How Westminster Woods Shaped My Journey and Why I Give Back

By Amanda Wallace

A few months ago I pondered the path I’ve taken in life, cataloging the ideologies, experiences, milestones, and relationships that shaped me. I wondered at and gave thanks to God for each piece. I quickly realized that if my life were a web — almost all good things, the things I am most thankful for, the things that most shaped me — trace back to Westminster Woods.

Knitting My Family

On the surface, there are some obvious connections from Westminster Woods to major aspects of my life:

I met my husband through The Woods. So, my marriage and my children are a web leading back to camp. My husband decided to go into the fire service after being exposed to it by a camp friend. Consequently, my husband’s career and the relationships attached to our fire community wind back to The Woods.

The duct tape incident – Summer Staff 2005

My car’s Westminster Woods bumper sticker led to a few fellow preschool moms asking about camp and Christianity. Unexpectedly, we connected over wanting to raise our kids in a church community and we agreed to start looking for a church together. Soon, we found a church that aligns with our values AND has an active children’s ministry program.

And twenty years later, the people I met at camp - those I binge read Harry Potter with, the person I once duct taped to a tree, even a couple of summer crushes - are the people I consider my chosen family. This family has supported, suffered, and loved together. These are the people my kids call “Auntie” and “Uncle.” The relationships I built at The Woods are by far the most lasting and defining of all.

Building My Faith: When It Clicked

Looking deeper, I trace the very foundation of who I am and how I live my life to Westminster Woods.

In the 1990’s I remember sitting at a Sherwood Forest campfire and hearing the speaker explain that God wants to be in a relationship with us. Something clicked in my young mind. God was no longer this distant omnipotent figure, but a friend, a mentor, a parent. God became relatable. Because God sent Jesus into the world, our loving Creator knows:

What it is like to be human.

What it is like to be a child, a teenager.

What it was like to try to find your place in this world.

Practices built into the camp schedule, such as quiet time, guided prayer, lectio divina, and Taize singing, helped me explore how I can communicate with and listen for God. The Service, Leadership, Equipping and Training Program (STEP) and counseling Friendship Camp (a camp for adults with developmental disabilities) taught me what it is to serve God by serving others.

During my early adult years, friends from Westminster Woods recruited me to work for a church youth group where the leaders presented Jesus in a radical way: as an intentional disruptor. I learned Jesus came to redefine the Church, break down institutional barriers, call out hypocrisy, and welcome those that the Church would otherwise reject. This new way of viewing Jesus was revolutionary for me and changed how I see what it means to live in Jesus’ image.

Becoming a Professional Disrupter

During my first year on Summer Staff, I befriended Jess, a South African working at Westminster Woods through an exchange program. When I decided to spend a year studying abroad, I chose South Africa as my destination as it blended my interests in history, colonialism, and the US Civil Rights movement.. As a bonus, I would get to spend time with Jess. While studying in South Africa, I started taking Urban Planning classes and began to understand how structures and investments in communities directly impact the opportunities people have or are denied.

I experienced another light bulb moment: A career exists where I can be a disruptor, too? I can be part of dismantling harmful institutional structures and helping communities that are often disregarded? Yes. After gaining experience in different aspects of the urban planning field, working for various cities throughout northern California, and finding my feet in my career, I now have a job that I love managing impactful community investment projects in traditionally underinvested and disadvantaged neighborhoods.

I am in no way likening my experience or my chosen career path to the radicalness of Jesus. Rather, as I trace the trajectory of what I believe, the issues I am passionate about, and the direction God led me…it all leads back to Westminster Woods. The web keeps expanding.

And I know I am not alone in this experience; Westminster Woods has shaped many people’s lives. So often I hear:

Westminster Woods helped draw someone closer to Jesus; or,

Westminster Woods School Programs inspired someone’s passion for environmental conservation; or,

Westminster Woods community and associated relationships are the genuine, unique, and lasting relationships in a person’s life. I hear this most often.

Weaving the Future

The kids’ first time at camp – Family Camp 2024

My heart was full this past summer as I brought my kids to Family Camp for their first camp experience. Watching them walk down Nazarian Way, sing silly camp songs, make new friends, and fall in love with a place that means so much to me really brought everything full circle. The ways in which Westminster Woods will impact their lives may be very different from mine, but I believe in the transformative experience of Westminster Woods. And I can’t wait to see what it holds for them.

This is why I give to Westminster Woods. My family, friends, faith, and profession continue to grow, strengthen, and intertwine because of Westminster Woods. I give my time as a member of the Board of Directors and I am a regular financial donor because I am so grateful for how it has impacted my life. Also, I believe in the positive impact it will have on future generations.

I invite you to join me. This Giving Tuesday, I encourage you to reflect on the role that Westminster Woods plays in your life, to share the power of that impact with others, and to consider joining me in becoming a regular financial donor. You can help Westminster Woods reach their fundraising goal of $5,000 on December 3rd by making a donation. With your generous gift, we can continue weaving the legacy of Westminster Woods.

Donate today!