McDermott's announce their retirement
Hello friends of Riverside.
The Riverside Board of Directors would like to announce that we have received a formal notice of retirement and resignation from Dave and Jan McDermott, effective October 8, 2018.
From Dave & Jan:
We drove into Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp March 1997 praying that God would help us do His work at His camp. We wondered what God had in store for us and our family! Ephesians 3:20, 21 says it best – “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Immeasurably more –that is an understatement! God has shown His glory through the ministry of Riverside in mighty ways. We consider it an honor and a privilege to have been part of His work at Riverside for over 20 years. We love Riverside!
We have hundreds of stories of how God has worked. These stories mostly involve how
people’s lives are changed when they hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and His unconditional
love. There are also amazing stories of His provision of buildings and grounds, staff, givers of
finances, time and talents. His people generously show up to help the Riverside ministry to grow
and flourish.
Our prayer throughout our time at Riverside has been, “Help us to love others the way
you love!” We pray you have felt loved when you have come to the camp. We have some time to ready ourselves for our retirement in October 2018. It is a new chapter in our lives and we will be seeking the Lord for His strength to move into that season. Please pray for us as we transition out of something we have lived and loved with every part of us into the ‘unknown!’
Our goal is to help in every way possible to see the transition at Riverside go smoothly. It
is God’s camp and He is faithful! We plan to stay involved as supporters and volunteers at
Riverside. It will be a joy to see the camp continue to reach people with His Truth and love.
There will be many tears that flow throughout this next year, but we are really excited
about what retirement will mean for our family which includes eleven grandchildren! Summer
2019 will be the first summer we will be available for our family in 22 summers. There’s got to
be a lot of fun awaiting us!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your constant love, encouragement, and
support! We love you & pray God’s continued blessings on your lives!
From Rachel (President, Riverside Board of Directors):
We are so grateful for Dave and Jan and the impact they have had on this camp and ministry. God has done amazing things in this place because of their faithful leadership. They leave a beautiful legacy here. We are excited to honor and celebrate that legacy, and we hope you are, too! Please send them a note of congratulations and thanks.
There will always be some concern and unease during times of transition. Dave and Jan have been at Riverside for twenty years. Many, many lives have been impacted during their time here, and I suspect that includes many of you who are reading this. My personal experience with Riverside is as a camper for many summers, a staff member for two summers, and a board member for the last five years. When I think about the way Riverside has shaped my faith, and subsequently my family, my work, and my community, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I imagine most of you feel the same way.
God gets the glory for this. All of it. I will not, however, discount the fact that He gets the glory because that’s how Dave and Jan have led this ministry for the last twenty years. He gets the glory because they have been faithful. He gets the glory because they have been obedient to Him. He gets the glory because they walk in confident humility and love others as Christ does.
I want you to know that the Board of Directors will be seeking a leader with the same attributes so Riverside can continue to be a place where God gets the glory. The Board already has a Transition Committee in place and has done much work to prepare for this moment. We will be looking for a leader who loves and leads like Christ, and then steps aside to give God all the glory. While we are searching for this leader, we will be striving to lead that way as well. We are working really hard to be faithful and obedient. He is good, and He knows what’s in store next for Riverside.
In the meantime, I have a few asks. Please be praying for the Board of Directors and the Transition Committee! There is a lot of work to be done, and we would be blessed by your prayers for wisdom, faithfulness, and energy. Next, please know and remember that Riverside exists because of the Body of Christ. Please continue to be a part of this community. We need you now more than ever! If you have questions or concerns about this transition, please don’t hesitate to contact me at rachel@riversidelbc.org, or reach out to one of the Transition Committee members listed below.
Finally, the Board invites you to come celebrate with us! Save the date for a retirement celebration on September 1st, 2018. We’re excited to celebrate the legacy Dave and Jan are leaving, and congratulate them as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.
Rachel Gustafson
President, Board of Directors
Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp
Transition Committee
Rev. Judy Converse, Northwood
Rachel Gustafson, Clive
Sherry Maakestad, Pella
Rev. Tim Maybee, Iowa Falls
Kim Muller, Urbandale
Enrique Ochoa, Cedar Falls
