The Diocese of Fond du Lac youth ministries have been wonderfully blessed by an unexpected gift of $50,000 through the generosity of an anonymous donor. The donor shared the contribution is made in thanksgiving for the commitment the diocese has shown to youth work, especially as shown through its summer camp. Youth work in the diocese has over a century of history, beginning with a diocesan school for girls in the 1880’s and over 90 years of an organized summer camp experience. The operating budget includes a significant to faith formation for young people from all congregations.

The donor determined to make the gift because of seeing children and youth being positively impacted and experiencing the love of God through the people and programs of the diocese. With the donors input, a majority of the gift has been placed with the Val Burg Memorial Youth Work Fund, essentially doubling its assets. Started in the early 1990’s through gifts from a number of supporters, the fund provides ongoing financial support to youth ministries of the diocese. Those interested in supporting the fund are invited to do so here.

We are truly excited to be holding summer camp sessions at Waypost Camp near Hatley, Wisconsin. This site provides many opportunities for outdoor activities while building camp community. You are invited to check-out Waypost yourself by watching 5-minute walk-through video narrated by our own Camp Director Erin "Erni" Wolf.  Watch it here.

Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinator Erin Wolf has announced 2021 diocesan Summer Camp information. Camp sessions focus on faith development for campers using volunteer staff, many of whom were once campers. Plans are in development for sessions to be in-person and on-site as pandemic circumstances allow. In addition, an at home version of camp will be offered.
 
The schedule includes Senior Session June 20-26 (completing grades 9-12), Middler and Junior Sessions June 26-July 1 (completing grades 2-8) and KinderCamp July 1-3 (ages 4-7 with an adult). We are also inviting 2020 high school graduates, honoring their inability to attend in-person in 2020 because of the pandemic. 2021 camp sessions will be held at Waypost Camp on Mission Lake (crosswayscamps.org/waypost) in Hatley, Wisconsin, about 20 minutes east of Mosinee. Waypost is a site of Crossways Camping Ministries, a multi-site outdoor ministry organization rooted in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

​“We are very excited to be going to Waypost this year” camp director Erin Wolf shared. “It has great facilities that match our program needs and will allow for better flexibility in both activities and pandemic protection protocols.” Located on a mile and a half of natural shoreline of Mission Lake, Waypost offers swimming and canoeing, arts & crafts, a variety of outdoor activities including a low-ropes initiatives course along with comfortable meeting and sleeping spaces. A beautiful chapel provides a sacred space for worship in the camp tradition.
 
“Our summer camp is a wonderful example of a truly diocesan program,” Bishop Matt Gunter recently shared with the Executive Council. “Except for diocesan convention, it is the longest running program of the diocese and has drawn campers and staff from each diocesan congregation.” Beginning in 1926 with Bishop Weller as the first Chaplain, there has been a diocesan camping program almost every year Camp goals can be described as three C’s: Community – building relationships between each other and with God; Creation – being in, honoring and enjoying God’s creation; and Cloister – separating intentionally from everyday life to enhance our focus on Community and Creation.
 
The diocese has never owned a camp facility but instead has rented or leased space from other camps including Nepco Lake (Wisconsin Rapids), Camp Cleghorn (Waupaca), Fort Wilderness (Rhinelander), Chute Lake (Mountain), Camp Robin Hood (Green Lake), Camp Pilgrim (Green Lake), Camp Talaki (Waupaca), Camp Webb (Wautoma), Camp Anokijig (Plymouth), Nature’s Edge Camp (Waupaca), Crescent Lake Bible Camp (Rhinelander) and Camp Lakotah (Wautoma).
 
Registration information will be available by the middle of February at diofdl.org/camp.

From Bishop Matt:

Dear Members of the Diocese of Fond du Lac,

I have been pleased with the way our congregations have continued to find ways to be the church despite the challenges presented by Covid-19. Clergy and lay leaders have found creative means of leading prayer worship while we are dispersed. Members have found ways of staying connected to one another. Congregations have proven agile in making sure their outreach ministries continue serving those in need. There is no denying the losses. Regular worship has been suspended. Events have been canceled or postponed. Still, God has remained faithful to his church and you have demonstrated a responding faithful resilience. I am confident you will continue to do so as long as this lasts in whatever ways it lasts.

We will also need to demonstrate that same creative faithful resilience with our Diocesan Summer Camp.  Our Camp Director, Erin Wolf, and I have been in conversation and decided it would be unwise hold camp in the usual way. This is not an easy decision given how important we know camp is. Many of you know how much I personally love attending camp every year. But given the uncertainty of where things will be with the infection rate, the likelihood of ongoing restriction of some kind, and our own determination not to put our children, youth or staff at risk, this is the decision we need to make.

The good news is that just as our congregations have found creative ways to continue being the church differently, plans are being made to be camp differently. We can still provide opportunities for connecting with friends, learning more about following Jesus as members of the church, and having fun. I will let Erin tell you about those plans.

From the Happening leadership: Following several months of discernment between Happening leadership, the Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinator, diocesan administrative staff, and the Bishop, the very difficult decision was made to cancel the upcoming Happening weekend in March. At this time, the Happening program will be put on, what we hope to be, a temporary hiatus. We apologize for any inconvenience or hardship this may cause those wishing to participate as either candidates or staff. That said, we extend our deep gratitude for St. Anne’s, De Pere who had been planning to host, as well as to our leadership team (students & adults) for their willingness to serve and work through this process.

In light of this news, we’d like to remind families around the diocese that there are still upcoming opportunities available for students to get plugged in within the diocesan youth community. There will be a 30 Hour Famine event at St. Thomas, Menasha (open to grades 6-12 & adult leaders) Feb. 14-15, and there is no cost to attend. Those in grades 9-12 will also have the opportunity to represent their congregations, as well as the Diocese of Fond du Lac, at the 2020 Province V Youth Event at Bellwether Farm Camp & Conference Center in the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio Feb. 28-Mar. 1. Cost is $100/person, and the diocese will cover travel costs (sign up has been extended to Feb. 10). Finally, those in grades 9-12 are welcome to apply by Jan. 31 to be part of the diocesan delegation to the 2020 Episcopal Youth Event, July 6-12 (travel dates included) in Washington, D.C. EYE is a triennial gathering of Episcopal high school students from all over the world, and it is an incredible opportunity to see a bigger view of the church.

If there are any additional questions, please feel free to contact Erin Wolf at ewolf@diofdl.org. Please continue to keep those connected to Happening in your prayers, and please continue to pray for and support the youth of the Diocese of Fond du Lac. 

Faith @ Home is a weekly discipleship practice of Reading, Reflecting, and Responding to scripture in the context of community. Devotions are provided to use with friends or family to help individuals deepen their experience of faith experience from Monday-Saturday. Faith @ Home is a ministry of Forma and Forward Movement .

​Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinator, Erin Wolf, is a contributing writer to Faith @ Home. She contributed to the "Adult and Elementary" pieces for "The Way of Love" posts. While these posts have been launched in Lent, it is a stand-alone series not tied to a specific part of the church calendar. 

When visiting the site, you may sign up for a year-round weekly email to include four separate lectionary based reflections and prompts for families and friend groups.

Youth currently in grades 9, 10 and 11 are invited to apply to attend a Provincial Youth Event to be held March 8-10, 2019 at Waycross Camp and Conference Center in Indiana. The focus of the event is on leadership. This event will include folks from the dioceses of Province V, which are the diocese found in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and eastern Missiouri. The cost is $100 for the event with  travel costs provided by the Diocese of Fond du Lac youth budget. 

Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinator, Erin Wolf, notes that space is limited to FIVE students and ONE additional adult chaperone. If you our someone you know might have interest, please submit an application no later than Sunday, January 6, 2019. Those selected will be notified shortly thereafter with further information regarding registration and the weekend itself.

The application is found here.

Grace and peace: After prayerful discernment and conversation with Bishop Matt Gunter, the Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinator, and adult leadership concerning Happening and New Beginnings, a few new changes will be put into place starting in the 2017-2018 school year. At this time, Happening will become an annual FALL event for high school students (grades 9-12), and New Beginnings will become an annual SPRING event for Middle School students (grades 6-8). 

There has been growing interest in both building up the New Beginnings program for middle school students as well as providing continued leadership opportunities for high school students. A large part of the New Beginnings program is designed to be run by those in grades 9-12 with both lay & ordained adults supervising and supporting. It is the hope of youth leaders within the diocese that this adjustment in the calendar will help build up and strengthen both programs.

If anyone has any questions regarding these changes to the youth ministry calendar, you may contact our Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinator, Erin Wolf, at ewolf@diofdl.org. Please continue to keep these ministries and all who minister within in prayer as they begin this new school year together.

​The Rt. Rev. Matthew Gunter, Bishop of the Diocese of Fond du Lac, the Episcopal Church in northeast Wisconsin, is pleased to announce the hiring of Erin Wolf as Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinator (DYMC). The DYMC gives direction to and supervises the diocesan youth ministry program in a manner consistent with the mission and ministry of the Diocese of Fond du Lac. Wolf has been Interim in this position since June 2016 and will continue as Director of Youth Ministry at All Saints Episcopal Church, Appleton a position held since 2012.
 
“We interviewed strong candidates for the position,” Bishop Matt shared with the Executive Council, “but Erin’s strong skill set, background and experience made the decision easy for the committee. We look forward to her continuing to keep youth ministry strong in this diocese, as it has been for many, many years.” Committee members included Bishop Matt; Matthew Payne, Diocesan Administrator; CeCe Schertz, St. Thomas, Menasha; and the Rev. Amanda Sampey, St. James, Mosinee.
 
Wolf holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Cardinal Stritch University and was a participant in the Religious Scholars Vocation Program. With over a decade of youth ministry leadership, she has served congregations in the Episcopal and Lutheran Church. A self-described “cradle Episcopalian” she has been a leader in Happening for High School Youth and served as counselor, musician, session director and camp director at the Diocesan Summer Camp.
 
“My interim has given me unique insight into the needs of individual congregations of the diocese,” Wolf shared with the interview committee, “as well as ideas for engaging youth within going forward.” The primary duty of the DYMC is to support, train and recruit volunteers for youth ministry activity, including appropriate screening. The secondary duty is to be “in charge” of diocesan youth ministry activity, events and programs, implementing them with the assistance of volunteers. The DYMC is responsible for assuring diocesan policies and procedures are observed.
 
Wolf begins the new position August 1, 2017.

Preparations are underway for a major event this summer: the national Episcopal Youth Event (EYE). The General Convention in 1982 voted to create a triennial event that allowed high school students (completed grades 9-12) and adults from all over the Episcopal Church come together for several days of worship and service. EYE 2017 will be held July 10-14, 2017 at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, OK. Follow the hashtag #eye17 on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat for event updates.

Please keep this year's delegation from the Diocese of Fond du Lac in your prayers: 
Students: Emma Armstrong (Trinity, Oshkosh), Sierra Edwards (St. Thomas, Menasha), Megan Gramins (St. Thomas, Menasha)
Adults: Amy Heimerl (Ascension, Merrill), Erin Wolf (All Saints, Appleton), Bishop Matt Gunter.