Finding God at DuBois Center

A Testimonial – “Ever since I was a child, DuBois Center has felt like a second home to me. I started coming to Fall Festival when I was maybe one or two years old and, once I learned about camp, I couldn’t wait to become a camper! My dad and I started You & Me Camp the first year I was able to go, and I continued to be a DuBois Center Camper every single summer for many years until an injury in early high school sadly kept me from attending camp. I also attended multiple retreats throughout the school year and basically found every excuse I could to make it out to camp, even if it was just for the day.”

“I came back after high school as a staff member and I loved sharing my love of camp and my love for God with a new generation of campers. Now, I make an effort to volunteer multiple Sundays each summer for registration (come find me – I’m the loud red head!) and am trying to find time in my grown up work schedule to come back as a volunteer counselor.”

“I have never felt closer to God than when I stand on the dock of Lake DuBois in the early morning when all is still quiet, or when I take a seat in one of our outdoor chapels to worship with friends, or when I’m simply exploring the trails, enjoying God’s Creation. DuBois Center helped shape the person I am today, and I could not be more happy that I still get to call it my ‘second home.”

Kara G. – Camper/Staff/Volunteer

You can make a difference to the place that many have found God. In 1962, the land that is now DuBois Center was acquired from the Illinois Central Railroad–as the need for a lake to re-water steam engines was no longer in demand for the rail industry. After a few years of planning and infrastructure design & construction, our first summer programs started in 1965. In 2022, we are paying homage to our 60th anniversary as property stewards and ministers–with DuBois 6.0, a capital campaign to beautify and enhance no less than 17 designated projects. A full list of our ideas and projects can be found on our campaign website. Help us secure the future of DuBois Center and many memories such as the one above by donating what you can. A secure link to donate is on our website. Together, we can all help continue the mission of DuBois Center.

Why a Window?

Two years ago last week, Sixth Avenue United Church of Christ in Denver, where I directed youth programming, dedicated beautifully restored stained-glass windows. This window restoration project had lasted about a year. We were lucky to get a matching grant from the state’s historical fund in order to preserve these beautiful windows. The work had to be done at the right season, as glass expands and contracts with the weather, and the coloration can change based on the elements to which it is exposed. The money had to be secured up front. This day felt like a big, big celebration for our church family.

And yet, on the day of the dedication, I missed it because I was working with the youth in the fellowship hall instead of being in the sanctuary. I was watching the beautiful fall morning light stream in through unstained, unrestored windows rather than the newly restored stained-glass windows. At first, I had a sense of jealousy of all those in my church who would get to experience worship and the dedication of our restored stained glass.

And then, I realized a bigger truth: I’ve often encountered God in spaces where stained glass would be absurd, such as hiking portions of the Appalachian Trail, listening to a new album from my favorite artists or bands, the moment my wife proposed to me, stargazing at DuBois Center, meeting my cousin’s children. Often, our most sacred moments happen to us outside of the spaces we identify as sacred. God meets us at every window if we give God the opportunity. I remembered in my moment of jealousy what Mary Oliver said of prayer:

 

“It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch
a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway
into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.”

And so, two years after this moment that changed the way I perceived what is sacred, DuBois Center has become my new sacred space. We are raising money for new projects and to fix up some of our existing buildings. One of the projects on the list is new windows for Oak Lodge, and new windows for the office. My heart is warmed when I think of our current windows – the gateway to the sacred or a great view of the lake for around 55 years now. However, eventually original windows need updating – whether they are stained glass or not. Replacing these original, single-pane windows in Oak Lodge with double-pane, insulted windows at the same time we update HVAC, our energy efficiency increases greatly, and it will help us lower a high electric bill. The cost of the Oak Lodge Windows is $17,650.00. These windows give us a view into something ordinary that has become sacred to so many over the last 60 years. To contribute money to DuBois 6.0 and help us replace these windows, visit our website. I look forward to the opportunity for many more sacred encounters in Oak Lodge.

Blessings, Hayley Elliott, Acting Director of Outdoor Ministries