Building better tomorrows
Nearly 50 years ago, the St. Paul Outdoor Ministry Center opened in Maquoketa, Iowa. The space quickly turned from farmland into a working campsite. Cabins sprouted up, trails emerged, and a summer program was created. In 1982, St. Paul raised money to build the Program Center. This building continues to be the hub of camp life.
Around this time, a contest to rename the camp was held and a young camper proposed the name “Shalom.” And thus, Camp Shalom was born. “Shalom” is a Hebrew word meaning “peace.” Commonly used as a greeting, it can also mean the peace only God can give.
By 1995, many of the buildings from the master plan were in place, but the summer camp was small. The people of St. Paul felt that the sole ownership of Camp Shalom was limiting the camp’s potential to bring in youth of all denominations from around the area. Therefore, in 1996, Camp Shalom incorporated as an independent ecumenical ministry.
Since that time, enrollment at Camp Shalom has grown. Summer camps and retreats keep the grounds a bustling, faithful place. Last year, the Camp Shalom board and staff began to bring their next vision for Camp Shalom to life – a new building to protect and care for campers. The Secure Shelter and Health Care Center project is in the initial construction stages.
This building will provide a secure underground shelter to protect campers during inclement weather and other emergencies. The larger healthcare center will provide additional space for summer camp healthcare needs. Tom Bley is the Executive Director of Camp Shalom.
“When the original program center was built, it was just the village. But the outpost has been added and we have twice as many kids now. This will be a substantial improvement over the current emergency shelter,” Tom said. “This building will also serve as a more functional retreat center. It will house as many people as the Charis House and have a large gathering space all on one floor, and it’s handicap accessible for people with mobility issues.”
St. Paul member Becky Schmidt is the current Camp Shalom board president. She’s also a camp parent. Her twins, Owen and Sarah, have attended Camp Shalom for many years.
“This new facility is a need, not a want. Camp has always been thoughtful stewards of what they have. The need for this new space is greater now than ever,” Becky said. “The goal is for kids and youth to have this faithful experience so they grow into independent young adults. If you’re ever at youth group (SNL) on a Sunday night, we’re often talking about faith and faith formation, so Camp regularly comes up as an example of an impact on their faith. Camp Shalom goes hand in hand with everything we do at St. Paul. Both experiences are needed and enhance each other.”
Registration is still open for Camp Shalom summer programs. This summer’s programming runs through August 2. To learn more or sign up for a Camp Shalom summer program, visit campshalomia.org.
Did you know?
St. Paul provided $30,000 in camp ministry support to help build the secure shelter and healthcare center.