The Camp Luther Log

If you’ve called Camp Luther or walked into the Welcome Center within the last 13 years, you’ve likely talked to her. Most people call her MaryAnn, but her camp name, Welcome, is very fitting as she greets everyone with a smile and answers their questions so they feel at home. She is Camp Luther’s Administrative Assistant, and is an integral part to things running smoothly. She completes countless tasks, from working extensively with camper registrations, to answering and directing incoming phone calls, to making sure the office supplies stay stocked. This November, she’ll have her last day in the office – and in the Northwoods – as she and her husband move to Florida! We asked Welcome for her most memorable moment behind the desk at Camp Luther, and she was quick to laugh and retell a story involving winter and a slippery parking lot… Woody and I were at the front desk one winter, and looked out the window to see Pierre, the Facility Maintenance Manager at the time, driving d...

Hello! My name is Sojo, and I’m thrilled to join the Camp Luther full-time staff as Program and Communications Manager! I call the very small town of Clear Lake, Wisconsin my hometown, but am enjoying settling into my new home in the Northwoods. When someone asks me how I’ve come to work at Camp or how long I’ve been working here, I have to laugh a little. My journey here is full of twists and turns, and different positions, but I can see God working in all of it. As I grew up, Camp Luther had a clear impact on my social and spiritual life as I participated in youth camps, IMPACT, and youth retreats. Some of my biggest “aha” faith moments happened during Camp Luther programming. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Superior with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication in May 2014. During the summer of 2015 I served as Camp Luther’s Congregational Day Camp Coordinator. That fall I continued at camp, but in the position of Program Assistant. In April 2016, I came back o...

It began with a vision that every child in the North Wisconsin District should have the opportunity to go to camp.   District and camp leaders knew from decades of summer camp ministry that the Camp Luther experience has a significant impact in the faith development of children fortunate enough to attend. A vision began to take shape. What if, through the assistance of others who believe in the mission of Camp Luther, we could provide the opportunity for hundreds of children to attend each summer at no cost to their family? Now 10 years later, through your support and prayers, more than 2000 children have come to Camp Luther through Every Kid to Camp! The vision of Every Kid to Camp has grown as congregations and individuals have used the ministry to reach out to those in their communities who don’t know Christ. Each year 300 children come to Camp Luther for the very first time at no cost to their family. We are careful not to refer to Every Kid to Camp as ‘free.” It’s a gif...

Congratulations Dr. Rick and Ruth Steinke of Green Bay, WI, the 2015 Camp Luther Volunteers of the Year! Rick and Ruth’s passion for the mission and ministry of Camp Luther has been evident in their decades of service to camp and the North Wisconsin District.  Rick and Ruth (Winter) both attended Camp Luther briefly as children. Their interest grew as they served on the Camp Luther summer staff in 1964-1966; Rick as the summer Camp Director.  They passed on their passion for camp to their children Robin and Renae who both served as Junior Counselors and summer counselors in the 1990s; Robin also later on the Camp Luther year-round staff. In the early 1990s, Rick was elected to the North Wisconsin District Board of Finance.  He served continually on district boards through 2011, always with a special passion caring for the district’s camp. In 1999-2001, Rick and Ruth served as chairs of the Entrusted with Treasure campaign which raised approximately $2...

A little over a year ago, my family took a leap of faith that brought us to Eagle River as my husband became the Assistant Principal at the High School, and is now the Middle School Principal. God wrapped his arms around us and showed us how this is where we belong. I have been married since 1997 to the most wonderful man,  Dan ; and we have three wonderful boys, Harmon who has a passion for Bass Fishing and Hockey, Gaige who is full of adventure and loves hockey and baseball, and Danny Jr who brings excitement to every day. Some days it seems like a dream, but then I know it is all part of God's plan to be able to live on a lake, close to the hockey rink and be surrounded by so many people who really enjoy life and treat others with so much love. I played basketball through college, love to fish, hike, play in the lakes and spend time with family. My passion for veterans, seniors and youth has brought me many opportunities and my love for the outdoors, nature, and helping o...

Hello everyone, my name is Kardia!  I’m a native Wisconsinite who grew up in a family that loved me and loved Jesus and showed me what it looks like to follow Him. Regarding my choice of careers, my mom always tells me that she’s happy I’ve found people to go on adventures with—it means she doesn’t have to! I got my foot into the camp world in 2009, when I spent my summer working as a counselor at a camp up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin that may sound a little bit familiar...it was called Camp Luther. That experience involved pouring myself into the lives of kids of all ages and wondering (often) just what I had gotten myself into. The year following my first summer at camp, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a degree in Secondary Education, but I found myself increasingly drawn to the world of outdoor ministry. After spending a second summer working as a counselor at Camp Luther, I plunged full-time into the world of camp and have never looked...