By Brandon Scheer | Photos by Ocean Park, Pam Murphy, et. al.
This year has brought many reasons to celebrate for campers, supporters, friends, and guests of Ocean Park Camp & Retreat Center. OPCRC was dedicated in 1941 as a place set apart for the ministry of the PNWUMC. Here we are 75 years later, celebrating our “Diamond” anniversary. It couldn’t be more fitting. Just like a diamond, over time the Spirit of God in this place has honed us. Honed to shine the light of Christ in our community. Honed to reflect the beauty of what God our Creator has entrusted to us.
In late August, we held a celebration to honor our past, worship in the present and look to the future. Over 130 people of all generations gathered together, shared stories, and reminisced on the way God worked in their hearts and changed their lives through this holy and sacred space. There are too many memories and people to thank and honor than will fit in this article, but the reflections of several participants capture the essence of the celebration:
“It is at Ocean Park that I’ve felt the strongest spiritual community and connection in my life. Having been away for over a decade, I didn’t know what to expect from the anniversary weekend. I was so moved to discover that the power of OP is as strong in my heart now as ever. Whether reconnecting with old friends or spending a solitary moment in reflection at the beach, the mark that my years at camp made on me was unmistakable. I used to love OP for the lifelong friends I made and the beautiful nature, and now I know it will always be a place that I can come to refill my spiritual well.”
–Arielle Anderson, Camper, counselor 1989-2004
“For my wife and me, the Ocean Park 75th Anniversary Celebration was a weekend of encountering Christ. As we drove into camp, it just clicked. For us this encounter is like when you reconnect with a good friend, it just feels right, spirits are joined, and so went the weekend.
When hospitality is wrapped in an authentic Christian ministry the doors to spiritual growth open wide. Throughout the weekend and all of its activities, Christian hospitality and fellowship set the tone. This included: meals, campfire songs, learning of the camp’s heritage, celebrating the Ebenezer, and Sunday’s worship service on camping ministry. The opportunity to learn of the previous leaders and current leaders who have built Ocean Park’s great ministry was inspirational. Names, photographs and the connected stories brought this heritage to life.
As we drove out of the camp we carried with us renewed spirits for carrying Christ’s ministry into our everyday world. Ocean Park is a unique place that not only plants seeds of ministry in our hearts but also grows them via the relationships that happen through a camp and retreat experience. Ocean Park is such a place.”
–Dean and Mary Lookingbill, First UMC of Vancouver
“It was a delight to connect with former staff, program volunteers, and campers who grew up to become clergy, site advisory members and highly successful people committed to their churches and the ministry of camps and retreats. During this wonderful homecoming event, we were touched by the kindness of young adults who told us we had influenced their lives in ways we never imagined. And we were encouraged by all the new faces whose lives are now being impacted by the love and ministry of hospitality provided by [the OPCRC] staff.”
–Wendell and Laurel Ankeny, Camp Directors 1989-2000
Anna Hanson, camper and counselor since the 1970s, reflects on the OPCRC anniversary in her blog.
As you can see, the “gems” of what the camp and retreat experience brings continues to come to life, to renew spirits and to draw campers closer to their God and Creator. Over 75 years we have had to “re-think” camp just as we have had to “re-think” church. Some of the new and unique ways God is present at Ocean Park include teaching archery to local middle school students. In return, we had seven campers from the peninsula come to summer camp in 2016. OPCRC has also become involved with Peninsula Poverty Response, a local grassroots organization dedicated to alleviating poverty and homelessness on the Long Beach Peninsula.
This past spring, God placed on our hearts and in our hands a pre-school that was seeking a new location as well as new leadership. We are proud to have added to our ministry the ever-growing Love, Laughter and Learning Center. Finally, we continue to serve God’s people in more traditional ways with our age-level programming and two family summer camp offerings, as well as numerous retreat opportunities for all types of organizations.
God continues to hone us. Our ministry is constantly being refined by what our culture lacks or demands. In an ever-changing world, God remains our constant and continues to use places which are “set apart” just like Ocean Park to bring His kingdom to earth. May we always strive to be the hands and feet of the Gospel everywhere we go!
Brandon Scheer serves as the Camp Director for Ocean Park Camp and Retreat Center.
Special thanks to Corinne Travis. For more about OPCRC, visit www.opretreat.org.
