Fall 2009

Families and Adults Engaged in Relaxation, Renewal at Christikon

While sessions are short — only two or three nights — partici-pants in camps for families and adults find a lot packed into their time at Christikon. Somehow they still discover opportunities for renewal and reflection. And some of them extend their stay by registering for two or three consecutive sessions.

Each summer begins with a Work Weekend; this past summer fifty-one adults and kids joined together to help get the camp ready for the season ahead. We are grateful for their willing work in clean-up, fix-up, and construction.

Sessions with programs for families and adults have been offered by Christikon since the mid-1970's. This past summer held four:

The Anabaino Youth Ministry Retreat gave opportunity for adults who work with youth in their congregations to share their experiences, questions and insights with each other. Allen Sasser-Goehner, Director of Youth and Family Ministries at King of Glory in Billings, helped participants explore "practice and praxis," developing vision and theological grounding for their work in youth ministry.

In late July, Christikon offered three consecutive sessions for families and adults utilizing the gifts of special guests Alan Padgett and Mark Throntveit, teachers of systematic theology and Old Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. Both were with us for the annual Continuing Education Retreat for rostered ministers, interested lay people, and their families. Dr. Padgett arrived for the preceding Mountain Weekend 1 family/ adult session; and Dr. Throntveit remained for the the following Mountain Weekend 2 session.

Besides the presentations from our guest speakers, participants had opportunity for morning and evening worship, open afternoons for hiking, fishing, and relaxing, and on the weekends, an evening of folk dancing. Christikon staff hosts with each family offered options for kids during the speakers’ times, as well as child care as needed at other times.

Christikon continues to offer its trails program for adults (there were no participants in 2009, though in previous years we have hosted adult groups). We can host groups of couples, young adults, women, men, and older adults in the magnificent mountain wilderness surrounding the camp. Adult backpack groups must have at least six people, and can have no more than twelve. Two Christikon staff go with each group as leaders. In 2010, July 22-26 has been set aside for adult backpacks (these dates overlap with Mountain Weekend 2, making it possible for some family members to remain on-site during the adult backpack, or for backpackers to stay on for the Continuing Education Retreat, July 26-29). It is also possible to arrange for a week-long adult backpack or CreationCare experience during one of the corres- ponding youth camp sessions.

In addition to the usual five family and adult opportunities, 2010 will hold a special retreat for those who have previously served on the Christikon summer staff.

Back to the rest of the newsletter