if you
LIVE here you should invest in some.

 

Winterim

Liz Henderson--Program Team Assistant

We are in the midst of our busiest winter week here at HoneyRock.  From Wheaton College senior capstone classes to Wheaton College HNGR (Human Needs and Global Resources) interns to a senior class trip from a Christian school in Illinois, our housing has been full and our activity areas have been busy.

Additionally, we have 3 groups who arrived today from Wheaton Academy in West Chicago, Illinois.  Wheaton Academy is a Christian high school that offers a J-term called "Winterim."  Students at Wheaton Academy can choose from a variety of courses at school, mission trips overseas, and internships all over the country and around the world.  HoneyRock is hosting a group of 21 Freshman who are here for 8 days taking a class on leadership and enjoying all the winter activities that abound in the Northwoods.  There is also a group of 10 girls who are here and will be going on a winter wilderness trip including spending one night out sleeping in a snow shelter!  Lastly, there are two senior guys who are spending their Winterim doing an internship and working with the Site and Facilities Team.

We are excited to host these groups and have them be a part of our community for the next week and a half.  Please pray for bonding, learning and growth for the students who are here and also pray for safety as they spend many hours outside participating in various HoneyRock activities.

The ABC's of Volunteering at HoneyRock

Don Kerns--Site and Facilities Manager

A review of the list of volunteers at HoneyRock cannot help
but fill one’s heart with gratitude. Last year we had around 150 volunteers who
performed 3,416 hours of labor.

People enjoy being part of the team at HoneyRock by plugging into one of the
many pieces of the day-to-day operations of Camp. I had fun making a list of
such areas:

Automotive mechanics

Brush chipping

Carpentry / cabinetry

Dish washing / doctoring / driving

Electrical

Fencing

Gardening

Housekeeping

Ice rink making

Janitorial

Kitchen assistant / kayak repairing

Lawn mowing / leaf raking

Making curtains

Nursing

Oil changing

Painting / pastoring / preaching

Quality  control

Refinishing furniture

Splitting wood / sign making

Tent erector

U are needed too

Vacuum
cleaner repairing

Welding / wrangling

“X-tra" help always needed

"Y"- don't you think of where you can
plug in before you go to sleep

Zzzzz.

We are blessed to stay connected with many people through
the variety of ways they serve.  If you
would like to volunteer please contact the full time staff member that you
would like to work with. If you are not sure who that would be, we would be
happy to connect you with them. Email your interest to: info@honeyrockcamp.org.