It Tastes Like Chicken

Chicken is amazingly tasty and everyone should eat more. Why do I say that? Well, as I write this I'm sitting within miles of Tyson chicken, processing plants, farms, trucks, and corporate offices. Around here everyone knows someone who works for Tyson chicken. But, that little phrase, "It tastes like chicken" isn't a complement anymore. Maybe it never was.

This image is a work of a USDA employee, the image is in the public domain.

Kanakuk is an "Exciting Adventure in Christian Athletics". That's a pretty good tag line. It says a lot, whoever came up with that one knows something about positioning. It used to be enough to hang your mantel out and say "We have very good tasting chicken." But today's advertising saturated world with 20 channels of infomercials, billboard mania, and don't forget the pop-up ads all over the internet make the word look like a mile long chicken house.

When we brainstorm in the marketing department, business decorum goes out the window. There's no boss, there's nothing off limits, we poke fun at the crazy things people say and in the end we come up with an idea that alone none of us would have hatched. When the buttoned up guy in the office points to the Martha Stewart website in his analysis of good web design, that's freedom! (Not that he hasn't paid dearly for it.) When we get in the zone and stay late to make sure that what goes to press is special, that's dedication. All the fun and hard work, we hope leads to something just enough different that people will be drawn to the Kanakuk experience.

I get up in the morning and drive to my office just across the street from K-1 and K-Kountry. I listen to the kids laughing, the water splashing, the roar of boat motors and I know first hand the stories behind those sounds. I sit at my desk and I pour over the day's assignments and pray that my efforts won't taste like chicken. Because, when was the last time you said to your best friend, "Oh, you should send your kids to Kanakuk. It tastes just like chicken."

If you ever get time to check out Kanakuk for your child you'll find it doesn't taste like chicken, it tastes more like a Cajun style seafood boil, with all the fixin's! Tell all your friends, just don't tell my friends at Tyson.

Does your ministry or company taste like chicken? How are you cutting through the noise of the world and making your mission statement come alive to meet needs and reach people?

Lake Taneycomo in the news

Kanakuk Kamps, K-1 and K-Kountry, and the K-Kauai Family Kamp are all situated on the banks of Lake Taneycomo across from downtown Branson, Missouri. News outlets in the region are reporting on Lake Taneycomo being flooded in the Branson area, describing evacuations, etc. This is all true and many of our friends on the other side of the lake are underwater again! Local emergency services including the American Red Cross are responding to their needs even as I write.

I thought I would describe for people, the best I can how our Branson Kamps are positioned on the Lake.

As you may know Lake Taneycomo was once the White River and downtown Branson sits on the inside of a big meander of that old river. As the White River cut it's way through this area it left tall cliffs on the outside of the meander. Our Kamps are on the cliff side of the Lake and take advantage of about a 300-400 foot wide "bottoms" area perfect for sports fields and lake activities. All Kamp buildings; cabins, pools, dining halls, chapels, etc. are perched some 75-150 feet above on the high ground.




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Washed out Bridge near K1 leaves Kamp activities up and running

After a long rainy season in 2008, and a steady rainy most of the night Branson is wet! Flash flooding occurred throughout the area over night and into the morning today. The county bridge on Lake Shore Drive that goes over the little arm of lake Taneycomo (The "Slew" if you are a Kamp person) between K-Kountry and K-1 was washed out. This is the washed out bridge on the hairpin turn in Branson, Missouri on Lake Shore Drive.


Kanakuk Kamps President, Joe White wrote a quick note to K-1 parents letting them know what happened and that Kamp activities are going on like normal. Here is that letter:

"The K1 summer continues to be blessed, joyful and literally filled with stories of happy Kampers and fulfilled lives that I am sure will be told for a lifetime. We had and interesting event last night when the Lake Shore Drive bridge between K1 and K-Kountry washed out. As you know, it is a small two lane bridge approximately 25 feet long. No one was on the bridge when it washed out. Normal Kamp activities are uninterrupted. The kids were all asleep and were not even aware of the bridge situation. There is no change in any Kamp activities or schedule. All of our facilities are unaffected. When we have a heavy rain, we are always thankful we live on a hill! By the grace of God in 83 years of operation Kamp has never had an interruption of any kind, due to inclement weather. The only inconvenience will be a 5 -8 minute traffic detour when you drive to K1 for closing ceremonies. K-Kountry and K-Kauai traffic will proceed as usual. As I write, I am at K1 and the kids are playing games and having the time of their life. Thank you for entrusting us with your precious children. Again, by God's grace, this has been and will always be the safest place for a child on earth."

Other Kamp staff I talked to were working with County officials to determine traffic rerouting needs and coordinating getting signs made, etc. We have a great team in place to make sure the Kampers are safe and having a great time. While the bridge is close to the Kamp the affect to daily operations is very minimal.

My daughter is at K-Kountry right now and I haven't talked to the Director. I'm sure he's creating a rainy day adventure for all the kids and it will be a day they never forget. It will be interesting to talk to her when she gets home to see if she even knows what happened.

Check back here often for updates. As I get details I will post them here.

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Bring your Shoes to the Cross

In 1972 at the Munich Olympic Games, 7,134 athletes, from 121 nations, participated in 195 events; Mark Spitz won 7 gold medals and set 7 world records in swimming; handball was introduced; and most notably Palestinian terrorists killed two Israeli Olympic team members and took 9 more hostage. Sadly all the Israelis and 5 of the terrorists would die, but the games would go on and an idea would be born.

Kanakuk Kamps, President, Joe White attended the 1972 Munich Olympic games. One day Joe ventured into the athlete’s village and there met and befriended a young, African American, 400-meter runner named Debbie. Debbie was from Huntsville and with Texas as something in common she and Joe struck up a conversation. Debbie gave him her pair of Adidas SL72 running shoes; A gesture of good will that would light a spark.

Those shoes and that brief moment in Munich had an impact on Joe. As the young visionary leader of Kanakuk he had a passion for seeing kids come to the Cross, to lay their burdens down, and surrender all to Jesus Christ. Kanakuk in 1972 and throughout its entire history has focused on physical, mental and Spiritual growth through sports. As a coach and a camp counselor it didn’t take Joe long to make a connection between those shoes and the mission ahead.

When Joe returned from Germany he draped those shoes over the old cedar cross that stands in the outdoor church at K-1. He explained how an athlete’s shoes, tied together and thrown over a locker door signify the end of competing and struggling to push mind and body to the limits. And, shared how an old cedar Cross represents Christ’s sacrificial and final payment for our sins. That image was to be the new logo, the new representation of Kanakuk, bringing kids to the Cross through athletics. Joe asked Casey Koons if she would sketch that picture for him and her original work is what you see on the left.


Over the years the “cross and tennis shoes” logo morphed (middle image) and the original sketch was lost. When I first started working at Kanakuk I inherited anything that had to do with printing and in a box I found this original sketch. On the far right is a 2007 illustration, by Jessica Weaver that was an attempt to take the logo back to its roots and at the same time make it fresh and new. We hope you like it. It’s a strong symbol for what we do here at Kanakuk Kamps. For many Kampers this icon echoes the moment they said, “Today, I commit to fight the good fight, to finish the race, to lay my sin and struggle down at the feet of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Summer is going by so fast and so fun! The zip lines are zipping and the bell is ringing! Would you remember our staff and Kampers in prayer today?

New Kanakuk Web site is coming

Kanakuk.com is getting a make-over! we've begun the process of changing the way people experience Kanakuk online. Here is a screen shot of a very conceptual stage of the redesign.



We're not just changing the look. We' will be changing the way you interact with Kanakuk and each other. There are over 150 pages and 10,000's of lines of code behind the website now and that is getting ready to get even bigger. It's going to take us a while to get it all done but we'll keep you in the loop right here at Inside Kanakuk. Give us your feedback, we want the new site to work for you.

Kanakuk Klassic changes

As many of you know Kanakuk Klassic is being converted to a Kids Across America camp in 2009. This means that all the faithful Kanakuk Klassic Kampers are going to have to find a new Kamp home among the other 7 Kamps. It also means that many more of the Kids on the wait lists for Kids Across America will get a chance to hear and experience the love of Jesus Christ sooner.

Here are some of the things regarding this decision that may not be published elsewhere:

From KAA about their need:
"Over the years it has become increasingly clear and exciting to see how God has chosen to bless Kids Across America's 240 beautiful acres of land on shores of Table Rock Lake. Since the summer of 1990, 72,164 precious inner-city kids have entered the gates of KAA. Year after year, we see more inquiries and interest from urban groups all across America who want to bring their kids to KAA. Summer 2008 will set a new record for KAA with over 7,300 campers enrolled. At the end of May 2008 we had over 900 campers on the waiting list. We have followed the same trend the past 4 years with our waiting list. Each year more and more children are hoping that they get the chance to attend KAA.

While we are grateful to God for our strong history and current ministry impact, we know that the most important and critical days are ahead of us. Our board and staff are very excited about our future. We are confident that the timing is right to add on and to make camp dreams come true for thousands of kids"

From Inside Kanakuk:

Directors please communicate the following to families this summer.
- We are converting Kanakuk Klassic to a Kids Across America camp starting next summer to serve many more urban youth in 2009.
- There is plenty of room at the other Kanakuk Kamps to welcome the Kanakuk Klassic Kampers.
- For returning Kamp families, enrolling early will help them secure the spot best for their Kamper.
- On September 1st new Kamper enrollments will be processed.

To Kanakuk Klassic families:

“...We really wanted this summer to be special for your kids, because starting summer 2009 we’re converting Kanakuk Klassic to “Kids Across America Extreme.” It was a tough decision , but when we saw that Kids Across America is turning away literally thousands of inner-city kids, that the other Kanakuk Kamps have plenty of room to welcome all the returning Kanakuk Klassic Kampers, and that Kanakuk Klassic was just the right size and in the right location to meet the KAA need, we knew it was the right thing to do.
The rest of Kanakuk is ready and waiting to welcome you! Choose a Kamp that fits your child and enroll in the same term for 2009! Many of your Kanakuk Klassic friends will meet you there and there’s a whole new Kanakuk to explore together.

The Value of a Dollar

I won't very often take space here to share things of a personal nature but, I was impressed, in the fullest sense of the word, by this man...On Sunday, June 22nd our friend Paul Ostoich died after complications from back surgery. He was 79. The things that made him standout in the 14 years I knew him and probably his whole life are these:

1. On Sunday morning, if it was your birthday he gave you a dollar, and if you were a kid and lost a tooth, he gave you a dollar, and if you could produce the tooth he'd give you two dollars.

2. He gave unselfishly of his time (and things). Usually working with his hands. He was an extremely skilled craftsman. The pocket door in my house is straight and true because of his advice and help.

3. He was always cheerful, even when it was a struggle just to walk.

4. He finished well, not slowing down until the very end.

Paul you will be missed, deeply. Thanks for the example.



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Managing your strengths

"For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ from each according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly..." Romans 4-6a

Ever wonder how to hone your gifts and talents or how to help others do the same?

About 2 years ago I was introduced to the concept of Strengths as defined by the book Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham & Donald O. Clifton. Here are the basics and what I ended up doing with them:

1. Take a profile test to determine your Top 5 Strengths (out of the 34 total)
   
2. Shape your work and family life so that 75% of your day is spent using your Top 5 Strengths
3. Help those around you understand this and live it out in their lives
4. Focus on people's Strengths in the workplace, to grow efficiency and job satisfaction

When I first heard this, took the test, and read the book, I first thought, "Here's another personality test that, while interesting and probably fairly accurate, will quickly fade away as just another self help experiment." But, I was so intrigued by how accurate the test was and with the insights it gave me on employees that I decided I would give it a year of earnest practice.

I can't go into all the relevant examples here but I will say that 2 years later it remains the best management tool that I have. One example: I recently hired a Marketing Specialist. We needed someone to help work flow through our department, managing all the little details associated with video, print, web, design projects. We decided they needed to be good with people, a driving desire to get things done, organized, and self starting and would enjoy working in a ministry environment.

It got down to 4 amazing candidates, I sent them the StrengthsFinder 2.0 book and 2 of them had a top 5 set of Strengths that where a perfect match to our needs. In the end we went with the candidate who had previous experience as a counselor here at Kanakuk. But it was a tough decision.

Mollye has been here now over 3 months and was the perfect fit. Her Top 5 Strengths are; Achiever, Discipline, Relator, Strategic, Belief. Seems like a small thing, but knowing you hired the right Strengths for the job makes a huge difference once they get in the trenches with you. Mollye enjoys her job, she's good at it, and focused on serving in her areas of strength.

Kanakuk 12 Month Outlook

I see the following ahead for Kanakuk in the next 12 months:

1. Kanakuk Klassic converts to a Kids Across America camp
2. Development of Kids Across Africa begins in earnest
3. Men at the Cross movement puts on 7+ events in major cities
   
4. www.kanakuk.com gets a face lift including a web 2.0 core
5. Kamper term videos will be sent in January
6. Kanakuk Alumni will finally get a home on the web
7. A Kanakuk employee will be on American Gladiator
8. You'll hear and see the name Kanakuk Kamps more in Kansas City, Tulsa, and St. Louis

Road Biking

This summer Kanakuk Colorado has a new specialty: Road Biking. Check out the video over at The Journey:

http://andybraner.typepad.com/the_journey/2008/06/video-update.html



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Kanakuk by the Numbers

Kanakuk Kamps is 8 Kamps, each run by a Director team, in a unique facility, with it's own personality. In so many ways Kanakuk is an intimate kind of family place. The staff know all the Kampers by name, people stay in contact over the year, and life-long friends are made. My goal every day is to make the Kanakuk experience in print and on the web more like the real experience of being here: personal. So, it's somewhat counterintuitive to give you the following list but it's interesting.

Kanakuk Kamps is:
8 Kamps
75 Days of camping
2026 Summer College age staff from 46 States and several foreign countries
14305 Kampers and counting (from 50 states and lots of countries)
136 buses, cars, trucks, and other wheeled vehicles.
70 Motorized watercraft
70,000+ Average visits to www.kanakuk.com each month

Slow Motion Video

I got it. A quick sample of the kind of shots we are getting with the high frame rate camera. Max Monty (talented dude!) is shooting this stuff for us with his camera. When he's not working for us he's doing his own thing at www.maxwellmonty.com.

They Drink Coffee

Right at the moment there are 16 full and part-time Kanakuk Kamps employees that I call my Teammates! In no particular order there's; Judy, Jeff, Shane, Max, Tim, Jessica, Jeremy, Mollye, Lindsay, Adam, Michael, Tena, Hortencia, Kimie, Jo, and Tracey. They are registrars, videographers, graphic designers, web programmers, managers, print buyers, and more and more. Each of them has a unique set of strengths that they excel in. They work quietly in the background of this ministry, their hearts set on serving our Kamp families and the other employees at Kanakuk. There's not an ego in the bunch.

There's not room for ego when you are hilariously funny, quick witted, super creative, willing to serve others, happy to be alive, married up, have mad listening skills, seasoned professionalism, company manners, and most of all understand the mission of Kanakuk.

"Our mission is to evangelize and equip the next generation to reach the world for Christ."

Our part of that mission as the "Marketing" department is to serve those employees who are on the front lines of ministering, discipling, mentoring and comforting those who are served by any of the many ministries in the Kanakuk family.

We all love it that way, that kind of service opportunity is what gets us going in the morning (That and a good cup of coffee about 8:30! - more on that later or check out Lindsay's blog)

Do you have a special service moment that you can share?

Summer 2009 is already filling up!

Yikes! My son went to Kamp 1st term and his chigger bites aren't even gone, and yet I can report that the K-Kountry 7-Day term 2 for girls is already full and developing a wait list! The boy's spots that term are almost full as well. When the Directors see that kind of response to their programs it's a real boost as they pour out their energy for these kids.

**New** We are shooting some video footage this summer with a special camera that captures up to 1200 frames per second. Whoa!! It's amazing! You can see every drop of water, every wrinkle of a smile it's really cool stuff. Look for those unique shots in the Kanakuk videos over the next year. If I can get some prepared I'll put them on the web so you can check it out.

Thanks for reading. Tell a friend. http://insidekanakuk.blogspot.com/

The Strange Marriage of Ministry and Business.

A great discussion began at Kanakuk Kamps long before I arrived and ended not too long after, about how the company should be managed. Should it make business or ministry the priority? On one hand, with out fuel the ministry will eventually collapse. It's happening in the camping industry at an alarming rate. On the other hand, ministry can't thrive in a profit driven environment. In the end it was decided that Kanakuk Kamps would be 51% Ministry and 49% business. Here are some examples of how that guides me in my work.

1. In the past, I worked to fill the theater and restaurant seats in a certain tourist town. While the work was challenging and educational it was not rewarding. Providing people with the information they need to learn about and ultimately visit Kanakuk Kamps is richly rewarding because I know each and every child is going to hear, but more importantly see, the Gospel of Christ lived out in the lives of our staff. 51% using my skills for a greater purpose, 49% using my strengths to do it in a sustainable, fiscally responsible way.

2. Decisions often come down to money, so each is weighed first on whether or not it puts Ministry on the winning side. We err on the side of doing what's best for people (51%), sometimes that puts business on the losing side (49%).

3. Pray first (51%), Plan second (49%).

4. I feel like God has placed me at Kanakuk Kamps to serve the business needs of the ministry that occurs here. I'm on the 49% side. This enables those employees on the front lines of the ministry work here to focus more of their efforts on discipling kids and mentoring counselors. They are on the 51% side. I like it that way, business serving ministry.

5. Taking an hour each week so employees can worship together, 51%. Deadlines can be missed, but not kindergarten graduations, 49%.

6. Being a good steward of what God gives us, 49%, means we'll be able to do it again next year, 51%.

If you are a fellow employee at Kanakuk how do you see this ratio worked out in your area? If you are a Kanakuk family, how well are we balancing?

Inside Kanakuk

Are you an employee, summer staff, Kamper, parent, vendor, or friend of Kanakuk Kamps? Read on!

Even though I'm the Marketing Director for Kanakuk Kamps you will not find long posts about how great this place is, what wonderful people are employed here or how every child that comes through our gates has the greatest summer of their life. It's all true, but you'll find that over at www.kanakuk.com.

What you will find here is fresh information about the inner workings of Kanakuk. One day it might be my current to do list posted. The next day a summary of an organization wide meeting. You just never know. I just want you to know what I know so that we can do this thing together. A community of people sharing the ministry of this place, each from our own perspective, applying our own unique set of talents and gifts, expressing our joys, needs and concerns in an open discussion.

The first few posts here will provide some context; you should know where I'm coming from. You should also know that these views are mine alone and not necessarily the views of Kanakuk Kamps owners or any other employee at Kanakuk.