Family Camp Summer 2009- I Am!

Join us for a family vacation your whole family will love- one that’s full of fun and excitement and one that will create lasting memories for years to come! It's an opportunity to grow in faith in Jesus Christ as a whole family through chapel times, prayer, family devotions, mealtimes, and all the fun activities.

Each day the kids will decide up into their age groups for "Two Hours of Power", which includes Bible study, recreation time, snacks, crafts, and singing. During this time the adults will enjoy two hours in the chapel digging deeper into the summer’s theme or another topic selected by the week's speaker.

Each family will be paired with one of our great summer counselors for the week. Don't miss this opportunity to get away and experience camp as a whole family. So grab your neighbors, relatives, friends, and anyone you consider family, and make your reservations for one of our family camp weeks right away

Tentative dates are for family camp are:
June 21-26, 2009 with speaker Luther Thoreson
June 28- July 3, 2009 with speaker Reid Matthias
July 5-10, 2009 with speakers Derek Rust and Tim Hatt
July 26-31, 2009 with speaker Scott Rains
August 2-7, 2009 with speaker John Kline
August 9-14, 2009 with speaker Kyle Fever

Meet our Speakers!

June 21-26, 2009: Luther Thoreson
Sacred Storytelling and music (in a variety of styles) are at the heart of my ministry, my person, and my relationships with people and parish. Sacred Story and music live in the soul of Luther Thoreson. I am honored to be one of the Family Camp speakers for Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp, and will share part of my "soul" during the week. In our time together I will share sacred stories (including biblical stories, folktales, personal tales, and ect.) and music as a vocalist and guitarist to provide opportunities for participation, personal growth and reflection.

I was born in Osage, Iowa, graduated from high school there, being the son of an Iowa farmer and his wife. I attended Waldorf College at Forest City, Iowa and Luther College Decorah, Iowa, completing a major in biology. Thereafter, I attended Wartburg Seminary at Dubuque, Iowa and was ordained in 1981. I served six years of pastoral ministry in suburban Wheaton, Illinois. Then, in 1987, I moved to Ruthven, Iowa where I serve Zion-Lost Island Lutheran Parish as a pastor.

June 28- July 3, 2009: Reid Matthias
Reid is a native of Iowa and a Wartburg College graduate. He is currently an Associate Pastor at Our Saviors Lutheran in Rockford, Illinois. Reid also spent many years here at camp as a camper and counselor. He is married to Christine, a native of Australia, who he met on LYE 17-month tour to Germany and Denmark. They have three girls, Elsa, Greta, and Josephine. Together, they love singing and music, reading, camping, hiking, traveling, cooking, swimming, and other sports.

July 5-10, 2009: Derek Rust and Tim Hatt
Rev Derek Rust is currently the atmosphere Architect Pastor at Hosanna! Lutheran Church in Lakeville, MN. He is also an Alpha Regional Advisor and Director of "Outside the Box" which is a ministry helping to equip churches with a variety of evangelism tools. Derek was formerly on staff at Holy Trinity Brompton in London (1989-1994) as a Youth and Children's Pastor. He then co-pastored a non-denominational church in Denver, CO (1994-2001). British Derek is married to Australian Cathy and they have four children, Josh, Jamie, Hannah, and Rebecca, who carry three different nationality passports!

Rev. Tim Hatt has served as the Kingdom Expansion Pastor at Hosanna! Lutheran Church in Lakeville, MN since 2001. His associates describe him as a beloved pastor, an insightful teacher, an articulate spokesperson, and an effectual exhorter. After graduating from Bible School, Hatt began his ministry as a Youth Pastor in Canada. The Hatts then prepared for a move to Bolivia to serve on the Pioneers Bolivia Team among the Quechua people in remote mountainous villages, where they served seven years. Between his missionary service and his mission’s pastorate, Hatt has ministered in over 20 nations! He, his wife Caroline, and their three children, enjoy a rich spiritual and multi-national heritage. Tim is Canadian, Caroline is French Canadian, and their children were each born in a different country: Jadon, age 10, Canada, Stephen, age 8, Bolivia, and Kara, age 5, U.S.

July 26-31, 2009: Scott Rains
Campus Pastor for Lutheran Church of Hope NorthBranch, Scott Rains grew up on a farm outside New Providence, Iowa and graduated from Eldora-New Providence High School. After earning a Communication degree from Central College in Pella, Iowa Scott began work as a youth pastor in Des Moines. Scott married Wendy in 1997 and moved to Portland, Oregon where he earned his Master of Divinity from George Fox Evangelical Seminary. While in seminary Scott joined the staff of an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) church plant, Community of Christ Church. Scott served as a pastor of Buffalo Friends Church near Davenport for five years prior to joining the Hope staff in 2006.
An avid sports fan and movie buff, “both of which are best enjoyed with chips and a perfectly melted combination of Rotel and Velveeta,” Scott is passionate about the local church. “Being the campus pastor at NorthBranch- Lutheran Church of Hope’s first satellite- provides an incredible opportunity to lead a congregation that is Christ-centered, culturally relevant and exploding with creativity. God’s word in Isaiah 42:19 is our daily experience at NorthBranch, ‘See, I am doing a new thing.”
Scott and Wendy have five children, Dalton, Hadley, Kiley, Kemble, and Shayden.

August 2-7, 2009: John Kline
I was born in Chicago and grew up the son of a mission developer and a nurse. My dad built churches in Chicago, Colorado, and Texas and so as a child I moved a few times and saw a few places. I attended the University of St. Thomas in Houston and graduated with a BA in Business. For over three years I worked for Ford Motor Credit in the Houston office. In 1991, I received a call from the Lord to go to seminary and so I went to Luther Seminary in St. Paul. While at seminary I had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ that gave meaning and direction to my life for the first time. Since that time I have tried to live out my life by loving God and serving others. I am married to Grace who is an artist and a theologian and we have two little girls, Beata and Verity.
Upon graduating from seminary I asked the Lord to send me wherever he wanted me but asked for two things: let me use the gifts He gave me and don’t ever let me be bored. In 1996 I received the call to serve as Teaching Pastor at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, Iowa. It was my privilege to pioneer and lead a variety of ministries at Hope. In 2003 we accepted a call to be missionary teachers at a Christian college in the former Soviet Republic of Latvia. In 2005, the school changed its affiliations and after a lot of prayer we accepted an invitation to move back to Des Moines where I am currently Lead Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church.

August 9-14, 2009: Kyle Fever
Kyle is currently at Luther Seminary in St. Paul as the Visiting Lecturer in the New Testament. Kyle spent many summers here at camp as both camper and counselor. He even met his beautiful wife, Laura at camp. They currently reside in Stillwater, MN and have been blessed with two children, Jaya and Tate. He is also Emeril Legasse’s #1 Fan, and Giada DeLaurentiis’ #2 fan.