No…we haven’t moved.  But we have been assigned a new mailing and physical address by Monroe County.

So here it is….

128 Brainerd Lane
Stroudsburg, PA 18360 

How exciting is it that they named the camp road BRAINERD LANE!

What does this mean for all of you?  Well, when looking up directions or using a GPS will be MORE complicated because they won’t know about the change.  Mail addressed to both 1301 M. Easton-Belmont Pike and 128 Brainerd Lane will arrive at the camp for the next year.  After next fall, the old address will no longer work…SO UPDATE OUR INFO NOW!

Here is ALL of our contact information:

Camp Brainerd
128 Brainerd Lane
Stroudsburg, PA 18360

Phone: 570-992-4127
Fax: 570-992-4128

Email:  office@campbrainerd.org

Brainerd Presbyterian Center
1301 M Easton Belmont Pk
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
- – - – -
Tel 570-992-4127
Fax 570-992-4128 NEW!
- – - – -
Email office@campbrainerd.org NEW!

Update: Position Filled!

Check out all of the Engineering & Robotics Camps that Brainerd has to offer!

I write to you on behalf of The Barn community…an emergent faith community that your mission and outreach dollars have helped to bring into existence! As a new fellowship within Lehigh Presbytery, we feel very excited about Camp Brainerd and the ministry and opportunities the Camp has offered and has the potential to offer in the future! We are aware that the Camp is in need of the support of all the churches in our presbytery. To that end we have raised $4,000 that we will donate to Brainerd as churches our size (up to 200 members) match it. These funds need to be new gifts to Brainerd as of the writing of this note. Our community hopes that this will serve as an encouragement for your faith community to host a bake sale or spaghetti dinner or car wash or some creative activity that will help Brainerd to reach her goal. We believe that if we all work together, we can make a positive difference.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to be in touch with me. As your church joins in the fun, please send me word of your results so that we can send a matching gift to Brainerd! May God bless and multiply your efforts tenfold.

Shalom,
Sue Pizor Yoder
Pastor, The Barn

Much to my chagrin, I have received a few bug reports regarding the online registration and contact forms. Confusion and frustration have arisen…obviously, this was not my intention. After some digging, I believe I have found the issue and have fixed it. Please let me know if you are still having difficulties.

Happy Online Registering Everyone!

Dear Friends:

I write you with challenging news: Camp Brainerd will be closing at the end of next year.

Unless you help us NOW.

This news is challenging, but also quite exciting. Just before Thanksgiving, Lehigh Presbytery voted resoundingly to accept the recommendation of a task force charged with reviewing the future of camping ministry in our area. The task force was called because of some serious realities at Brainerd. Camper registrations have been in steady decline for nearly ten years. Our physical plant is in need of a growing number of repairs. Rentals for the camp during the fall, winter and spring have fallen off. Contributions to the Friends of Brainerd fund are at half the levels they were just five years ago. And the camp is draining tens of thousands of dollars from the Presbytery’s dwindling mission budget. The leadership of our Presbytery determined, rightly so, that if Brainerd was unable to change these alarming trends, then financially we cannot afford to keep it running.

After nearly a year of research and soul searching, the task force endorsed a proposal generated by an interest group that emerged from our highly successful Brainerd Homecoming, held this past spring. The plan was resoundingly approved by our Presbytery at its November meeting. And that brings us to the new reality of today’s Brainerd Center.

This is, frankly, just as exciting a time as it is challenging. Our new plan for the future of Brainerd recognizes our wonderful past, endeavors to strengthen today’s camping programs, and looks to build the foundation for a long and bright future. In our dreaming of what Brainerd is and should become, we are drawn to the past. When the Camp was founded 57 years ago, it was designed to be a place that would be seen as an extension of the mission and ministry of each of our Presbytery’s churches. We need to maintain Brainerd’s role as a unique and significant ministry for the youth and adults of our region. Under Camp Director Jen Henshue’s skilled leadership, we have already begun to reconnect with our churches to help mold the camp’s ministry to better serve the needs of the Presbytery.

While we reconnect, we are also carefully evaluating and planning for this coming summer, in order to run the finest camping program possible. We have also begun to aggressively market the facility to increase rentals, and are already seeing positive results to these efforts.

This running start is essential for us to keep Brainerd alive. If we truly want the camp to be a viable ministry, it needs to be connected to our children, youth and adults. It needs to be supported by the churches. It needs support of its alumni and friends. And it needs to become financially viable. In order to ensure that these needs are realized, we have established ambitious benchmarks which we as a program must meet each year for the next three years. Although challenging, they are attainable, and are designed to ensure that we develop the kind of support and activity needed to make Brainerd an important and meaningful ministry.

The first year’s benchmarks will definitely stretch us to do our best. If we do not meet all three of our goals, then the Presbytery is directed to begin the process of closing all camp operations. First, we must increase our camper registrations by 15 percent, or by an average of one more campers per church than last year. We expect to achieve this by more actively promoting our programs, and designing a camping program that is targeted to meet the needs and interests of our youth. Second, we must limit the amount of money contributed to the camp by Presbytery. This frees the Presbytery to fund other needed programs. We have already found several new ways to make our operating budget more efficient by saving expenses, by networking with other Presbyterian camps for cost savings, and carefully managing our program costs.

The final benchmark is the most challenging, and this is where we need you the most. Giving to Friends of Brainerd must reach a goal of $31,000 in 2010. WE CAN ONLY REACH THIS GOAL WITH YOUR HELP!

Let me lay it on the line. I stepped forward to help design the plan for the future of Brainerd because for me, Camp Brainerd has had a profound impact on my life and my faith. And I have seen countless other people, like you, who have had similar experiences, and share the love I have for this special, sacred place. And I pledge to do whatever it takes to help keep our beloved Brainerd an active and alive ministry for today’s children, youth and adults, as well as far into the future.

You are receiving this letter because you have had some connection with Brainerd, either today or in the past, or both. It is my hope and prayer that you feel the same way I do about places like the upper meadow, the chapel, the pool, the creek, the boat dock and all the other great places on the grounds. And I believe you share many fond memories of friendships and life-changing experiences that happened as a part of Brainerd’s awesome setting.

Will you join me in supporting the Friends of Brainerd? We need you to partner with us to keep the Camp alive. What can you do? First, pray. Hard. Fervent prayer has guided every step of our plan, and that cannot change if we are to truly move into God’s plan for Brainerd. Second, help promote Camp Brainerd at your church, with your pastor, with the children and youth you know. Third, help us to identify people to join our circle of supporters by volunteering their time or their treasures to the camp. And finally, help us financially. We need to raise at least $31,000 by November 30, 2010. If we don’t, Brainerd will close. Every dollar counts this year, more than it ever has before. We know that times are challenging for us all, but if Brainerd matters to you, I am asking you to consider giving as much as you can to help us reach our goal.

If we can find just 100 people to give an average of $25 per month, we will meet our challenge. If you can help us with even $5, $10 or $50, or any monthly pledge, your support will be an enormous part in helping us make Brainerd be the best it can be…this year and far into the future. Won’t you prayerfully consider joining me in supporting Brainerd today?

In Christ’s Service,
Bruce Bowen
For the Camp & Conference Care Team