From the Co-Directors, Silver Lake Conference Center, Anne and Tim Hughes

Anne and Tim Hughes

One of the privileges of serving as your co-directors of Silver Lake is the opportunity to work with other deeply committed folks, like volunteer summer deans, summer counselors, Confirmation Retreat leaders and church group retreat leaders, and to see the ministry at work! Silver Lake is truly an incarnation of the covenant between God and the churches of the CT Conference. As a year-round ministry it is a place where people of all ages share the experience of an inclusive and nurturing Christian community. Silver Lake is a place where people explore their identity and grow as Christ’s disciples, where people are nurtured and shaped as life-sustaining leaders for the church, their communities and the world.

Last year, in addition to more than 1,300 conferees, counselors, deans, and summer staff, we also hosted year-round programs for 600 youth, and a wide variety of youth, family, and adult groups from congregations that brought over 3,000 people to Silver Lake.

We are proud of the several deferred maintenance projects completed during the last year. The Social Hall has a new roof and we have completed the renovation of the summer kitchen to address health code requirements. The Pines has a new bathroom as well as new flooring in the main room. The Retreat Center has a second improved bathroom to complement the one that was renovated several years ago. All five winterized lodges have new energy efficient lighting, thanks in part to a grant from CL&P. Last but not least, we consolidated our offices and the health center into the new Health & Welcome Center.

Other changes are not as visible, but just as important, including substantial improvements to the electrical and water, phone and computer network systems.

The most exciting project we have taken on thus far is Strategic Planning. In October, the Conference Board of Directors authorized the development of a strategic plan for the Silver Lake Ministry. The Silver Lake Board of Directors selected Kaleidoscope Inc. to lead this process and we have been working with Kaleidoscope consultant Kathy Trotter since January.

Some of the exciting key findings are:

• There is great potential to expand the summer program.
• Upgraded facilities and additional program elements are essential.
• We must address our facility needs to provide quality facilities for 200 conferees, grouped into five or six program areas that include nice bathrooms and showers, expanded summer dining space and additional program space including waterfront activities.
• We need to improve the quality and quantity of our retreat facilities. This includes quality facilities for 200 youth and adults, including the replacement of the Retreat Center with flexible space to host a variety of group sizes and mix of youth, adult and families.
• We need to expand our dining and conference facilities and address deferred maintenance.
• We need to consolidate maintenance and storage away from accommodations and address our support facilities and infrastructure needs.

We look forward to Now For The Future: The Campaign for Silver Lake to successfully see the fulfillment of the strategic plan. Silver Lake is truly a ministry of the Connecticut Conference. While other denominational facilities rely on outside user groups, 98% of Silver Lake utilization is Conference related!

We share a vision of the future in which we offer facilities and programs that are worth driving across the state to get to, that generate excitement, that catalyze program development and, most important, that inspire people of all ages to grow in faith as Christ’s disciples.