Lutheran Outdoor Ministries

06/08/2026

Meet Your 2026 LOM Conference Team!

We are excited to introduce the team that is already hard at work planning an incredible LOM Conference experience for this year! From worship and learning to fellowship and fun, this group is dedicated to creating a meaningful and memorable event for everyone who attends.

Your 2026 Conference Team:
Right to Left: Curtis Bradbury, Phil Geleske, Matt Kindsvatter, Jordan Pfeifer, Jeff Fairfax, Deanna Christensen, Andrew Templeman, Tom Powell. Not pictured: Evan Moilan, Jacob Spilker.

A Message from the Team:
"We're excited to welcome you to Camp Tejas this November for a unique LOM experience where camp, community, and ministry come together."

Please join us in welcoming this amazing group and keeping them in your prayers as they prepare for the months ahead. We can't wait to gather together and see all that God has in store for the 2026 LOM Conference at Camp Tejas!

06/05/2026

Camp staff from Lutherdale, Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center, and Sugar Creek Bible Camp gathered at Wartburg Theological Seminary to participate in a joined day of staff training called “Camp at the Castle.”

Staff wondered, wrestled, learned, and worshipped together across these four sites. And in this time together, they had opportunities to recognize that while each camp may have different ways of saying a grace or doing skits, there are also deeply held tenants and learnings that ground all sites in this ministry.

Thanks to Wartburg and elcayoungadults for hosting and leading this collaborative day!

06/04/2026

LOM is pleased to welcome Derek Stienmetz to the role of Project Manager for Lutheran Outdoor Ministries. This grant-funded position will help support LOM's work with the ACA Character at Camp Network Planning Grant that LOM received.

Derek is a ministry leader and counselor in training with 10 years of experience in congregational and camp ministry within the ELCA and the United Methodist Church. We are thrilled to have Derek join the team, and are excited for all that they are going to be doing for LOM in the coming months ahead.

05/14/2026

Registration is officially OPEN for our annual conference at Camp Tejas in Giddings, Texas!

Join us November 9–13 for an incredible week of learning, connection, worship, and community. We’re excited for this opportunity to gather together, grow, and make lasting memories.

Don’t wait—save your spot today!
👉 https://www.lomnetwork.org/conference/

We can’t wait to see you there!

Join us in 2026 November 9-13, 2026 Tejas Camp & Retreat Giddings, TX Register today! Did you miss the link to pay for your conference registration? Pay here!

05/06/2026

The LOM Board of Directors gathered this week to discern, strategize, and dream about the important work of LOM now and in the future. The Board was busy, and there was good and faithful conversation that took place throughout this time together.

Thanks to Lutherdale for the wonderful hospitality and to Louise Johnson for guiding the conversations. Be on the lookout for more updates about this retreat soon!

04/22/2026

Lutheran Outdoor Ministries is thrilled to be the recipient of a third Total Inclusion! grant. This grant, awarded to the ELCA and in support of the work of LOM, will strive to equip and empower ELCA outdoor ministry organizations in their work of inclusion.

Read the ELCA news release here: https://www.elca.org/news/elca-awarded-grant-for-total-inclusion

04/20/2026

Lutheran Outdoor Ministries joined with other networks and associations of the Outdoor Ministries Connection (OMC) at Dayspring Episcopal Conference Center last week for the OMC Council meeting and the Education Summit. As part of the summit, members from the LTE Committee and Compass Points Council gathered.

The days were filled with conversation and brainstorming about how to best collaborate across OMC with a special focus on education.

04/12/2026

We're Hiring! Lutheran Outdoor Ministries is seeking a part-time Project Manager (0.5 FTE) to lead our Character at Camp Network Initiative — a grant-funded effort to strengthen character development across our national network of camps and retreat centers.

This is a remote, temporary position running through December 2026, with potential to continue beyond. If you have experience leading complex projects, engaging diverse stakeholders, and translating research into practical tools, we’d love to hear from you.

Visit the link for the full job description and details on how to apply: https://www.lomnetwork.org/jobs/project-manager/

03/24/2026

This past November at the LOM Day during the OMC Great Gathering, Lutheran Outdoor Ministries presented Camp Mount Luther with the LOM Innovative Program Award.

The Innovative Program Award is given annually to an LOM member organization that has highlighted an innovative program in their organization.

Camp Mount Luther received this award as they launched a new faith community called CaTALYST! CaTALYST, which stands for Creating a Thoughtful Authentic Loving Youthful Space Together, is a community lead by young adults and open to anyone who wants to join. They meet four times a month in-person for Dinner Church and service projects and online for Faith & Fellowship and Game Night. This hybrid model allows the community to be based in the Upper Susquehanna community while still being accessible to participants around the world.

The community began in response to summer staff who acknowledged camp as their primary faith community and expressed an interest in staying connected to their faith through the camp community year-round. The community is designed to sustain and deepen the relationships formed during the summer camp season as well as open participants up to intergenerational relationships beyond camp.

Through this innovative model, Camp Mount Luther extends the spirit of summer camp into a vibrant, continuous faith community. CaTALYST is also a member of the ELCA's Gather Network. You can learn more about this community (and join them!) at www.campmountluther.org/catalyst.

Camp Mount Luther is grateful to have received the 2025 LOM Innovative Program Award for this initiative!

03/20/2026

The East Midwest Program Share-A-Thon took place earlier in March. Camp staff from around the Territory gathered together to talk camp and be in community for a few days.