Kip Strawbridge has been appointed as the new Site Director at Hume New England. With nearly two decades of experience in a wide range of program roles at both Hume Lake and HNE, Kip brings a wealth of expertise, creativity, and leadership to our team. An innovator and a strong team builder, Kip returns to Hume after several years of serving in churches and businesses, bringing fresh insight and renewed passion for ministry. Kip writes:
My history with Hume began in 1998 as a summer staff member at Wildwood. I joined Hume full-time in December of that year, overseeing High Adventure and Outdoor Education. My wife, Michal, and I were married in Ponderosa Chapel in March 2000, and that summer I also became Wagon Master Shep. I continued overseeing Wagon Train until 2013 and served as Director of Outdoor Education and Spiritual Emphasis, eventually overseeing Day Camp and Huckleberry as well.
Michal also joined the Hume team in 1998 as a Floater and later moved into a full-time role in Guest Services. During her years on staff, she served in Outdoor Education, the Administration Office, and Wagon Train (as a trail guide, lifeguard, and Trading Post Lady), as well as in Day Camp and Huckleberry. She also wrote the first art curriculum for Hume Lake Charter School and taught art from 2004–2013.
We left Hume in 2013 to serve at The Well Community Church in Fresno, where I was a pastor. I returned to Hume as Program Director at Hume New England from 2015–2018. Our family moved back to California in 2019, where I served as a Campus Pastor at North Coast Church in Carlsbad for five years. We returned to Massachusetts in 2024 when we purchased our home in Tyringham — just eight minutes from HNE.
Over the last few years, I have continued my relationship with Hume as a camp speaker, writing the winter camp script for Under the Sun with Brock Sterling, designing stage sets for HNE, and planning and building escape rooms for both Hume Lake and HNE.
I look forward to being part of the greater Hume community once again and working alongside the many dear friends we’ve made over the years through this incredible ministry.
Fun fact: I have climbed Wren Peak — the highest peak you see when looking across Hume Lake — in a single day twice, though I only reached the top once. In my spare time, I design and develop websites and AI-powered applications.
Michal is currently focusing full-time on her art and developing her latest body of oil paintings. We had all three of our children at Hume Lake. Our daughter, Kai, is an illustrator and barista who has worked at HNE since graduating high school. Our oldest son, Kale, has served in Maintenance, AVL, and Food Service at HNE over the last year and a half. Our youngest son, Grey, aspires to be a Wagon Master one day but currently focuses on Fortnite, football, and wrestling. The youngest member of our family is Lily, our German Shepherd–Husky mix.