SPRING VALLEY – Shame on Dave Herder, the executive director of Good Earth Village.

Thursday, April 19, 2001

SPRING VALLEY – Shame on Dave Herder, the executive director of Good Earth Village.

Every day he goes to work at a place others would have given all their white shirts and ties to enjoy. A place, where there is no beeper, no pager, no cell phone to be heard. A place where the work cubicle is 500 acres of Fillmore County.

"You’re probably right," Herder said. "I come here every day and I don’t realize what other people think of the place who come here less often."

To be sure, the executive director does know how important Good Earth Village is to everyone and can be excused for not always feeling the calming sensation that comes over visitors driving the long trail to the headquarters lodge.

When he wants to get away from it all, he will take a walk along one of the many trails through Good Earth Village. Fall is his favorite season, when Mother Nature performs her finest work on the environment and the waters of Spring Valley Creek merely gurgle instead of roar as they do at flood times.

Now in its third decade of existence, Good Earth Village has not lost focus of the vision its founders had.

Making the connection

Good Earth Village is in the midst of its 30th anniversary appeal, when the Bible’s reminder, "If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25), is the impetuous for the "Connecting with the Spirit" themed fund-raiser that is tantamount on the minds of everyone here.

The camping and retreat ministry is defined in a mission statement as "a place where the body of Christ is strengthened as people bear witness to Christ, care for creation and live and learn in an environment of God’s grace."

It’s all that and more, but most of all it’s a place to get away and to experience what time away can do.

To do that, visitors have to connect with nature and in so doing, they connect with God in little and large ways.

Herder, now in his fifth year as executive director, points to the completion of a master site plan, the progress made by the ambitious fund drive to complete a log lodge and convert it into a retreat center, the hard-surfaced trail that will connect all of the hilltop facilities for easy accessibility for all people.

The capital appeal seeks to raise $950,000 over the next three years.

But Herder also points to the other enhancements, including the addition of Josh Rudlong of Ostrander, who graduated from LeRoy-Ostrander High School and then Luther College at Decorah, Iowa, and joined the Good Earth Village staff as a full-time naturalist last year.

It gives the facility a projects leader and a full-time maintenance supervisor, who also will contribute to the in-season program of activities and learning.

Rudlong is one of eight full-time staff who will be joined by 40 to 45 summer staffers when the college year ends this spring and Herder said his addition will help campers connect literally to the village’s natural splendors.

But, the Good Earth Village influence extends beyond the 500 acres around Spring Valley. A peer ministry program teaches high school students the skills to become effective leaders in church groups and Herder mentions that as another example of how connections are made.

Meanwhile, the village’s confirmation camp continues to grow each season. It helps pastors/teachers connect with students learning religion.

Also, the day camp programing continues to be well-received. Still another connection taking place. And, off-season, fall and winter use of the facility for retreats, workshops and conferences, also is popular, which helps church leaders connect with their congregations.

"Last year, we saw our numbers remain healthy and stable," Herder said. "In fact, there really are no more facilities for the people who want to use Good Earth Village, so we really can’t comfortably handle more people than we are now."

Springtime preparations

Last summer’s floods left washouts and bridges to be replaced. This spring’s high waters only complicated the problems.

Undaunted, the capital appeal continues to move forward, according to Herder.

The log lodge is taking shape. The lower level was completed last year and the main floor installed. Next month, the logs will be laid for the lodge’s walls.

"We want to get the shell up and the roof on and enclose it," Herder said. "That’s our goal right now. Then, we will stop until the fund drive is completed. We have over $400,000 of the $950,000 goal and now plan to make appeals to individuals and congregations and invite them to connect with us in this important way."

All children, teen-agers and adults who visit Good Earth Village this camping season will be oblivious to the important behind-the-scenes work that must go on. They will be there for their own getting-away-from-it-all reasons.

It’s what the village does best.

"We deal with youth and parents who come from different walks of life and who have different attitudes just as they do in school and their communities," he said of the staff’s work to make campers as happy as possible. "We deal with situations as needed in a Christian way."

Good Earth Village’s member congregations are satisfied. In fact, their numbers are growing. The latest jump in affiliation was from 99 to 134.

Perhaps more significantly is the fact that Good Earth Village welcomed St. Theodore’s Catholic Church of Albert Lea into its fold at the February annual meeting.

"It shows we are really ecumenically owned," Herder said. "People still think we are a Lutheran facility. While most of the churches are Lutheran, we have six or eight representing other denominations and St. Theodore’s was the first Catholic church to join us. That’s great.

"I think our congregations recognize us as a resource. They realize we can be a resource for their own congregations’ life.

"Personally, this is a good feeling for me to know we are serving their needs."

As excited as Herder is about the present and where Good Earth Village is going, he is also respectful of its past.

"The founders of this place had an incredible vision for what Good Earth Village would be and they kept that faith through the years. We owe a lot to them.

Summer schedule

Program director Gretchen Bachman has worked hard to offer something for everyone at Good Earth Village.

It begins with Junior Pathfinders, who can receive their first taste of camp with a 24-hour program for first and second grades.

It ends with the Trailblazers’ three-week staff-in-training program for students in grades 10-12.

But no child or teen goes ignored with a variety of camping experiences.

Junior Pathfinders: July 17-18, 29-30, 30-31 and July 31-Aug. 1. Grades 1, 2.

Pathfinders: June 24-29, July 8-13, 22-27, Aug. 5-10, 12-17. Grades 3, 4.

Explorers: June 24-29, July 8-13, 15-20, 22-27, July 29-Aug. 3, Aug. 5-10, 12-17. Grades 7-9.

Confirmation Camp: June 10-15, 17-22 (For confirmation age youths and their ministers/teachers).

Trailblazers: Training is required, June 17-22 and camp is held July 8-20, July 22-Aug. 3, Aug. 5-17. Grads 10-121.

Peer Camp: July 20-Aug. 3. Senior high youths.

Canoe Trip (junior or senior high) – junior high: July 8-13, July 22-27, and senior high: Aug. 5-10.

Family Camp: June 30-July 3, July 5-8, Aug. 3-5.

Settlers: July 15-17, 18-20, Aug. 1-3. Grades 2, 3.

Pioneers: June 24-29, July 8-13, 15-20, 22-27, July 29-Aug. 3, Aug. 5-10, 12-17. Grades 5, 6.

Outpost: June 24-29, July 15-20, July 29-Aug. 3. Grades 8, 9.

For more information, call (507) 346-2492 or send e-mail to goodearth@deskmedia.com.

Other opportunities at Good Earth Village include the Congregation Outdoor Ministry Partnership Administering Support to Staff or retreats for individuals or church staffs.

The village also welcomes retreats for a day, weekend or more with youth groups, men’s or women’s groups, work groups and even family reunions.

Events start Sunday

The Festival of Choirs will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Spring Valley.

Featured choirs are Greenfield Lutheran of Harmony, Our Savior’s Lutheran of Spring Valley, Little Cedar Lutheran of Adams, LeRoy Lutheran of LeRoy and the Root River Revelers.

The benefit for Good Earth Village will receive matching funds from Aid Association for Lutherans Branch No. 4265, Lutheran Brotherhood West Fillmore Branch No. 8773 and Lutheran Brotherhood Mower County Branch No. 8675.

Refreshments will be served following the concert.

Other events this summer:

Good Earth Open: Monday, June 18, four-person, best-shot scramble at Mississippi National, Red Wing.

Women’s Day at Good Earth Village, Saturday, June 23, beginning with registration at 9 a.m. and concluding with worship at 2:30 p.m.

Good Earth Village 2001 Quilt Auction, Aug. 19 under the tent at Bethel Lutheran Church, Rochester. Over 150 quilts, antiques and collectibles. Review Saturday, Aug. 18, 7-8 p.m. Auction starts after 10:30 a.m. worship and a noon hog roast Sunday, Aug. 19.

Call Lee Bonorden at 434-2232 or e-mail him at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com.