Mount Shepherd is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to be faithful in following Jesus Christ and transforming the lives of our participants. We achieve our mission through Christian camping and retreats. Through our particular understanding of the Bible and our partnership with the Church, we have made specific commitments to our guests.
Gracious Evangelism Promise
Mount Shepherd is proud to be affiliated with the United Methodist Church, but our camp is for every child. We have a deep commitment to our faith, and we aim to graciously share that faith through our programs. Children need not belong to a church to attend. We happily serve children from all church backgrounds, and children with no church background
We will:
Have campfires where there will be a reflection and invitation
Pray before meals, and after certain activities
Sing Christian songs
Talk about Jesus
Connect program activities to practical matters of faith
End each night with devotions in the cabins, led by camp counselors
Hire college-aged Christians.
Encourage campers and staff to be in connection with a local church
Teach from a Trinitarian Christian interpretation of the Bible, specifically lifting up the resurrection of Christ
We will not:
scare, shame or otherwise coercively force our beliefs on campers.
Teach about specific interpretations of scripture that can be divisive such as particular denominational beliefs
Single out or stigmatize any child for his or her beliefs, church membership, etc
Anti-racism Promise
As a Christian organization, we are committed to reflecting the love of God through the love of our participants and neighbors. As part of our Christian practice, we regularly acknowledge where we sin and fall short of God’s glory. Racism, whether intentional or not, is sinful and contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Racism causes harm and erodes the integrity of our ministry. Further, we believe racism directly impoverishes our ability to achieve our mission.
We acknowledge that racism includes individual actions (or inactions) of prejudice. Racism may occur intentionally or unintentionally. However, racism encompasses more than individual choices. Racism can also be manifest in groups, organizations and institutions.
We confess that our summer camp has had many seasons where we failed to reflect the diversity of the communities around us. We affirm that camp is not a space for solely white children. Thus, we are committed to taking active measures to combat racism. This includes addressing and changing behaviors, policies and structures that perpetuate racism. We aim to serve all children, without regard to race, ethnicity or family status.
We will:
Commit to regular training and education about issues of race for our staff
Train our staff to be equitable and inclusive in their language and behaviors
Strive to hire a staff that is racially diverse
Strive to serve serve a demographic who are racially proportionate to our region
Critically examine programs, policies and practices to ensure we are promoting equity
We will not:
Tolerate racist language, whether spoken, written or displayed
Allow any symbols historically connected with white supremacy or anti-semitism
Financial Promise
Mount Shepherd believes in making camp available to every family, regardless of financial constraints. We understand that our families are facing extraordinary challenges, and sometimes camp just isn’t in the budget. However, we are not comfortable accepting financial burden as a reason to not come to camp! Each year, we offer more than $10,000 in financial assistance to families. We are honored to partner with families to make sure that children can have access to a life changing week of camp!
We will:
Provide financial assistance, including but not limited to discounts and/or scholarships, for families in need
Offer individual payment plans upon request
Provide a $5 scholarship to campers with empty balances on their store account.
Follow up with families about outstanding balances
We will not:
Reveal to other campers/families or counselor staff how much a camper’s family has paid.
Deny children admission to camp on the basis of financial status