{"id":6897,"date":"2026-07-08T12:47:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T16:47:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/?p=6897"},"modified":"2026-07-08T15:26:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T19:26:44","slug":"partnership-dcef-ensures-continuation-beloved-disciples-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/partnership-dcef-ensures-continuation-beloved-disciples-camp\/","title":{"rendered":"Partnership with DCEF ensures continuation of beloved Disciples camp"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Summers at Tall Oaks Camp and Conference Center<\/strong><\/a> (TOCC) in Linwood, KS are busy.<\/p>\n

As a nonprofit organization that provides a safe space for personal growth and renewal, leadership formation, and learning, it hosts different groups on its 236 acres (96 hectares) of land\u2014from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada<\/a> to local schools to quilting clubs.<\/p>\n

So during the winter of 2025, the center\u2019s leadership was expecting a quiet season. That is, until they received a call from their water company: thousands of gallons of water were pouring into their facilities from burst pipes.<\/p>\n

With our help, TOCC is not only rebuilding, but it is also partnering with our ministry on a capital fundraising campaign (CFC) that will lay down a life-changing foundation.<\/p>\n

Relaxation and recreation in a natural environment<\/h3>\n

In the 1950s, Tall Oaks was established on approximately 350 acres (142 hectares) of land by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Greater Kansas City<\/a>. The first event took place in 1958, and doors were opened to the public in 1964. Today, guests of all ages can enjoy various activities from fishing to volleyball to hiking.<\/p>\n

Moving the ministry forward<\/h3>\n

\"\"Tall Oaks provides year-round facilities, including five air-conditioned cottages, an open-air chapel, a recreational field, pond, and more.<\/p>\n

But by far one of the most frequently booked buildings on campus is the Lifelong Learning Center (LLC). Its large lounge spaces, public restrooms, and 12 hotel-style sleeping accommodations make it an ideal place to meet.<\/p>\n

During a severe cold snap last winter, a pipe burst in the facility, filling it with 65,000 gallons (246,052 litres) of water. Once staff and board members learned of the leak, it was all hands on deck. They came to help clean up, pushing and sweeping the water out of the LLC.<\/p>\n

They called their insurance company and after a suggestion from one of the center\u2019s partners, they called us as well. Staff members connected to Jim Michel, who leads our Building Disaster Response<\/a> service, and he helped them navigate through the insurance process.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cWe ended up getting close to double what the insurance company initially wanted to give us because of Jim\u2019s work on our behalf,\u201d reveals Rev. Dr. Lara Blackwood Pickrel, President of TOCC\u2019s Board of Directors and the new Regional Minister for the Greater Kansas City region. \u201cStaff really didn\u2019t know much about the insurance process because we hadn\u2019t gone through this before! With the money we received from the insurance claim, we were able to renovate most of LLC\u2019s big meeting areas\u2014carpets, paint, and walls. A complete refresh of the space was on our list, but it was far down in terms of urgent priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Claim money also covered new carpeting and updated plumbing for Shalom Cottage.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce we discovered the 65,000 gallons that were pouring into the LLC, we decided to check the other buildings,\u201d recalls Blackwood Pickrel. \u201cSure enough, the moment we opened the front door to Shalom, we could hear water rushing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Have your buildings been hit by a natural disaster? Whether it has been days, weeks, or even years, we can help address facilities damage.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>Contact<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>our Building Disaster Response team to get help.<\/em><\/p>\n

New life and stability<\/h3>\n

With the renovations on the LCC now completed, the damage that the winter of 2025 looks more like a blessing in disguise. Not only has TOCC found a partner in us, but it has found additional ways that this partnership can benefit their mission. Midway through rebuilding the LLC, our previous interim President and CEO Rev. John Powell traveled to Kansas, falling in love with Tall Oaks. During his visit, he learned of Pass It On<\/a>, the center\u2019s capital campaign that it started in 2024 to revive, operate, and improve the Tall Oaks grounds.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHe said, \u2018We do that,\u2019\u201d laughs Blackwood Pickrel, \u201cAnd now we are working with Disciples Church Extension Fund<\/a> (DCEF) to reboot the campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Led by Director of Development Katy McFall, we provide CFC guidance<\/a> to faith communities across the denomination, helping them determine their fundraising vision, timeline, and best way to communicate their project.<\/p>\n

TOCC\u2019s Pass It On aims to raise US $1 million to address deferred maintenance, make capital improvements, and build a sustainability fund that the center can fall back on during the winter months.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWith Katy\u2019s help, we’re learning some of the things that we didn’t know we didn’t know,\u201d explains Blackwood Pickrel, \u201cso that we can relaunch sometime close to the end of this year.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\"While the campaign in its current format has reached some of its goal, McFall checks in with Pickrel and Executive Director Dan Merrick every week to guide their efforts to implement a strong campaign.<\/p>\n

Pass It On is not only near and dear to the hearts of the Disciples generations that have spent their summers at TOCC, but to the staff too. Director of Communications and Administration Jenna Engelken has been involved with its programs since she was five years old\u2014first as a camper herself and then a youth leader\u2014as her mother previously ran its camp offerings and today serves on TOCC\u2019s board. These experiences fostered Jenna\u2019s love for camp and inspired her to start the center\u2019s first adult camp alongside Merrick.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cOur first year we had about 30 adults,\u201d she remembers. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to bridge the gap between grandparents camp and high school camp so that all are welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

But Engelken\u2019s love goes even deeper than this. In 2017, she decided to get married in TOCC\u2019s pavilion.<\/p>\n

\"\"Merrick dates his TOCC history back even farther. He was two when he first came to camp. Camp in his family was non-negotiable.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cMy father was a pastor in the region, so he came to check in on his camp kids and dropped me off in the dining hall,\u201d Merrick tells us. \u201cBack then our kitchen was run by a woman named Roberta. As I got older, I would either help her bake cookies or go outside and do chores with her husband Wilbur. My first memory of Tall Oaks is sitting on the back porch with him eating ice cream after the chores were done. He and Roberta just kind of became bonus grandparents to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Many other staff members and volunteers have similar ties to TOCC as Engelken and Merrick.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cOne of the things that I’m proud of in my region is that we do a really good job of hanging on to our campers,\u201d adds Blackwood Pickrel, who was a Tall Oaks counselor for many years. \u201cThey go through the camping program, build community, and then, as they graduate and start moving on, there’s an adult camp for them to attend. They get pulled back into counseling roles, start working their way up, and then they turn into people like Jenna and Dan who are committed to the ministry that happens out here.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As TOCC welcomes another full summer, it continues to work on rebuilding Shalom Cottage and refining its CFC.<\/p>\n

And we will be by their side every step of the way\u2014no matter the season.<\/p>\n

We can help your faith community raise financial support for projects with our CFC guidance. On average, those that work with us meet or exceed their fundraising goals. <\/em>Contact<\/em><\/a> your regional Building and Capital Services Advisor to get started.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summers at Tall Oaks Camp and Conference Center (TOCC) in Linwood, KS are busy. As a nonprofit organization that provides a safe space for personal growth and renewal, leadership formation, and learning, it hosts different groups on its 236 acres (96 hectares) of land\u2014from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":6919,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,5],"tags":[143,175,55,221,182,220],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nPartnership with DCEF ensures continuation of Tall Oaks Camp<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Summers at Tall Oaks Camp and Conference Center are busy. 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