The next piece of our mission statement is “Practicing Hospitality”.  I really appreciate the reality that we use the word “Practicing” in our statement.  Practicing implies that there is always room for improvement.  If I practice for a particular sport I am attempting to improve my game.  If I practice a musical instrument I am trying to improve the way in which I can perform a piece of music.  When we are practicing hospitality we are striving to create an environment where people feel welcomed.  We are creating a space where folks can recharge themselves, sharpen their focus, and find direction.  We are practicing because we don’t always get it 100% right for each and every one whom we encounter, but we keep trying.

We offer hospitality with guest rooms that are simple, yet comfortable.  We offer hospitality by intentionally limiting distractions, we don’t have twelve televisions blaring a news cycle 24/7.  We offer hospitality in the meals that we serve.  Both of our kitchens are staffed with folks who take hospitality very seriously.  They understand the idea of offering a meal which addresses more than physical hunger, and if a guest has specific dietary needs, our staff will go out of their way in an attempt to meet those needs.  We offer hospitality through a staff that is simply willing to take the time to say ‘Good Morning’.  When we ask ‘How are you doing?’, we truly want to know.

Our objective is to create an environment in which the commotions and distractions that seem all too prevalent in everyday life can be set aside for a while.  Once this everyday chatter is set aside, then our guests can concentrate on why they are here in the first place.  Obviously the specific reason a 7 year old camper comes to camp and a 70 year old quilter comes can be very different, but our over-riding objective for everyone remains the same.  Through hospitality we want our guests to be able to open themselves up to new possibilities within their lives.  These new possibilities might be the making of a new friend, or trying a new camp activity, or maybe it is fine-tuning an existing skill set, or taking their life in a new and exciting direction. Whatever their goal is upon arrival, we want our hospitality to provide them with the environment necessary to make their goal a real possibility.