"Where Your Treasure Is, There Will Your Heart Be Also"

Pam Batchelder Johnson and her two children

by Pam Batchelder Johnson

Most stewardship campaigns ask you for time, talent, and treasure. Silver Lake is great at asking people to give of their time and talent. As a current resident of North Carolina, it is not really handy for me to give of my time or my talent. Which is why I was thrilled when Silver Lake started a capital campaign so I could give my treasure. My best “camp friend,” Muffy, and I used to amuse ourselves by donating wacky things to SLCC in each other’s honor—she gave a visit by Vidor the Condor, I gave a new vacuum cleaner (I think—I meant to, anyway!). The benefits of this capital campaign will certainly last longer than the vacuum cleaner.

With two children of my own now, I am so aware of the uniqueness of SLCC. Silver Lake is not a camp where you learn some skill like horseback riding or sailing, where you receive some sort of “award” or measurement at the end of the session. It is a conference center where you learn to (yes, it’s true!) love God, love your neighbor, and love yourself. It’s hard to find places that “just” focus on that. That’s why I support Silver Lake. I don’t know if Bo and Ellie will make it up to CT for camp, but I want to make sure that Silver Lake is there—fun, creative, safe, nurturing, joyful.

Matthew 6 says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” For 30 years, my heart has been at Silver Lake. It’s been waiting for my treasure to catch up.

Pam Batchelder Johnson was Camp Family Mom during the 1990 summer conference season.