NEWSLETTER AND CAMP chapter 237

Standard 8.5x17 colored paper printed ever 6 weeks.
Started with Vol. 8 as that was next in in Ralph's
numbering order.

I got involved in publications pretty early in my new job. Ralph Shellrude had begun a district newsletter shortly after he became District Superintendent. That was about a year before I came on board. All three previous ministries were pretty well detached from the main flow of all that was going on, but Ralph had an inclusive idea. He viewed the leadership as a team. We worked together, we talked about each other’s work and we helped one another when we could. He included me in all decisions. I liked his approach and was glad to be included. Each of us brought a different perspective to the district work.

The Newsletter had been his idea and it was fundamentally a letter with the ideas and schedules of him and Reuben Strecker, Church Growth. He wanted to expand it and divide it into section and include a column by me as well. I took over the layout and editing right away. I had done it before.

Heather Barton and I talked about a simple layout and set up a format. I hated empty space and began filling holes with quotes and cartoons. I had no specific character yet. I just included whatever came to mind. It began rather bland compared to what it became. This first version was a paste up project and printed on the photocopier. Della and I assembled and mailed them.

Daryl Dale left a lot of books he obviously took to various training sessions to sell. While good stuff, I had a big sale a District Conference and cleared most of it out. I needed room for my books.

My first big promotional push for was Youth Specialties National Youth Conference being held in Portland that October. I wanted to connect with our youth leaders and hang out with them for a while. There weren’t many paid youth leaders, but most churches had lay leaders.

I heard Tony Campolo speak for the first time at their closing banquet. He spoke on what the phrase “time will be no more” meant. He was captivating. I have never forgot his talk.

The CE Committee worked very hard with me to pull Family Camp together. Most did not attend, but they helped me with costs. I did not want to do that alone. Ralph had already lined up Ravi Zacharias, Leron Heath and Rich Farmer. We finalized prices and I braced myself for the coming onslaught. There was some by mail and phone, but that was tolerable. It was the day of camp registration when it beat me into the ground. The personal attacks, anger and frustration of having to pay a fixed price for cabins, rooms, campsites and food was intolerable to most people and each one felt like I needed to know that personally, and loudly.

Mu weak attempt at being clever.
Used Wheaties orange nut the
cover print faded out. Uck!

After four hours of not-stop confrontation I could no longer take it and excused myself and went home hoping I could sleep and forget. Russ Oleson, pastor from Eugene came to the house some time later to attempt to put me back together. I ended up bawling my eyes out.

I had been yelled at, accused, tormented before but never by so many on the same issue. I took all of that in the past rather well. It is to be expected when people disagree with you. But this was the worst I ever had. The shear numbers were in the process of destroying me. Not everyone was angry. Some understood and accepted that we had to pay our way, but the majority did not and they waited for their arrival to share that frustration.

One person said they had not come prepared to pay that fixed rate. I did not let them in and felt like if they had a gun they might have shot me. We had to check wristbands and the dining room to make sure people eating had paid. I felt like a monster, which was OK, since most seemed to think I was one.

That horrid start cleared the way for the future. By year three the complaints had completely dried up and the transition was made.