Our History and Our Future
The Formed in 1988 by a merger of several smaller Alabama presbyteries, the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley inherited a deep tradition of camping as well as two camping facilities, Gulftreat in the Florida panhandle and Covenant Mountain in Springville, Alabama.
For decades, the camps at Gulftreat and Covenant Mountain provided a setting for outreach to young people.These facilities, however, were not adequate to support both the continuation of the Presbytery’s successful youth camping program and for spiritual retreats for the Presbytery as a whole. A camp and retreat center in a larger and more central location with updated facilities, better access for those with disabilities, and the capacity to host larger and more diverse groups was seen as essential to meet future needs.
The sale of the property at Covenant Mountain and Gulftreat allowed the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley to purchase a unique and important site on the Cahaba River near Montevallo as a location for a new camp and conference center. A Board of Directors was appointed by Presbytery Council and Living River became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization associated with the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley.
For decades, the camps at Gulftreat and Covenant Mountain provided a setting for outreach to young people.These facilities, however, were not adequate to support both the continuation of the Presbytery’s successful youth camping program and for spiritual retreats for the Presbytery as a whole. A camp and retreat center in a larger and more central location with updated facilities, better access for those with disabilities, and the capacity to host larger and more diverse groups was seen as essential to meet future needs.
The sale of the property at Covenant Mountain and Gulftreat allowed the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley to purchase a unique and important site on the Cahaba River near Montevallo as a location for a new camp and conference center. A Board of Directors was appointed by Presbytery Council and Living River became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization associated with the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley.
Our Present and Future
Today Living River has three missions that we are currently living into:
· Faith-based summer camp which is based on many years of camps sponsored by PC (USA) organizations in Central Alabama
· Retreats for faith-based and secular groups has also been an activity conducted for many years by these organizations
· Secular environmental education provided by the Cahaba Environmental Center is the result of an initial startup provided in cooperation with the Camp McDowell Environmental Center, which is a leader in its field
As we look to the future we are looking to grow all our programs, especially our retreats. We already have several retreats on the calendar and we looking for more. An adult lodge is being constructed to further accommodate adults and who want to come out for a retreat.
· Faith-based summer camp which is based on many years of camps sponsored by PC (USA) organizations in Central Alabama
· Retreats for faith-based and secular groups has also been an activity conducted for many years by these organizations
· Secular environmental education provided by the Cahaba Environmental Center is the result of an initial startup provided in cooperation with the Camp McDowell Environmental Center, which is a leader in its field
As we look to the future we are looking to grow all our programs, especially our retreats. We already have several retreats on the calendar and we looking for more. An adult lodge is being constructed to further accommodate adults and who want to come out for a retreat.
History of the Cahaba Environmental Center
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Living River wanted to utilize its unique environment. We are located on a deep bend of the Cahaba River, which proves to be the perfect place for an Environmental Education Center. The CEC was formed with the help of Camp McDowell. After a few years of work, Camp McDowell transitioned themselves out, leaving us to operate independently from them. Today the Cahaba Environmental Center reaches hundreds of kids per season, thousands per year. We are delighted that we have the CEC as a part of our mission to educate children and youth about the environment.
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