Heart & Mind
| Quotes about Trout Lake Camp | Best Week of Summer, All Summer Long |
Chapel bells chime through towering evergreens. Whispering waves lap at the point. Breezes waft the clean scent of a Minnesota summer: pine with a hint of bug spray. "Buddy check!" hollers the lifeguard, and arms splash upward through crystal clear lake water, united in that time-honored routine of looking out for one another. Ah, how the memories flood back – summers spent at Trout Lake Camp!
Today "Buddy Check" is the rallying cry for Trout Lake veterans of all ages to reunite on July 7, 2007, when hundreds will gather to celebrate 60 years of Minnesota Baptist Conference (MBC) camping ministry. Trout Lake Camp is tied inextricably not only to a denomination, but also to generations of campers, staffers, and volunteers who forged lifelong bonds while collecting summers full of memories. The story of Trout Lake is one of faith bearing witness to God's power, year after year.
A Meeting Place with God
Back in the 1940s, recounts MBC's Executive Director of Camping Jon Wicklund '02, camping had become increasingly important in the conference's ministry outreach. For years, state districts had rented facilities each summer to conduct their own camps, but the camps' popularity had far outgrown any available accommodations. With approval from MBC trustees, the search for the perfect camping ministry site began in late 1944. More than 40 potential locations were considered, but careful study indicated that the area around Brainerd would be ideal for a substantial 77 percent of the MBC churches in the state. Through what many consider divine intervention, pastors Vincent Tellgren and J.G. Johnson learned of a lodge for sale just north of Brainerd. So off they went to investigate.
Trout Lake Lodge, built in the 1920s by Gus and Daisy Brot, had enjoyed a long and colorful history in a region steeped in Ojibwa Native American culture. Tellgren and Johnson found a settlement of 10 log cabins, a tavern, and a store occupying 40 acres nestled on the shores of the Whitefish chain of lakes. The only access was a nearly impassible old logging road. Realizing that most potential campers lived within a reasonable 135-mile radius of the site, the trustees, 34 pastors, and 28 laymen from across Minnesota converged on the tiny store on May 21, 1945, to pray about the next step. A motion was made not only to buy the property from owner L.E. Greim, but also to raise $35,000 to cover both the purchase price and the modifications necessary to adapt the site for camping ministry. Since that staggering amount represented more than twice the MBC's annual budget, the group's decision represented a leap of faith they likened to Hebrews 11:8, "And Abraham went out not knowing whither he went." But their faith was rewarded, and the dream location campers learned to call a "Meeting Place with God" became a reality.
The Ministry Grows
The grand opening of what was then known as Big Trout Lake Bible Camp was held July 4, 1947, and campers filled the cabins the remaining weeks of the summer. A joyful 89th Annual Meeting of the MBC culminated in the formal dedication of the camp that fall. Every year since, dedicated men and women have stepped forward to improve the site in myriad ways. A dining hall and chapel were added by 1956, and the bell tower was constructed by hand, one fieldstone at a time. Succeeding decades saw the addition of The Quads and Shalom House further expand the camp's capacity for ministry.
To date, more than 200,000 people have attended summer camps or retreats
at Trout Lake; many recall taking their first steps of faith in God
beneath the tall pines. In recent years the acquisition of more land
and the construction of a soccer field, paintball court, and six new
cabins have helped facilitate the ministry's continued popularity.
Even so, Trout Lake's buildings have been bursting at the seams
each summer with more campers signing up than could be accommodated.
Following in the footsteps of faith trod by the many who helped make
the ministry so wildly successful, Trout Lake is opening a new facility
this year, Timber Ridge.
"In the future, we will be able to increase our ministry to reach up to 500 campers per week with Timber Ridge," Wicklund explains. "By 2008, we will have four separate camps going on simultaneously during the summers – two for elementary-aged children at the original camp, a junior high camp at Timber Ridge, and a senior high leadership development camp." Adjacent to Trout Lake, Timber Ridge will have its own lodge, dining center, bathhouse, and 18 cabins.
More than 300 people have already signed up for the anniversary celebration in July. Reunion plans include a dedication of Timber Ridge Camp, providing Trout Lake alums yet another reason to raise their voices in praise to God. And perhaps, just one more time, to raise their arms united in fellowship to the cry "buddy check!"
To find out more about Trout Lake/Timber Ridge, go to http://troutlakecamps.org; to sign up for the reunion, log on at http://www.buddycheck.insourcemedia.com/.
The Point at Trout Lake Camp – photo by Dana Wible
"I had the privilege of being
the first music director for Trout Lake Camp, leading music all
through the summer of 1978. We must have sung 'Blind Man' a thousand
times during evening campfires out on the point. For some reason
people across the lake didn't seem to enjoy it as much as we
did. Now things have come full circle. My youngest son will serve
on staff this summer. I'm excited to see how God will use him
and grow him. Trout has been a tremendous blessing in my life
personally, and in the lives of my family."
Dave
Reno '79, Lead Pastor, Grace Fellowship, Brooklyn Park, Minn.
"In the 60s, new freshmen at
Bethel moved into their dormitory rooms and then almost immediately
boarded buses for Freshman Retreat at Trout Lake Camp. It was
a great place to meet new friends, to begin to understand the
spirit of Bethel, and to be in God's great outdoors before the
Minnesota winter set in. Commitments were made to follow Christ
in the year ahead that I know made a difference as we returned
to campus. One not quite so spiritual tradition dictated that
the retreat leader and student body president would get thrown
in the lake. Boy, was that water cold..."
Jim Spickelmier '68,
Associate Vice President, Seminary Development
"Without a doubt, being a camper
and staff member at Trout Lake is among the most important influences
in my spiritual growth. Working as camp nurse in the 1970s helped
form much of my view of nursing as a ministry. Years later my two
daughters were both Trout Lake campers as well. Equally influenced
by being there, they have encouraged many of their friends to come
to Trout, too."
Beth Peterson '02,
D.Min. student, Bethel Seminary, Associate Professor of Nursing, CAS
"Tim and I have volunteered at TLC as counselors, teachers,
pastors, program coordinators, and musicians for family and kids' camps
almost every summer since 1991. Among our favorite memories are chapel
singing and worship – and sitting on the bench outside the office
in the afternoons watching kids run to and from their activities. We
also love the soda fountain and the boat docks. Trout has made a difference
in our lives and the lives of our daughters Kate and Libby – we
are grateful for such a wonderful 'meeting place with God' and
with God's people."
Tim Brown '92 and Jeannine Brown '91, Associate Professor
of New Testament, Associate Academic Dean, Bethel Seminary
Best Week of Summer, All Summer Long
Jon Wicklund's ministry passions converged perfectly when he
discovered his "spot" on the beautiful shores of Minnesota's
famous Big Trout Lake.
The executive director of camping ministries for the Minnesota Baptist Conference (MBC), Wicklund found his vocation along a rather roundabout route. Growing up in nearby Arden Hills, Wicklund graduated from Bethel University with a degree in biology, then completed a Master of Divinity at Bethel Seminary. Two years later he went on to earn an MBA from St. Thomas University. At the same time, he began full-time ministry serving as pastor of administration for Calvary Church in Roseville, Minn.
Wicklund signed on with the MBC in 2004, drawn to the opportunity to merge his enthusiasm for communicating the gospel to children and youth with his God-given knack for administration. He was no stranger to camping, however, nor to Trout Lake Camp, the "jewel" of the MBC's outdoor facilities. Not only had Wicklund himself been a camper at Trout, along with his brother Dave and sister Kristi (Richburg) in the 1980s, but his parents, Paul and Linda, had been frequent visitors since the 1950s. The Wicklund family's ties with Bethel extend even farther back – Jon's siblings and parents also graduated from Bethel, as did his grandparents, Arnold and Charlotte Wicklund. Arnold served on Bethel's Board of Trustees for 20 years and was an assistant to former Bethel president Carl Lundquist.
With such a heritage, it was no surprise Wicklund was drawn to full-time ministry; but being able to serve in a setting where he has a personal history, he says, just makes his job even more meaningful. "With a place like Trout Lake Camp, you can see the Holy Spirit at work in a camper's life up close and personal," Wicklund says. "The blessings campers take away can be multiplied through generations." He notes that many who come to Trout Lake each summer are, like he was, children or grandchildren of former campers. "It's awesome how God radically changes the life direction of kids and teens while they are here," he notes. "A lot of young people over the years have found their salvation in Christ during what they call the ‘best week of their summer.'"
Wicklund's passion for young people began early. Involved in Young Life during high school, he served as a volunteer leader with the organization while an undergrad at Bethel. He also met his wife Aleeta during those years. Aleeta earned an M.A. in counseling psychology from Bethel in 2001, and now serves as a counselor at Northwestern College in St. Paul. The couple has two children, 3-year-old Hannah and 10-month-old Matthew.
"My love for Christian camping is fueled by a desire to see what happens when staff and volunteers love the youth, biblical instruction takes place, and people respond to the transforming message of Jesus," Wicklund says. "My family heritage, education, and skills have prepared me well to serve where I am during this time. I love it!"