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General News

EVENT CANCELLATIONS

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Flower 1

The Star Party, Wrangle & Ride and the Lenten Work Day have been canceled. 

 

The Star Party on March 20, and Wrangle & Ride and the Lenten Work Day both scheduled for Saturday, April 4 have been cancelled. Please contact Julie, our camp registrar, regarding refunds for Wrangle & Ride at register@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-357-1809.

This decision was not made lightly. Leadership of the Illinois South Conference and DuBois Center agree that stopping the spread of COVID-19 is a priority. We have great concern for our communities and especially for those with age or health considerations.

This decision was made from a sense that we are called to be faithful in this time. By staying home, we can help stop the spread of the virus. This is an expression of loving our neighbors, as well as our own families and friends.

I Got Mine! Did you get yours?

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Brochures, posters and other helpful promotional materials were mailed to ISC churches in January. Program booklets were mailed last week. If your church has not received theirs – first, check around for a white Priority Mail box or a manila envelope. No luck? Contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.

Also, let us know if you would like to receive additional copies of any of the items in the January packet or more booklets. Looking for PDF copies? All the pieces in the Big Spring Mailing can be found in the About Us section of our website.

Celebrate Camp in March & April!

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Included in our Big Spring Mailing to churches in January were flyers, schedules, and helpful hints and tools for promoting spring programs and summer camp at DuBois Center. Schedule a Camp Sunday. Roast s’mores or hot dogs for coffee hour one morning. Attend the Block Party – it’s FREE! Use bulletin inserts. Have a poster contest. Can’t find that Big Spring Mailing or need the documents in PDF format? Check out the Info for Churches page on our website for all the mailing pieces – there’s over a dozen of them – or click on the featured links below. You are ENCOURAGED to share the links in your bulletins, newsletters and on your website.

If you would like to receive another copy of the packet by mail, contact DuBois Center at 618-787-2202 or dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org.

 

–       Top Ten Things…
–       Promote Your Camp
–       Camp Schedule
–       Bulletin Insert – Summer Camp & Service Saturday

–       Bulletin Insert– Block Party & Volunteers

Winter Projects: Upholstery, Refinishing, Repairing

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If you like to work with your hands and have some spare time over the winter, DuBois Center has some indoor winter projects – maybe one just for you. Enjoy refinishing furniture? We have some wood-frame chairs in need of some TLC. Upholstery interest you more? We have two chairs that need attention – backs and seats only.  Here’s an interesting one… refinishing arrows. Removing and replacing damaged feathers takes time, patience and the right tools. We have a couple dozen that need attention.

All three of these projects can be done in the comfort of your home or here at camp. For more information, contact DuBois Center at 618-787-2202 or dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org.

Fluffy, Fluffy Ponies!

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With the deep chill we recently experienced, the horses at DuBois Center have certainly been enjoying their luxurious winter coats! This extra fur is super soft and GREAT for petting, but it also serves a crucial and practical function – it traps in heat to help protect against harsh winter weather. Horses are very social animals, and in order to maintain a healthy herd dynamic, our horses live outside year-round. We do bring them into the barn occasionally to groom them for rides and feed them.

When the temperatures drop and the winds pick up, we also open the barn as a wind break. While living outdoors does help keep our horses mentally healthy, they do require some extra care when the cold and snow prevent them from grazing on grass. Staff and volunteers provide a steady stream of hay, and supplemental grain when the weather gets exceptionally bad. Some of our horses have even been known to gain weight over the winter!

Spillway Update

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Lowering the water level in the main lake at DuBois Center by 4-5 feet made us all a little nervous, but it had to be done. What if we had a dry winter? A dry spring? With the work on the new spillway, our swim area all but disappeared with the water… through the siphon pipe.

Good News! Recent rains have filled the lake! Even more good news – the new overflow pipe is doing its job and the waters are flowing! Next steps include adding more rock to the back side of the dam to prevent erosion, removing additional trees to preserve the integrity of the structure, seeding the hill, and replacing the fence. Watch for updates!

The project was made possible by generous donations to Operation Shimmer.

Spillway pipe without grate

YEAR-END SUPPORT for Ministry at DuBois Center

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This time of year, we are more mindful of giving thanks – for family, friends, our church community and God at work in our lives. At DuBois Center, we are also thankful for stories, especially ones of connection, challenge and transformation. These stories tell of new-found confidence for first-time campers, deepening parent-child relationships, faith discussions that come alive, individuals transformed into communities, unlikely friendships built on respect, and so much more. Scores of dedicated volunteers, staff members and donors together make DuBois Center a place of welcome and hospitality, a place to connect, belong and grow… a place where faith is nurtured and lives are transformed. With your financial support this work continues. Click here to read our annual letter which highlights aspects of our shared ministry in the outdoors at DuBois Center in 2019.

This is your ministry, the work of your congregations, the work of the Illinois South Conference. We hope you will consider a year-end gift. You may donate safely online or, if you prefer, use this form and mail your donation. With so many demands on your resources, we are truly honored by your gifts of financial support as well as offerings of prayer, time and talent. Thank you!

‘TIS THE SEASON… for Baking

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From our kitchen to yours… we would like to share one of our favorite camp recipes – Ranger Cookies. For a holiday touch, try adding Craisins to the mix.

Mix Together:
1/2 c shortening (softened)
1/2 c butter/margarine (softened)
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Mix Together:
2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Now mix two bowls of ingredients together.

Then mix in the following:
2 c crispy rice cereal
2 c quick oats
1 c coconut

To Bake:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Blend all ingredients together well in order listed above, scraping the bowl often. (This will result in very thick dough.)
Scoop out onto cookie sheets with parchment paper (optional).
Bake until lightly browned (approx. 8-10 minutes).
Makes about 2-2.5 dozen.

Happy Baking and Merry Christmas!

Rafiki

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Rafiki: to agree (or promise) to one another to work together in oneness and unity. This concept, shared by a seminary student from Kenya a couple summers ago, is one that we continue to focus on at DuBois Center. We strive to provide a place to laugh, play, pray and break bread together, a place where faith grows. As a significant piece of the ministry and mission of Illinois South Conference, we work to build up God’s kingdom on earth… as it is in heaven. With the financial support of scores of individuals, churches and church groups, this work continues. Hopefully, you received a letter that highlights in words and pictures some joys from 2019. If not, or if it’s lost in a pile somewhere, click here for a digital copy or contact our office to have a letter mailed to you.

If you have not already done so, we hope you will consider a year-end gift in support of our shared ministry at DuBois Center. You may donate safely online, or if you prefer to mail your donation, use this form. With so many demands on your resources, we are truly honored by your prayerful gifts of financial support as well as offerings of prayer, time and talent. Thank you.