Emmaus Retreat 2023

Event Phone: 317-821-7527

 

Click here to redirect to Emmaus Retreat 2024 Registration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

+++  2023 Emmaus Retreat  +++

Saturday, October 14th

     Keynote Speaker: Fr. Paul Jannakos

 

 

Our annual fall retreat! This is an all-ages, all-parish retreat, held at the Innovation Center at Camp Belzar on the East side of Indianapolis. We are excited to be joined by Father Paul Jannakos, as this year’s speaker. There will be three speaking sessions, fellowship time, and afternoon recreation. Lunch will be provided as well as child care during the speaking sessions for children 2 thru 12. The Innovation Center is located at Camp Belzar (home of the Boy Scouts of Indiana) with acres of rolling wooded hills and natural beauty, with plenty of hiking trails and recreational activities. It will be a day filled with wonder and one you won’t forget – don’t miss it for the world! (More info and schedule below.)

 

++ It should be noted that registrations placed after Oct 11th are not guaranteed a provided lunch as orders have to be made in advance ++

 

The early bird rate is $20 and runs through September 23rd, 2023! Standard registration is still a great price at $25, and ends October 9th, 2023. Children 2 and under are free! REGISTER NOW! It is OKAY if you cannot pay the full registration fee up front when you register, as long as full payment is received by October 9th – so don’t wait, register today!!

DON’T let finances be the reason you don’t come!! If you are in need of financial assistance, please speak to your local parish. Scholarships are also available through St. John’s Camp Program’s Scholarship Fund. For more details go to our Scholarship Request page. Again, DON’T let finances be the reason you don’t come!!

Please register asap and spread the word – registration deadline is October 9th, but please register early so we can anticipate attendance!! Invite other friends and family!!

 

Begin your Emmaus Retreat registration by selecting a ticket below!

 

Theme: “Sanity and the Mind of Christ” 

A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they
will attack him saying, ‘You are mad, you are not like us.” – St. Anthony the Great

Societal changes to values, culture, and increased secularism can cause anxiety and uncertainty for Orthodox Christians. Fr. Paul will be talking about Christ’s message for us about current everyday struggles of living in the World, but not being of the World.

ABOUT FR. Paul Jannakos:

Fr. Paul Jannakos was born in E. St. Louis Ill., and grew up in Golden Colorado. In September of 1976 he began his studies as a pre-theological student at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in NY, also taking courses at Concordia College/NY in Bronxville. He has served at St. Luke’s since December of 2015. In 1980 he graduated from Concordia College with a B.A. in Music. He graduated in 1983 with a M. Div. degree from St. Vladimir’s and was married to Michelle (Julylia) Jannakos in Cleveland Ohio, the year before, in 1982.
Fr. Paul was ordained to the holy priesthood on March 3rd, 1985 by Bishop Boris in Chicago at Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral. Since his ordination, Fr. Paul has served in parishes in Minnesota (St. Mary’s Cathedral), Montana (St. Nicholas), and Michigan (Sts Peter & Paul, St. Nicholas, and St. Mary Magdalene). After his four children graduated from high school, he began studies in professional counseling at the University of Detroit/Mercy and graduated with a Dual Master Degree (MA) in Community and Addictions Counseling (2010).

In addition to his pastoral work at St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church for the last 13 years, Fr. Paul also works as a licensed professional counselor (LPC) for Ethos Counseling Group. He served for many years as a member of the Board of Trustees at the Flint Institute of Music (FIM) and the Flint School of Performing Arts (FSPA). He loves to compose music, garden, and fly-fish.

 

**Updated Venue Information**

We are excited to announce that the retreat will be hosted in a new venue:

The Innovation Center at beautiful Camp Belzar! Located on the east side of Indianapolis, Camp Belzar is home to the Boys Scouts of America and the Nature School of Central Indiana. Despite being in the city, the grounds offer acres of woods, hiking trails, playgrounds, and shelters. See below for the google maps link, and a link to Camp Belzar’s website for more information. We can’t wait to see you there!

      
Venue: The Innovation Center, Camp Belzar, 6102 Boy Scount Road, Indianapolis, IN 46226

Google maps: link for the Innovation Center at Camp Belzar

Camp Belzar website with helpful information: Camp Belzar

++ It should be noted that registrations placed after Oct 11th are not guaranteed a provided lunch as orders have to be made in advance ++

Here’s the tentative schedule for the day:

 

Contact us if you have any questions! We hope to see you at Emmaus Retreat 2023!

Visit our homepage  for access to pictures, videos, and teachings from previous camps and retreats on our Facebook, YouTube, and SoundCloud pages.

 

With much love for you all; remembering you in our prayers;

Your brothers in Christ,

Brian Pletcher, Ethan Rucker, and Brian Deubner 

 

 

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  • Emmaus Retreat 2023
     October 14, 2023
     12:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Our Patron

St. John the Forerunner 

Troparion — Tone 2: The memory of the righteous is celebrated with hymns of praise, but the Lord’s testimony is sufficient for you, O Forerunner. You were shown in truth to be the most honorable of the prophets, for you were deemed worthy to baptize in the streams of the Jordan Him whom they foretold. Therefore, having suffered for the truth with joy, you proclaimed to those in hell God who appeared in the flesh, who takes away the sin of the world, and grants us great mercy.

Kontakion — Tone 6: The river Jordan trembled and was driven back filled with fear at Your coming in the flesh, while John drew back in awe as he fulfilled the ministry of a prophet. The ranks of angels stood amazed, when they beheld You in the flesh being baptized in the streams. And we, who were in darkness, are filled with light as we praise You, who have appeared to enlighten all.

Feeling Right at Home at Camp

Dear Mr. Beecham and Scholarship donors,

I am writing to thank you and the people who donated toward the cause of scholarships for St. John’s camp; for generously gifting me one. I am very grateful for the opportunity to attend camp, as it was one of the best times of my life. Thank you so much!

I think my favorite part of camp was the feeling of freedom that came with going to camp. All my councillors in the Junior High boy’s cabin were extremely friendly and understanding when it came to me being homesick on my first day there, and all they wanted to do was help in any way they could. On my second day, I felt right at home. From that point on, everything went smoothly, and I never wanted camp to end. If possible, I plan to enroll and attend next year, as it is now one of the highlights of the year for me.

I also want to thank the staff, because they were very cheerful and helpful, and they too did anything they could do to help. When we had pizza for dinner, (and I couldn’t eat it because I am gluten-free), I told them my problem, and they specially made me a burger on a gluten-free bun. I will never forget how understanding and friendly they were to me. This is why I am grateful for camp.

Again; thank you so much!

Sincerely,

More Then Just a Summer Camp

When my mother first announced that my brother and I would be packing up and heading off to summer camp, we were initially far from eager. But St. Johns’ wasn’t just any camp; it was a church camp. And that meant praying. Lots of praying. And that also meant no technology. Not exactly our idea of a “fun” summer, although after giving it a try we were soon proven wrong.Despite our reluctance, we felt right at home within St. Johns’. I was one of 90 sweaty campers, all of whom were looking to strengthen their faith and to have a good time. From late night swim parties to joyously singing during praise time, it was a week full of dedication, friends, valuable teachings and fun experiences.Our mornings would start at 6:00 for those of us whom were restless enough to go out running. For the rest, it was morning exercises at 7:00. Afterwards, we went to Third Hour prayers and breakfast. First Teaching, counseling groups and Second Teaching were next, followed by a long-awaited lunch. Free time for things such as canoeing, swimming and zip-lining happened before dinner, and the day was then completed with Small Compline and praise time. When the moment came to leave, I probably wasn’t the only one who felt a change. It’s when you find yourself gawking at the sky – just the sheer, beautifulblueness of it – that you know something has changed. A change that allows you to appreciate the little things, to stay awake and to be grateful. And as we stood together in the last few minutes of camp, we sang our final song of praise together; tears rolled down cheeks and farewells were exchanged. But this wasn’t to be the end, of course. Next year we will be reunited with friends both new and old, and in the meanwhile we will take what we have gained in knowledge, and use it to grow closer to God.

Saint John's History

The roots of St. John’s Camp date back to the 1970’s with a growing community of young adults who held frequent retreats together. These retreats focused on community building, studying the early Church fathers, fellowship, prayer, teachings, singing, and games, as they desired to cultivate their life in Christ.

As this community of young believers grew, along with their interest in the ancient Church and liturgy, they eventually became members of the “Evangelical Orthodox Church (EOC)”. They began raising families of their own, and soon – as “being fruitful and multiplying” will do – there was a growing number of young children. With an eye towards this next generation, they wanted their children to have the same experience of life in Christ through community and koinonia, thus the camp and retreat tradition continued. Summer camp was held annually in various locations before settling in 1992 at Camp Rivervale in Mitchell, Indiana (where it remains to this day). The summer camp and seasonal retreats drew youth from across the United States as well as Canada. 

In 2002, Holy Trinity EOC parish was brought into the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) under Archbishop Job of blessed memory, in the Diocese of the Midwest. That summer was the first summer as “Saint John’s Camp”. With the same energy and desire to share the experience of community and fellowship in the Kingdom of God, Saint John’s Camp has continued to hold an annual summer youth camp, a fall family retreat, and a winter high school and young adult retreat, still drawing youth from across the United States.

In the words of one of the camp’s original founders, Fr. Joseph Gibson of blessed memory, “One of the main purposes of these gatherings is [and always has been] to bring together people that represent the diversity of the Christian experience, focusing on the lived experience of our young people in the Church in order to create an intensive, Spirit-filled, Life-giving, life-changing community of love, acceptance, non-judgmentalism, and safety.”

By the Grace of God, these camps and retreats have continued for over 40 years, maintaining the same Christ-centered focus on community and fellowship, and nurturing the development of lifelong friendships so that our participants may grow in the fullness of the Orthodox Christian faith and discover the depth of God’s love.

Glory to God for all things!

Winter Retreat

Saint John’s Winter Retreat takes place over students’ winter break. The retreat typically is a long weekend that falls over the New Year’s holiday. Students who are high school and college age may attend to retreat from the stresses they may be facing at the end of the semester and recharge before starting their spring semesters at school. The retreat includes fellowship, prayer, teachings, singing, games, karaoke, and some good old fashioned pick-up football.

Register Now

Emmaus Retreat

Saint John’s Emmaus Retreat is a one day all-ages, all-parish family & adult retreat. A guest speaker is brought in to speak on the theme for the year. A meal and recreation time are shared together throughout the day as well. Free childcare is available to parents during the teaching sessions.

Register Now

Summer Camp

Saint John’s Summer Camp is a weeklong camp for students going into 7th grade through those who just graduated from high school. These age groups are divided up among the campground with special programming geared toward developmentally appropriate themes for each age. The week includes fellowship, daily prayer, Divine Liturgy, teachings, singing, games, a climbing wall and zip-line, refreshing pool and water slide, and a talent/no-talent show – all in beautiful Southern Indiana!

Register Now
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