At our conference this past October, Trent Patterson, President of Camp Wesley from Mooresville, NC shared with the group about a partnership the camp had forged with a group named, “Walk thru Bethlehem” to produce a live nativity at the camp.

Here is an update for Trent about the event:

Rain kept the attendance at about half of what they were expecting, but nearly one thousand visitors came despite the weather. 180 staff and volunteers served to create the experience.
 
The next weekend with better weather will bring an expected few thousand visitors.

The majority of people who attended had never heard of Camp Wesley before.

Finding strategic partners to work with during your off-season can be a double edged sword. The wrong partnership can damage your facility and your reputation in the community. However the right partnership can greatly increase your ministry in numerous ways:

• Public Relations – more potential campers will learn about your facilities and program
• Fundraising – Potential Donors see what you are all about
• Government Relations – the more people you bless the more will defend you against encroachment.
• Stewardship – enabling ministry to happen year round

If you are going to entertain or have already formed partnerships I recommend you develop a fairly detailed memorandum of understanding so both parties know what the expectations are in the relationship.

It is also important to monitor the ministry and their activities on your grounds. Demand the group produces an insurance rider which lists you as additionally insured with a bare minimum of $1 million dollars of protection.

Also, ask that each group adds a link on their website to your website and spend a few minutes talking about your ministry during their program. Have brochures available in the dining hall or in places where groups might congregate.

There are several possibilities for complimentary ministry in your area. One I would recommend which has local chapters nationwide is the Walk to Emmaus program.