If you’re coming to Camp Gunnison—The Way Household Ranch for the first time, some surprises are in store for you. Nestled in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains is a camp like no other. It’s a place where students in The Way Corps training spend time developing leadership skills for a lifetime of Christian service. It’s a place where followers of The Way gather for ministry classes and special events. And it’s a place where Way believers and their families and friends can come from around the world for a camp or a getaway to be refreshed by God, His Word, and His handiwork.
Located near Gunnison, Colorado, Camp Gunnison—The Way Household Ranch has been the “camp arm” of The Way International for more than thirty-five years. Throughout the years its programs and facilities have been developed and lovingly maintained to make Camp Gunnison a high country haven, a place where people can be edified as they focus on the Word of God in their lives.
Each year a portion of the in-residence Way Corps training takes place at Camp Gunnison. Students receive training in the whole Word during the four-year Way Corps program, and this location provides unique opportunities for growth and learning during their two years in residence. With its rugged, mountainous surroundings, Camp Gunnison is an ideal environment for teaching aspects of believing and living God’s Word via outdoor activities designed to develop an “I Can Do” attitude.
In addition to being a Way Corps training location, Camp Gunnison—The Way Household Ranch has hosted the advanced class on The Way of Abundance and Power. For approximately two weeks, students dwell together in unity, enjoying beautiful accommodations, peaceful surroundings, and an abundance of God’s Word. The camp also hosts special weekends for the believers in Colorado and neighboring States to celebrate the ministry’s anniversary in October and Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, in the spring. These weekends bring lasting memories and blessings.
It’s been said that the greatest cargoes of life come in over quiet seas. The Word-centered, peaceful setting of Camp Gunnison allows individuals to quiet their “seas of life” and focus on the most important aspects of their lives, including their relationship with their heavenly Father. Here’s how Rev. Rosalie F. Rivenbark describes it:
“In the beautiful and inspiring setting of Camp Gunnison, set apart from the everyday concerns and business of life, we can focus on the Word with like-minded believers. We can let the Word dwell in us richly. We can be refreshed by the beauty of God’s handiwork and invigorated by our fellowship with God and one another.”
This is why people from around the world also set their believing sights on attending a camp or a getaway—and many find themselves returning again and again! The different camps and getaways featured throughout the year at Camp Gunnison are a major delight for the participants and for the Staff who support them. You’ll see that both camps and getaways contribute dynamically to a person’s growth and quality of life, while each has a different format.
Camp Packages
A camp package includes lodging and all meals, and campers follow a well-planned schedule of teachings, rest, and recreation. Activities inside and outside of the classroom are designed to enhance what the campers are learning. Camps vary in length from four to eight days.
A range of topics have been taught at camps, including the foundational and intermediate classes on The Way of Abundance and Power, Defeating the Adversary, The Renewed Mind: The Key to Power, and more. In addition, several youth camps have focused on the needs and interests of campers from eighteen to twenty-five years of age.
Here is what one young woman had to say about her time at the Youth Camp on Biblical Leadership Principles:
“This camp has been more inspiring than I could have ever asked for. Every aspect was just perfect—from the dynamic teachings to the hands-on activities, group sharings, meals, horizontal hour…and the list goes on and on. Leaving this camp, I feel more confident in my abilities as a leader in the Body of Christ. We have the tools, resources, and God’s gift of holy spirit that enable us to live boldly, serve mightily, and lead dynamically.”
Getaways
Getaways are aptly named. They are a time to “get away” from the daily business of life and to plan your own activities and adventures, with beautiful Camp Gunnison as home base. Way believers and their families and friends may stay for as little as one day or throughout the entire nine-day getaway period. For each getaway that’s made available, the Staff at Camp Gunnison offer various activities for guests to enjoy, and there are many things to do in the surrounding area during every season of the year.
One highly popular activity coordinated by the Staff is a historical tour of Camp Gunnison—it tells of God’s great involvement in making it available for The Way Ministry to acquire the property in 1976. Other optional activities may include stargazing, game nights, and river rafting. On Sundays it’s available to join the Staff at their 10:30 a.m. fellowship and later for the Sunday Teaching Service telephone hookup from Headquarters. Monday through Friday guests may join the Staff at Camp Gunnison for delicious noon meals. For other meals, guests prepare food in their housing areas or go out to local restaurants.
At their leisure, guests can enjoy walking around the grounds, taking in the peace and beauty of this wonderful location, reading their Bible, and praying in various indoor and outdoor locations. A favorite activity for many is fishing along the Gold Medal waters of the Gunnison River, which is world famous for its prolific German brown and rainbow trout population….
This is an excerpt from the September/October 2012 issue of The Way Magazine.
Copyright© 2012 by The Way International. All rights reserved.
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