By Cindy Hval | FāVS News Reporter
HARRISON, Idaho — In 1918, Arthur and Margaret Ford bought property on the east side of Lake Coeur d’Alene, eight miles north of Harrison, Idaho.
Arthur, a United Church of Christ (UCC) minister, envisioned a church camp where young people could deepen their faith and their connection to God.
The couple built a cabin in 1925, and in 1935, donated 7 acres to the Pacific Northwest Conference of the UCC to establish a camp.
That camp now includes 270 acres, 23 buildings and a swim beach in a protected cove along almost a mile of pristine lake frontage.
In August, N-Sid-Sen Camp and Retreat Center celebrated 90 years of welcoming guests to connect with nature, with each other and with their faith.
A ministry of welcome
“The camp was named N-Sid-Sen in 1939 with the blessing of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe,” said camp director Randy Crowe. “‘It means ‘Point of Inspiration.'”
Crowe served as managing director of the camp from 1990 to 2012. He came out of retirement this year, just in time to help organize N-Sid-Sen’s 90th anniversary.
He traced the evolution of the property.
“Originally, it was a summer camp with six cabins, a large dining hall and a small cabin for the summer manager. No windows — just shutters that propped open. It was rustic,” he said.
Over time, they acquired the Iris Farm property across the highway, and in 1962, Margaret Ford donated 7 additional acres. In 1967, the conference acquired the remaining portions of the Ford property, including the waterfront, their cabin and the cove.
The newest building, Stillwater Lodge, was completed in 2009. It features a large meeting room, a craft room and the camp office. An expansive deck offers breathtaking views of the lake.
“Our goal has always been to provide a ministry of welcome that allows guests to enjoy connecting over good food in a beautiful setting,” Crowe said.
A history of inclusion
By 1969, the camp began welcoming nonprofit, civic and private groups, which brightened the outlook for N-Sid-Sen’s sustainability.
“It’s been a significant boon to our economic well-being,” said Crowe. “The usage is now 30% UCC and 70% other groups. It’s been a huge change. We’ve had yoga groups and quilting
groups, among others. For 44 years, we’ve hosted Lady of the Lake music and dance camps.”
Originally sponsored by the Spokane Folklore Society, Lady of the Lake is now an independent organization that holds a weeklong summer camp in June and a weekend camp in October at N-Sid-Sen.
What most delights Crowe is the diverse groups that have found connection at the camp.
One summer, a quilting group had booked their yearly retreat at the same time as a group of gay men with AIDS.
“I called the quilting group to tell them that a group dealing with AIDS would be there at the same time,” recalled Crowe. “During the AIDS’ crisis, people with the disease weren’t welcomed.”
The quilting group was hesitant, but didn’t want to give up their yearly retreat spot.
It turns out the groups hit it off in a big way, and for many years, the groups insisted on coming on the same weekend.
“The guys visited the other lodge to learn to quilt,” he said. “They just connected and developed genuine friendships.”
More recently, a UCC youth group came to camp. Their leader was worried because several of the kids were LGBTQ+.
“They felt so welcomed and accepted,” said Crowe, “We are all God’s children and he doesn’t make mistakes.”
Progressive consequences
That’s not to say UCC and Camp N-Sid-Sen’s inclusive policies were without controversy.
In 2005, the General Synod passed a resolution affirming equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. Unlike many mainstream protestant denominations, the United Church of Christ allows each congregation to decide if they want to be open and affirming.
“Some churches left when that vote happened,” Crowe said. “We also lost some churches when we decided to ordain gay pastors, too.”
Fewer churches mean fewer resources.
“We rely on volunteers,” he explained.
Supporters of N-Sid-Sen rallied, and the camp continues its mission of inclusion and welcome.
Holiness and healing
In 1995, Pastor Andrea CastroLang and her husband, Jim, took their two kids to the camp.
Seven years later, while serving as pastor of Westminster UCC in Spokane, she launched an annual tradition.
“We decided as a church to go to camp in September and have continued ever since,” she said. “Members of our Westminster community felt at home there. Finding God through nature is accessible to everybody. Camp pulls us together and lets us love one another. Age and identity don’t matter at camp.”
When volunteer help diminished, CastroLang said the Pacific Northwest Conference pulled together.
“We worked hard to ensure it stayed open,” she said.
She also appreciated times of refreshing on her own at the Crowe’s Nest.
Tucked beneath the first floor of Spirit Lodge, this small studio unit provides a getaway for both ministers and laypeople.
“It’s a beautiful place for folks in ministry during stressful times,” said CastroLang. “There’s holiness and healing in Creation.”
N-Sid-Sen has become part of her family dynamic. Her granddaughter has been going to the camp since birth. When she was asked to list her favorite places, her inclusion of N-Sid-Sen spoke volumes.
“My first favorite place is my house,” she said. “My second favorite place is Grandma and Grandpa’s and my third favorite place is N-Sid-Sen.”
What Grandpa would have wanted
Those words are music to Eric Ford’s ears.
The grandson of Arthur and Margaret Ford didn’t spend a lot of time at the camp as a kid. He and his siblings grew up in Portland, and it proved difficult to take a family of eight to Idaho each summer.
In 1989, he and his wife began bringing their two sons to camp each year.
“Now, my grandkids go there,” said Ford. “They love going to camp!”
His grandfather’s original 1926 cabin is still in use, and much of the furniture is vintage, dating back to the time when this was the Ford family’s private cabin. The covered front porch accommodates 10-15 in vintage wooden rocking chairs.
“Grandpa came up with the idea and started the ball rolling, but over the years, many others contributed,” Ford said. “The camp has been well taken care of.”
The 90th anniversary celebration was a homecoming for him.
“You never know what effect a donation will have,” said Ford. “My grandpa’s focus was for the youth — he wanted a place for young people. I’m sure he never thought his grandchildren and great-grandchildren would be here.”
90th Anniversary celebration
Crowe said the two-day celebration was filled with festivities that honored N-Sid-Sen’s past while anticipating its future.
“Mary Japenga came from Iowa to help cook,” he said. “She was a camp cook for 18 years! She made her famous potato salad and baked all our bread, our hamburger and hot dog buns.”
John Eisenhauer, the camp music director since 1985, led the music for the event and incorporated camp songs from various decades.
On Sunday morning, guests enjoyed a traditional N-Sid-Sen breakfast featuring hash brown quiche and cinnamon rolls.
“Looking at the crowd, I could tell a story about everyone who was here,” Crowe said.
While the celebration evoked nostalgic memories, it also ignited hope for N-Sid-Sen’s future.
“We have just begun,” said Crowe. “We’re excited about what the future holds and how we can minister to folks for the next 90 years.”
For more information, visit the camp and retreat’s center website.
