October 17-19 - Nurturing Spirit Silent Retreat - CANCELLED
* Please Note: Due to low registration the retreat has been cancelled.*
Theme: Connect. Renew. Restore.
You are invited to a two-day meditation retreat at the peaceful Samish Island Community of Christ Campground and Retreat Centre.
This predominantly silent retreat offers an opportunity to step away from the noise of everyday life and settle into stillness. Through silence and guided mindfulness practices, you’ll be supported in slowing down, listening inward, and reconnecting with your inner clarity and calm.
Mindfulness offerings include:
Labyrinth and Walking Meditation
Gentle Hatha & Yin Yoga
Pranayama Breathwork
Neurographic Drawing
Sound Bathing
Yoga Nidra (guided deep relaxation)
Bonfire under the stars (weather permitting)
Whether you're new to meditation or returning to deepen your practice, this retreat provides a nurturing space to connect, renew and restore.
What to bring: Personal items, including towels and bedding, a yoga mat (mats will also be provided), indoor slippers or shoes, warm and waterproof outwear, flashlight, journal, a warm blanket, etc.
Instructor Bio: With a calm, heart-led presence, Susan Watkins creates safe, inclusive spaces where each person is encouraged to move at their own pace and honor their unique path. Susan is a trauma-informed E-CYT 500 yoga and meditation teacher, sound healing practitioner, with over 10 years of experience and 3,000+ hours of teaching and training. Her background is rooted in Hatha Yoga, Yin, and Yoga Nidra. Susan weaves together mindful movement, breathwork, meditation, and immersive sound journeys to support retreat guests in deep rest, and returning to a sense of peace, clarity and inner connection.
Open to all ages high school and up Theme: Hope Into Action - Where do we go from here?
Join us September 19th to 21st at Hills of Peace for the Men’s Retreat. Chris Phelps will be our guest minister and this theme will be: Hope Into Action - Where do we go from here?
One of the questions we will be thinking about on that weekend are: How does World Church passing new resolutions impact you, and how will you turn those new ideas into action in your own life?
Intrigued? Then why not save the date and plan to spend a couple days at Hills Of Peace.
We will save a piece of pie for you!
Cost: $170. Questions (related to men's retreat): contact Dan at 306 540 2359 or ddesch@ sasktel.net
August 29 - September 1 - CWM Young Adult Retreat
Ages: 18-45 Theme: Here and Now
The world feels heavy right now, doesn’t it? Every headline screams at us. Social media tells us how to feel about everything—who to love, who to hate, what side to pick. It’s loud. It’s exhausting. And honestly, sometimes it feels like everything is broken.
So what do we do with that? How do we hold on to what matters when the ground keeps shifting? That’s what this weekend is about. Here and Now. It’s about stepping away from the noise for a couple of days and asking real questions together:
Do my values line up with my actions?
Am I living in a way that feels true and authentic?
How do we show up for each other in ways that actually help?
You don’t need to have answers. You don’t need to have your life together. You just need to show up and be willing to connect with others asking the same types of questions.
We’ll share meals, conversations, and space to breathe. We’ll laugh. Maybe cry a little. Our guest minister, Rev. Dr. Linda Stanbridge from Michigan, will join us with stories and wisdom for these messy, beautiful, uncertain times.
If you’ve been longing for something real—connection that doesn’t require perfection - this is for you. Come. Just as you are.
Campers entering Grades 3–6, get ready for a fun-filled adventure at Camp Mungai on beautiful Samish Island! This year’s theme is “What’s Up?” There’s so much happening around us every day, but sometimes we’re too busy looking down at our screens to notice. Over these few special days, we’ll practice looking up—paying attention to the world around us, noticing each other, and discovering the amazing gifts within ourselves. Camp Mungai is packed with fun and friendship! Mornings bring engaging classes, while afternoons are filled with games, crafts, canoeing, and a beach day. Evenings mean campfires, songs, and time to share stories. Everyone is welcome, and we can’t wait to share this experience with you!
Directors: Sue Wheeler – 206-947-0068 Jen Fischer – 925-918-1659
Registration Fee: $305 by July 25 / Contact the directors for registration after this date
Youth Camp 2025 at Hills of Peace Campgrounds offers a transformative experience to connect with others, ourselves, and the Spirit. The theme for this year is LEAD, where we’ll explore how to lead lives filled with joy, hope, love, and peace. Through daily activities and reflections, we will draw inspiration from our mission prayer to nurture spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical growth. This is a week of empowerment, deep connection, and discovering the leader within you.
You (and all your friends) are invited to have a blast with old friends, making new ones, and creating memories.
Join us for a life-changing adventure!
Directors: Andy MacArthur Briana Mckenna Regan Ross
Fees: The total registration fee is $450 per camper. Information on financial assistance and our Bring A Friend discount are available on the registration form
Calling all senior high campers—students entering Grade 10 through 2025 graduates! Need a break to recharge and connect? Join us at Camp Kimtah for an unforgettable week at Samish Island as we explore "SEGUE." Curious about what that means? Come and find out! Expect meaningful conversations, outdoor adventures, and plenty of time to build friendships and create lasting memories. We can’t wait to share another amazing camp experience with you!
Directors: Dane Mahi, 541-974-2836 Dorothy Wilgus, 253-753-3901
Registration Fee: $375 by July 18 / Contact Director about registration after July 18
Are you heading into grades 7, 8, or 9? Camp Atsaken is the place to be this summer! Join us at Samish Island as we explore "Hope... It's the Future" through engaging theme classes, hands-on activities, and plenty of outdoor fun. Afternoons offer a mix of crafts, games, and campfire time, creating the perfect space to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.
Directors: Jean Cravy 360-969-3188 Jeff Cravy: 360-969-1008 Registration Fee: $375 by July 18 / Contact Director about registration after July 18
At Junior Camp, hope is more than a feeling—it’s something we do with our hands and our hearts. It’s movement and messiness and moments that matter.
Each day at Hills of Peace, Junior Campers (ages 7–11, going into grade 2 through grade 6) will choose their own adventure. From nature walks to water games, from campfire songs to crafting creations, campers will explore what it means to live out “Hope in Action”—together.
They’ll be guided by joyful, caring leaders and surrounded by the beauty of the land, where God’s spirit moves through every tree and painted sky. They'll play hard, laugh loud, and discover that being hopeful means being brave, being kind, and being exactly who God made them to be.
At night, they’ll rejoin their families for Family Camp and rest in their own cabins, wrapped in the safety of love and belonging. But during the day? It’s their time to shine, explore, and connect.
There’s something sacred that happens at camp. It reminds us we belong to God and to one another. And for our youngest campers, that sacred thing just might look like building birdhouses, going for a swim, and learning to lead with love.
Come. Choose adventure. Choose action. Choose hope. Director: Gwyn Beer Registration: use the form for Family Camp
August 2-7 - Family Camp
Theme: Choose Hope
There’s something sacred that happens at camp.
Maybe it’s the cool morning air that’s been carried across the prairies. Maybe it’s the way the lake holds the sky, or the laughter around the dinner tables, or the stories shared under the tent by the canteen. Whatever it is, it reminds us—we belong to God and to one another.
This summer at Hills of Peace from August 2 - 7, we invite you to Choose Hope. In a world that often normalizes cynicism or apathy, here we choose a different way. A hopeful way. One that makes room for joy and rest and renewal.
Family Camp is for all ages and stages of life—young kids with muddy knees, tired grown-ups needing grace, elders with stories to tell. You’ll be welcomed by love, inspired by hope, and invited to share as a community in worship, play, learning, and stillness. Whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth, you’ll find a space where you are seen, known, and needed.
This year the junior camp kids will head off for their own daily adventures as part of their separate camp experience, returning for rest with families each evening. Throughout the week you’ll have space to reconnect—with yourself, your people, and the God who’s still speaking.
Come. Choose Hope. There’s a place for you here. Director: Marian Thompson Guest Ministry: Apostle Shannon McAdam
Bring your family and join us July 19–26 at the beautiful Samish Island Campground for a week of connection, reflection, and fun in the sun! We’ll explore the theme Choose Hope with guest ministry from Kahealani Dan Faatuarai Drollet.
Come together to share in faith, joy, music, and peace, and Choose Hope!
Directors: Alexis Beer (Canada West) Sandy Decker (Inland West) John Van Der Walker (Inland West) Please Note - subsidies are available for all children/youth attending camp For questions and inquiries please contact Alexis at [email protected]
Summer Solstice: A Women’s Retreat for Cultivating Light in the Darkness
Join us as we celebrate the Summer Solstice, allowing the warmth of community and the warm rays of the sun to revitalize our spirits and shine a light into the darkness. Slow down. Breathe. Release. Heal. Kindle the light within. Spend time outside on the beautiful grounds of Hills of Peace campground, and let nature remind you of your sacred connection to all life. Explore healing spiritual practices to help ground and resource you for difficult times, integrating body, mind, heart and spirit. Shine the light of awareness inwards, illuminating places in need of healing, and finding the resources and courage you need to let your light shine. Come and be part of this sacred community, as we share in practices and rituals to honor the light in ourselves, in each other, and be empowered to share it with the world.
Guest Facilitators:Shannon McAdam and Vickie MacArthur Contact: Lisa Neudorf – [email protected] or 1-877-411-2632
Registration: $170 (Fee includes accommodations, all meals and snacks, and session supplies.) Registration Deadline: Monday, June 9
Are you thinking of something to do on the weekend? Join us for the opening of the Hills of Peace Campground. All are welcome.
Walk the trails, enjoy the view from the beach (please note there is no lifeguard on duty), visit with people in the dining room, and keep an eye out for birds and their nests. It’s a beautiful and peaceful place to be. From cleaning cabins, bathrooms, and shower rooms to sprucing up dorms, chapels, and classrooms, there’s something for everyone to do.
Whether you can come for the full weekend, or just pop in for a few hours, you’re welcome!
This is a free weekend! Lodging (please bring your own bedding) and meals are provided—your helping hands (or warm presence) are all we need in return.
Take photos, bake muffins, share prayers, sweep a cabin, or just breathe deep in this sacred space. There’s a job (or a chair!) with your name on it.
Come open the season with us. Reconnect, refuel, and help Hills of Peace shine for another summer of sacred memories.
Come lend a hand while enjoying the beauty of Samish Island Campground & Retreat Centre!
Join us anytime between April 27 and May 4 for our annual work week. Whether you can help for a day, a few days, or the whole week, we welcome all volunteers—no matter your skill level.
This year we want to focus on the following jobs ... E cabin repairs and painting, carpentry tasks throughout grounds, repairing and patching grounds/trip hazards along sidewalks, mowing and landscaping, general grounds cleanup, weeding, etc. Bring some gloves and lots of energy, and join with your community to improve the campgrounds.
Lodging and meals are provided at no cost in exchange for your labour.
RSVP: [email protected] (so we can plan meals accordingly.) Thank you!
Connecting with your spiritual energy: a Nurturing Spirit retreat
February 28 - March 2
You are invited to attend a retreat focused on healing for your soul, heart, spirit, and mind. There is much in the world making us anxious and fearful. As we contemplate how to live meaningfully amidst chaos and uncertainty, taking care of ourselves becomes essential. This retreat will help you find again that grounding in wellness that can guide your life journey in the weeks, months and years to come. Together, we will explore ways to better care for ourselves. Come to Samish Island Retreat Centre to find rest, renewal and healing.
Youth in Grades 9–12 are invited to join us February 14–16 for a weekend of fun, fellowship, and connection—and a chance to learn more about SPEC 2025! Whether you’ve been to Spectacular, want to go, or are just looking for a great time with friends, this retreat is for you.
For those attending in person, the cost is $100, and you can register at Eventbrite. A Zoom option will be available for those who can’t attend in person. Please contact Gwyn Beer ([email protected]) if you would like to attend online. Details about the directors, and Zoom link will be shared soon. Let’s get ready to reconnect, have fun, and build excitement for Spectacular 2025!
February 7-9 - Samish Island Wake-up Weekend
Help us wake up Samish Island Campground & Retreat Centre after its winter hibernation! You’re invited to join us on February 7–9, 2025, to spend a day, a night, or two at our beloved Samish Island—at no cost—and assist staff in preparing the grounds for our 2025 camping season, which starts the following weekend.
We welcome all volunteers! To help us plan meals, please call or email any of us to let us know your plans. Thank you!
Join us for a pilgrimage into Silence, as you discover Silence as a companioning presence within, guiding you in your life and spiritual journey. This is an opportunity for those who might be new to a silent retreat, as well as those who want to deepen their experience. Together, we will hold a spacious silence for each other in a safe and supportive community.
Cultivate the capacity to “be still and know” as you perceive the whispers of Spirit that arise when we take time to listen deeply to our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our souls. Receive gentle guidance for this inner journey through practices of presence: meditation, journaling, relaxation, nature, art, music, poetry, or whatever creative practices call to you in the depths of Silence. Follow the rhythm of nature, and your own soul.
As we emerge from the embrace of Silence together, you may discover the echoes of Silence accompanying you on your journey home and beyond. This Silence within becomes a touchstone we can return to anytime, even amidst the busyness of our lives.
Theme: Clarity Guest minister: Parker Johnson Director: Dan Esch [email protected] or 306-540-2359 Join us September 13 - 15, 2024, at Hills of Peace Campground for a weekend filled with nature, friendship, good food, and clarity.
About the Theme We are living in a time of chaotic information overload that is wreaking havoc on our mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. It’s tearing us apart, and it’s testing our relationships, faith, and affiliations in new, difficult ways. Our theme was chosen with intention in order to provide attendees with much-needed respite, focus, and an opportunity to recenter.
What to Expect Clarity - despite its definition - is subjective, unique to each person. What one of us finds clear and concise might confuse someone else. The purpose of this theme will be for attendees to achieve clarity both together and individually. We’ll take time in community to take stock of our lives, the church, and our world. Then, we’ll turn our attention toward the future and organize our thoughts in ways that might help us to articulate our role(s) as well as healthy boundaries in building a better tomorrow.
Guest Ministry Parker Johnson (he/him) is a content creator and business owner based in Calgary, Alberta. In 2021, he founded Cottonwood Creative, a cross-border marketing and communications agency with offices in Alberta and Oklahoma. Parker brings with him more than a decade of communications, business development, creative, and management experience for top companies across a variety of sectors, including nonprofits, construction, academia, and healthcare. Parker is a lifelong member of Community of Christ and was born and raised in Oklahoma before moving to Alberta in 2016. Parker, his husband Preston, and their two dogs call Calgary home. Parker holds the Office of Elder.
Theme: Jesus, I know him! We're excited to help our campers recognize Jesus in everything and everyone around them. Join us as we explore nature, make new friends, enjoy crafts, play games, laugh, dance, sing, and acknowledge the many gifts that God has given us. Director Team Lead: Sue Wheeler (206) 947-0068 Contact: [email protected]
It's time to get back to Youth Camp! You (and all your friends) are invited to Hills of Peace Youth Camp 2024, where we will be having a blast with old friends, making new ones, and creating memories while we learn to live #Unfiltered. Youth Camp is a place where campers learn who they are, where they fit in the world, and how to nurture themselves. Youth camp is a Welcoming and Affirming event where campers of all backgrounds and identities will feel the spirit of community. As we explore our theme: #Unfiltered, campers will learn the importance of authenticity, transparency, vulnerability, and bringing your real self to the world. God welcomes and loves us all, no matter what is behind the filter.
As always, we have the good old camp traditions like Camp-wide Games & Recreation Campfire Elective Classes Small Groups Swimming and Floaties Nailed It HOP Edition and More! Who knows what else we have up our sleeves this year?! You'll just have to join us and find out!
If you have any questions please contact our Camp Director Caitlin Ball. Director: Caitlin Ball [email protected] Assistant Directors: Andy MacArthur Brianna McKenna REGISTER HERE
August 4-8 - Camp Kimtah (Grades 10-12)
Theme: Come to the Wall Attention high school campers! Looking for something to fill your cup this summer? Camp Kimtah awaits! We would love for you to join us August 4th - 8th as we explore our theme "Come to the Well". YOU are invited... YOU are welcome... to come and fill your cup. Well you accept? We can't wait to walk this path with you! Directors: Dane Mahi (541) 974-2836 Dorothy Wilgus Contact: [email protected]
Theme: Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations
Are you going into grades 7, 8, or 9? If so, Camp Atsaken is the place for you this summer! We will explore our "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations" theme in a variety of ways, from our theme class and other classes in the morning to the different choices of activities in the afternoon. Crafts, outdoor fun, games, and campfires await you at Atsaken. Spend your week getting reacquainted with old friends and make some new friends!
August 3-8 - Family Camp 3:00 pm Saturday, August 3– 12:00 pm Thursday, August 8, 2024
All things are sacred. Come join us as we explore the theme "Heal the Earth". We will visit, worship, have fun with friends and family, make crafts, play games and enjoy delicious meals all in a beautiful natural setting. See you there!
Camp Director: Marian Thompson Guest Ministers: Matt and Margo Frizzell Inquiries:[email protected] REGISTER NOW! About Our Guest Ministers Matthew & Margo Frizzell live in Chicago. They have three daughters: Katy (23 y/o), Kenzlee (21 y/o), and Kyla (19 y/o). Their household is completed with two large family dogs, Gus and June. Avid campers, they love the North, the outdoors, and early morning campfires. They also love to read, teach, and dream together of a more just and peaceful world. Matt currently serves the church as Director of Human Resource Ministries, and member of World Church Leadership Council. He's also served as Dean of the Community of Christ Seminary, Graceland University Campus Minister, Chicago Mission Center President, pastor, and youth minister. Matt continues to teach with the seminary. Margo is a school librarian for Chicago Public Schools. She’s been an educator for 25 years. Most of her career is teaching kindergarten through grade 8 in underserved schools. Margo also taught on the Education faculty for Graceland for five years.
July 20-27 - BC/Canada West Mission Reunion
Theme: Heal the Earth: A Restoration Imperative
The Inland West Mission Centre, and British Columbia congregations, have many families that enjoy this week at camp. Activities include: games, crafts, music, worship services, relaxing, classes, guest speakers/ministers, horseshoes, volleyball, canoeing, baseball, evening campfires. Camp Directors: Chris Phelps (Canada West Mission Centre) and Lisa Stecher (Inland West Mission Centre)
Guest Ministry: Robin Linkhart and Ron Harmon Robin K. Linkhart is a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles, the lead missionary quorum of Community of Christ. She is assigned to the North Central USA Mission Field. She also oversees Seeker ministries. Ronald D. Harmon Jr., serves as the presiding bishop. His previous assignments include president of the Council of Twelve Apostles, Congregational Leadership Development, and Spectacular.
June 30-July 5 - Kids Camp Hills of Peace Campground Hwy 600, Capt Ayre Lake, AB
You're invited to join us for an amazing adventure where new friends will be made, new skills will be discovered, and connect with the voice inside you! Hills of Peace Kid's Camp provides children of all backgrounds an opportunity to celebrate who they are, and experience the outdoors as they build strong friendships, learn what it means to be a part of a community, and have fun learning about God's love for them. Campers will learn teamwork, responsibility, and resilience, helping them become confident, well-rounded individuals. While at camp, campers will enjoy activities such as:
Camp-wide Games
Campfire
Arts & Crafts
Theme Class
Recreation & Dance
Cooking Class
Movie Night
and More!
Our camping team aims to make sure each camper has an exciting and memorable time by providing the best possible experience for each child who comes to camp. We are committed to ensuring a fun and safe camp week; emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. The well-being of all campers is our top priority. Rest assured that our camps are equipped with trained staff and safety protocols to ensure a secure and healthy learning environment.
Early bird registration ends June 1! Register your camper now.
Kids Camp Directors: Amanda Senga, Deborah Mason, Marsha Kliotis For inquiries please send us an email at [email protected]
June 7-9 - Young Adult Retreat Samish Island Campground and Retreat Center 11633 Scott Road, Bow, WA
Young adults, ages 18 (HS Grad) through 35, are invited to spend a weekend enjoying the beauty of Samish Island and building our community. We will explore, imagine, and dream what “discipleship” can look like in the 21st century!
May 31 to June 2 - Camp Opening Weekend Hills of Peace Campground Hwy 600, Capt Ayre Lake, AB
Come to the opening weekend of the Hills of Peace, Friday May 31, 2024 to Sunday June 2, 2024. Enjoy the time, the walking trails, see the lake from the beach (there won’t be a lifeguard, so no swimming), visit with people, and look for birds and their nests. We also take some time to clean: the cabins, the bathrooms, and shower rooms. Dorms, chapels, and classrooms (Craft Shack). You might see some flies or a mouse but that is ok right?! You might want to cut the grass or plant some flowers. Eileen Johnstone has a three page list of the work that needs to be completed. Other people also have a list of things that need to be done.
Don’t forget the dining room and the kitchen! The dishes need cleaning before the food can be prepared. The meals are Friday evening, all day Saturday and Sunday morning. We have 2 Chefs Dave Symington and Chris Ungstad preparing the food. You will have to guess what will be served. Between the work there might be some games or playing in the sand box. You can select your own cabin or dorm to sleep in for the weekend. Bring your own bedding.
May 30-June 2 - What is Enough? Making Space for What Matters Samish Island Campground and Retreat Center 11633 Scott Road, Bow, WA
Some of us worry if we’ll have “enough” money for retirement. Some wonder if our neighbors have enough food. Others wonder if they’re doing enough to help our troubled world. What is enough, anyway? Join us as together we look at “enoughness” in terms of material goods, our spiritual selves, through a wider social justice lens and the climate and environment—and more. We invite you to journey with us as we learn how to live more simply so that others may simply live.
