RMCNews – Ward, Colorado … Two major facility initiatives were celebrated at Glacier View Ranch (GVR) in Ward, Colorado, September 29, with the official opening of the new 9,600 square foot storage facility—requiring the displacement of 200 tons of gravel and rock—and the groundbreaking for the new ropes course replacing an almost decade closed course formerly in Pathfinder Village.
In attendance for the celebration was the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) leadership team including Dave VandeVere, president, Doug Inglish, vice president for Administration, and Darin Gottfried, vice president for Finance. Also present was Jonathan Carlson, director of Camp Ministries, Dan Hansen, former director of Camp Ministries and donor relations field representative for the Voice of Prophecy, and Christina Fernald, GVR groundskeeper. From the Youth Department was Brandon Westgate, Youth director, Jade Teal, Youth assistant director, and Eli Gonzales, Club Ministries executive coordinator.
The planning for the storage facility began in 2014 to address the issue of the significant wear and tear on GVR’s expensive equipment and vehicles—necessary for the functioning of the camp—due to the harsh elements of the high-altitude location and to clean up the camp facilities from unsightly equipment clutter. The site of the new facility had served many functions over the years including an outdoor pool, regionally recognized skatepark, and concrete pad for basketball.
Hansen played a significant role in the planning process. This included his creation of a to-scale mockup of all GVR’s equipment to equate the size of the facility and facilitating traffic, light pollution, and other government impact studies at this remote location.
“I have heard Dan tell the story about going to Boulder County and them saying, ‘Why do you need a building this big?’, and Dan, literally, cut out all of the equipment and all the vehicles that we had [at GVR]—to scale—put it on their desk and explained ‘That’s why we need it’,” remarked Westgate.
“I just want to say I appreciate Dan’s leadership while he was up here ten years making this camp be the best it could be. We appreciate your years of service up here, Dan, and thank you,” commented Westgate. “And then I would like to thank Jonathan and Christina and the work that they’re doing to take up the ball where you left it and getting this project done. It was a ton of work.”
Near to GVR’s horse stables, construction of the new ropes course, a project that began almost a decade ago, is underway. Planning for this project began with Kiefer Dooley, RMC corporate treasurer for Asset Management, when he was the RMC Youth director after the closure of the previous ropes course at the end of 2016.
Dooley began looking for funding for a new ropes course and formed a partnership with Eric Shadle, AdventHealth Regional vice president for Mission Integration in Colorado, when the healthcare system was still recognized as Centura Health. Centura Health had a strong relationship with GVR, providing scholarships for all staff, regardless of level, to send their children to camp. Additional matching funds were approved by the RMC Executive Committee to ensure completion of the project.
Standing at about 40 feet high, the course will challenge and connect visitors with two zip lines, “leap of faith,” climbing wall, A.D.A.-compliant accessibility lift, and more. The course is projected to be complete by the end of October and under budget. “We are always looking for new activities at GVR,” reflected Dooley, “and this will provide an avenue for hands-on ministry and for staff to connect with people by facilitating these activities.”
“We are just so grateful for the people that went before us that made days like today happen,” praised Carlson in a closing prayer over the spaces. “Their vision was impressed upon them because this work is about You, Lord. It’s about changing young people’s hearts forever so that they know Jesus for their entire lives. We pray [these spaces will] glorify You and Your mission and Your work here.”
VandeVere closed the celebration with his personal experience of the camp: “[GVR] has had impact on me over the last forty years. Thank you to everybody here who is carrying on that tradition. It has big impact, and I can testify to that. So, thank you for what you’ve done.”
—RMCNews. Photos by Liz Kirkland.
