We’re Open!

In the fall of 2020, against the backdrop of the heartbreaking reality that we were not able to have summer camps that year, we found ourselves planning for and praying that we would be able to have overnight guests again at Mount Hermon sometime in 2021. Our hope was that by summer 2021 we would be able to have at least a limited number of guests at all four of our ministry sites. As we turned the corner into 2021, I continued to pray for what the Lord was going to have for us this summer. There was a very specific word that kept coming to mind that really helped shape my approach to the summer of 2021. That word was “OPEN.” As I began to lean into understanding how exactly this word was going to be the backdrop for my summer preparation, it became clear that it had two meanings.

The first was a hope and prayer that people would come to Mount Hermon open to what the Lord wants to do in their lives. Every year we hear amazing stories of how God moved in people’s lives at Mount Hermon. This year we hope we might see it even more powerfully given all that people have been through this past season. Gratefully, we have heard this from many of our guests this summer; in addition to hearing how grateful they are to be back!

The second meaning of “OPEN” was clear from the beginning and that was that we wanted to be and stay open during the entire summer amidst the reality of COVID-19. From the beginning of the pandemic, Mount Hermon has been committed to following all state and county mandates and guidelines as to how we operate and as we moved into summer 2021 we continued to do so.

The effort to be and stay open for an amazing and safe summer was several months in the planning, but it truly began to take shape once our summer staff arrived. Over 175 young men and women from all over the country who chose to serve at Mount Hermon this summer between our family camps, Kidder Creek, and the new day camp ministry at Redwood Camp. Every summer, this group truly becomes the hands and feet of Jesus to our guests and I have been inspired to see their commitment to the gospel so far this summer. Even amidst all of the challenges of modified schedules and changing dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen the Lord continue to refresh, renew, and transform lives as we’ve been able to be and stay open this summer.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support of Mount Hermon. I personally had the chance to speak with so many of you throughout the course of this summer who have been praying and supporting Mount Hermon during this difficult time and it has been a true source of encouragement to me. The passion that you have for the ministry of Mount Hermon and hearing how much it means to you have truly been inspiring! There have been few times in the history of this ministry where your support has meant more than during this past season and we are so incredibly grateful for you!