HOPE IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY
Note: Our offices are open Tues - Sat and we are making new reservations and working on schedules. Feel free to call with any questions.
March 1, 2022
We praise the Lord for how He has provided for Dickson Valley and that we continue to offer outdoor ministry experiences into this new year. We are a ministry passionate about the spiritual and physical health of all God has entrusted to us. We realize the spread of these viruses still negatively impacts many families, and we are concerned that we show everyone the utmost care in keeping them safe.
We are also thankful for the current downturn in some local statistics, which have relaxed the most rigorous mitigation methods recommended for camps and retreat centers.
As of March 1, 2022, Dickson Valley is making these policy adjustments.
We will no longer require masks in our dining hall.
We will support those who continue to wear masks and encourage those with compromised health issues or at-risk family members to continue. We recommend mask-wearing as a method to care for others and not as a fearful action. It will never be a negative stigma at Dickson Valley.
We will continue to monitor our communities and follow the latest guidance from our local and state health departments and the CDC. This may mean that our policies could change suddenly as new information becomes available for our area.
We will continue with our extra cleaning measures and the policy and facilities changes we have made to persist in providing a healthy environment.
We will continue to have our staff wear masks as needed when in close contact with others outside our community.
We will make available and administer rapid tests as needed to detect any problems early that may manifest in campers, staff, or guests.
We will continue to encourage healthy habits of hand washing, hand sanitizer, proper distancing, and health monitoring.
We will continue to request that all participants self-administer a health survey before coming to camp, and we may continue with appropriate monitoring methods as people enter the camp.
We look forward to a healthy 2022 where each participant will experience Christ’s love for them and be drawn to a life fully committed to a relationship with Him.
September 15, 2021
Like you, we are concerned with the situations surrounding the covid-19 spread and the concerns over travel and gathering together. We pray this could be a time where fear is pushed aside by a strengthened faith we have in Christ, our provider, comforter, and healer. We are deeply saddened for the families who have lost loved ones, jobs, or opportunities to connect with others. This situation has strengthened our resolve as to why we believe the need for Christian camp experiences is needed now more than ever.
As strange as it may seem, we give thanks to the Lord for 2020. We have only seen 25% of the campers of a typical year, but we did live the Gospel to those that came. We did not have a calendar full of church retreats, but we served in new and creative ways. It was, also, a year that God used to reveal our vulnerabilities, allowing us to give Him praise as He provides anew. We have found Joy in that.
Dickson Valley is pressing ahead, seeking God's direction, with plans to focus on ministry influence over quantity. To be more purposeful in impacting the college-age young adults of today so they become the tender disciples and compassionate leaders of our churches and communities in the future. Our day camps and church retreat weekends will return and focus on modeling the love of Christ and challenging our earthly constructs. We are praying we can become a non-stratified community model who is a blessing to this world.
We have dedicated ourselves to the view of health and safety procedures needed to provide for long-term ministry. We will strive to follow the most current guidelines and procedures to keep everyone healthy at Dickson Valley. We look forward with anticipation for what God has in store for all the people that attend Dickson Valley for years to come.
Thank you for your prayers and being a part of the family.
September 2, 2020
We had a GREAT summer, Praise the Lord! God navigated a way for us to have nine weeks of day camp, and we rejoice in both the healthy outcomes and the spiritual impact on both our campers and staff. We continue to seek God's guidance as we navigate these next seasons and look forward to how we can continue to give Him praise for what happens.
The state still has restrictions on overnight "groups" in settings like Dickson Valley. We have had had some great experience with day only groups and look to increase the number of opportunities for churches and small groups to experience great relationship-building opportunities outdoors. As schools get their modified new year started, youth groups will be able to provide weekend events to help bring the kids together.
All of our cleaning processes and procedures are still in place, and we are following all guidelines for foodservice and wearing of masks at appropriate times. We will have some extra policies for all group leaders to follow and convey to participants, but leveraging our background from running programs this summer, we will have the best possible experiences for groups this Fall.
We are thankful for all your prayers and for all the individuals and families who have provided financially for us to continue strong into our next ministry season.
May 30, 2020
On May 29th, it became official that we could offer day camps, and have an opportunity to minister to youth again. Current restrictions in Phase 3 are a little challenging, with no possibility of overnight camps or “water-based” activities. That second one, we are still in the process of having our local office define for us. We are praying the state will not include these restrictions in Phase 4 and hope we can enter that phase later this month.
We have produced the first version of a fluid document focused on the “ReOpen” plan for Dickson Valley. That pdf can be found here, or we can email you the latest copy if you contact us at office@dicksonvalley.com.
After a Spring of uncertainty, we will have the opportunity to share where a firm foundation can be found. We will be providing a lot of fresh air and physical activity while filling them with hope for a future that still may have uncertainties.
Please pray for our staff as they share where their faith is, and the hope found there.
Please pray for the campers as they experience a modified schedule filled with a lot of handwashing and healthy behaviors.Please pray for the health of everyone involved as we help re-engage social interaction at a distance.
April 15, 2020
We have already been mowing grass, we wake up to snow cover today, and the camp has been strangely quiet for the past five weeks. That all seems ordinary in comparison to what everyone is dealing with these days, and the additional burdens required to keep our families and communities healthy and safe. Our heart goes out to all who have been affected by this severe public health crisis.
The staff of Dickson Valley is working daily to reimagine what camp can be, so we are ready as restrictions are lifted, and we can serve again. We strongly feel that the camp setting will be a powerful place for healing after this time of uncertainty and fear. We have a message of Hope and Peace from the One who is our redeemer and we want to share it.
We are proceeding with anticipation about summer camp, though there is the reality it will not seem like years past. We will be implementing:
Additional measures to welcome kids to camp and help with pre-screening.
For our groups staying overnight, all housing facilities will have disinfectant procedures performed on them between each group.
Multiple times a day, regular contact areas (doorknobs, railings, tables) will be treated.
Additional handwashing and sanitizer stations will be put in place.
Activity equipment will be treated daily with disinfectant.
We will be working closely with our local Health Department for additional procedures in our foodservice and housekeeping areas and guidance on testing and preventative measures.
Our staff training will include new sections on proper hygiene, transmission prevention, and procedures to help identify risk factors.
We are praying for kids who are struggling this Spring with the changes and earnestly seek a chance to minister to them. As local and state authorities give guidance, we hope to make more definitive plans for summer at the end of April.
March 16, 2020
Like you, we are aware of the situations surrounding the covid-19 spread and the concerns over travel and gathering together. Our own families have been impacted and are adjusting to the new “norms” in our daily lives. We pray this could be a time where fear is pushed aside by a strengthened faith we have in Christ our provider, comforter, and healer.
In the past few weeks, as we have monitored the situation, we have taken extra measures to help decrease any spread within the camp. Such things as adding additional alcohol-based sanitizer dispensers in all the buildings and updating staff on the needs are a few. We have continued our regular practice of wiping down bunks and all touched surfaces and increasing the cleaning repetition and our vigilance.
Spring around Dickson Valley is not only a time of preparation for summer camps but also a busy retreat time. We have been empathetic to the decisions leaders are wrestling with about upcoming retreats and praying that we could help in this time of need. We have worked to appropriately cancel and rebook our Spring retreats and adjust schedules accordingly.
As parents are preparing for summer camps we expect there will not be any impact on the schedules or availability. We are currently preparing for summer staff training and will be including heightened awareness of disease transmission and addressing the social fears which may have increased in the lives of our campers. We will also follow directions from our local and state public health officials, as well as from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
We are praying that during this challenging time of uncertainty you can find hope and comfort in the love of Christ and His certainty.