Is your church or fellowship group looking for ways to breathe new energy into your membership? Is your congregation about to enter a time of visioning? Is adding depth a priority for your men’s, women’s or family ministries? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then we hope you will consider a spirit-filled retreat or family camp at DuBois Center! It is amazing what a difference a weekend or even 24 hours away can make. Now is the time to start planning for Spring and next Fall! Groups as small as 8 and as large as 90 can easily be accommodated. A number of churches already “retreat” to DuBois Center. We host family camps, women’s retreats, youth weekends and confirmation events for local congregations. These events can be key components of your year-round faith formation and fellowship programs. If you are interested, but don’t know where to begin – we can help. Check out this brochure, then for more information or to just explore the possibilities, contact Shirley at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.
A total of 46 fathers, sons, grandfathers and mentors – hailing from 12 ISCUCC churches and beyond – made the trek to DuBois Center for our annual Father & Son Retreat on March 31 – April 2 of this year. Together, pairs and trios explored the creek and the bottoms, built a geodome, and dismantled the old docks from the swim area.
Some caught big fish, others lots of fish. Some hunted for dinosaur eggs; others used a bike pump to launch plastic bottles filled with water. The group also boated on the lake, constructed cool crafts, enjoyed a hay ride, made new friends, hiked the trails and explored on horseback rides. They also experienced campfires with singing, s’mores and quiet time for reflections.
And God was among us everywhere! Throughout the weekend, we explored Bible stories of the vine, the branches and bearing good fruit as positive role models, true friends and caring “neighbors.” After a weekend packed with activities, good food, service projects, and multiple rounds of 9-Square and Ga-ga, the group was challenged at our closing worship to “get out of the Ga-ga pit” and go into the world and produce more good fruit.
Interested in coming to camp as a Father-Son (Grandfather-Grandson, Uncle-Nephew, etc.) group? The Father & Son Retreat takes place each spring – stay tuned next winter to find out more! If you can’t wait that long, DuBois Center also offers a “Just You and Me” part-week camp for campers ages 5-7 on June 11 – 13 this summer. Check out the 2017 summer camp brochure or contact the office to learn more. If you’re a Mother-Daughter duo, we’ll have more information out soon about our Mother & Daughter Retreat this fall.