Keeping the campfire burning

Ran on Saturday, June 23, 2007

Keeping the campfire burning
Luther Park Bible Camp has welcomed the public as a 'place for ministry to happen' for 75 years and is ...

By Keighla Schmidt
Leader-Telegram staff

CHETEK - Sleeping in tents, sharing stories and songs by the campfire and whispering late into the night - those are among the memories children will make this summer, as they have for the past 75 years, at Luther Park Bible Camp.
Since 1932 Luther Park Bible Camp has welcomed children as a "place for ministry to happen," Camp Director Sherm Toufar said.
Some things have changed.
When the first campers registered, the fee was $3 and a jar of jelly to help feed the campers.
Members of area congregations would supply a staff for one week at a time during the summer. All campers would pitch tents.
Like anything else, the price has risen. There are 10 full-time year-round staff members. Summer staff and campers can sleep in tents, cabins or retreat centers - large buildings available for group rentals.
There are programs at the camp year-round. For the summer months the camp features basketball courts, canoes, a swimming pool and a playground. People can water-ski at their leisure. During the winter, the camp offers a 23-hour weekend program for third- through 12th-grade children, two one-day programs for adults and a number of quilting retreats. In winter, the retreat centers can be rented out as well. With programs year-round, the total camp staff of about 50 caters to about 1,500 children and 250 adults.
The physical size of the camp also has flourished. With two sites, there are 420 acres for campers to enjoy nature while celebrating God.
Things may have changed, but the theme remains the same.
"It's a place where God's people can gather," Toufar said.
"Seventy-five years ago, land was purchased so kids would have a place to go for the summer," said Mary Toufar, director of programming and Sherm Toufar's wife. "It's a place to experience God in an outdoor setting and get away (from modern-day stress)."
To commemorate the anniversary, the staff is planning an all-camp reunion. The park will celebrate Family Fun Days on Friday, Sept. 14, and Saturday, Sept. 15. The weekend will include songs, slide presentations, games, worship and a hog roast.
In addition to the reunion, other events will recognize the longevity of the camp.
Last month, the Rev. Paul Oman of Trinity Lutheran Church in Birchwood created a limited-edition commemorative painting for Luther Park Bible Camp. The painting depicts a campfire near the lake. There are 133 paintings available for sale, the same number of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America churches that support Lutheran Bible Camp through donations.
The camp has ELCA church members, but "serves people in many denominations," Sherm Toufar said.
"The painting really says a lot about the camp," Mary Toufar said. "Relationships are built and stories are told around the campfire."
While a variety of children with varying interests attend the camp, the director recognizes that one of the most-awaited events arrives when the sun goes down.
"The most popular activity for kids is the time they spend around the campfire, and the time they spend with councilors," Sherm Toufar said. "The print captures all of that."
As a throwback to the camp's inception, officials are asking campers to bring a canned food item. Those items will be donated to Feed My People food bank.