Camp Emmaus
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Camp Emmaus is an outdoor ministry that seeks to create a welcoming space where all can experience the healing powers of creation and be called to live a life of service, peace, and deep connections with one another.
Emmaus is an outdoor ministry of the Illinois/Wisconsin District of the Church of the Brethren since 1948.
November 22
Primitive Shelter Building Day Songwriting & Poetry Workshop Memorial Day Weekend Counselor Training (CIT) Elementary Camp Target Sports Camp Senior High Camp Survivor Camp Intermediate Camp YAAYAH Camp Middle School Camp Women's Camp Labor Day Weekend ONLINE CAMP REGISTRATION
Check the schedule page for rates and other details.
3011 W. Camp Rd. • Oregon, IL 61061
(815) 734-4268 • manager.campemmaus@gmail.com
www.campemmaus.orgEncounter Creation. Experience God. Ignite your Faith.
September 30, 2025
To the Delegate body of the Illinois/Wisconsin District Conference:
On behalf of the Camp Emmaus Board, Staff, Volunteers, Investors and Supporters, I bring you greetings and I am honored to share with you the many ways that Camp Emmaus is impacting the lives of many people on the local level, in congregations, and in the church at large.
The theme for the 2025 summer camp programming was Another Way, where campers, staff, and volunteers embarked on a journey to discover how they experience the way of God that often presents another way of living out their faith. The ministry at Camp Emmaus is one in which we continually seek to discover the way to God’s love; embodied in Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit. In doing so, lives are forever changed and that is why camp is more than just a setting, it’s an embodied experience that we share with others. I pray that camp will always be a place where we discover the another way that is different from the world’s way.
Camp Emmaus 2025 Highlights:
• We celebrated 77 years of outdoor ministry.
• Memorial Day Family Camp attendance was 35 and Labor Day Family Camp also had 27 people.
• Spring into Camp had 41 people in attendance
• Summer Camp by the numbers: 127 campers (up 13% from 2024) and 54 staff and volunteers representing 13 congregations in the northern tier of the district.
• New amenities and features: New water heaters in the Retreat Lodge and Pool house, new LED Lights in the Craft Cabin and Bathhouses, new ceiling tiles in both bathhouses, new bridge across the creek wide enough for the mower to cross, walk-in cooler flooring & shelves, new wood shed by the council fire circle, new wood shed at the basketball court, new sand at the gaga pit and volleyball court.
• We were able to raise over $25K this summer to purchase a new commercial dishwasher that will be installed before summer 2026 camps.
• The camp board had our winter retreat in which we created a new mission statement for the camp as well as continuing to lay the groundwork for the next decade of ministry at Emmaus and where God may be leading us to new ministry opportunities. We’re excited to dream together and imagine what camp will grow to be in the next chapter of outdoor ministry.
• Our camp staff, board and volunteers have both done incredible work extending the ministry of Camp Emmaus to several guest groups, and they have sought to be wise and diligent stewards of our financial resources. We continue to have a variety of rental groups and are always looking to find creative partnerships and programming to widen the circle of our ministry.
• A big thank you to our staff and volunteers for all the work (seen and unseen) that goes into keeping this camp looking and functioning as well as it does. Thank you for your passion and gifts to make Emmaus the sacred space that it is and will be for future generations.
• Come see us at our display booth to pick up some Emmaus gear, brochures and more.2026 Summer Camp Schedule:
May 22-25 Memorial Day Family Camp
June 12-13 CiT Training
June 13-14 Elementary I Camp (Gr. K-2)
June 14-17 Target Sports Camp (Gr. 7-12)
July 5-11 Senior High Camp (Gr. 9-12)
July 12-18 Survivor Camp (Gr. 6-8)
July 19-23 Intermediate Camp (Gr. 3-5)
July 26-Aug. 1 Middle School Camp (Gr. 6-8)
Aug. 6-8 Women’s Camp
Sept. 4-7 Labor Day Family CampWe share this report about the ministry taking place at camp so that you may know how such experiences of immersive Christian community help people know and experience first-hand the presence of God in ways that nurture hope for our present and future. As we continue the work of Jesus at camp, we ask that you prayerfully consider how you might have a role in the ministry of Camp Emmaus. And as always, we look forward to partnering with you and look forward to what God has in store for us in 2026.
Check us out at www.campemmaus.org or follow us on Facebook.
Respectfully,
Randall Westfall
Camp Emmaus Manager/AdministratorCamp Emmaus is an outdoor ministry of the Illinois/Wisconsin District Church of the Brethren since 1948.
Nestled on 99 acres of rolling woodland in the Rock River Valley in north-central Illinois;
We provide a setting where you can encounter creation, experience God, and ignite your faith.
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms..” - 1 Peter 4:9-10
Dear Friend of Camp Emmaus,
As the summer camping season has ended, we are overjoyed for the many individuals who joined us! We hope to see you at one of our fall events. Please plan to attend either the district campfire on Saturday, October 18th at 12:00pm or the annual leaf-raking day on Saturday, November 15th.
This year we served 127 campers and had 54 summer staff/volunteers. Without the support of our camper’s families, congregations in our district, and our donors we would not be able to give them such an amazing experience.
We thank you for your partnership and your prayers. We are grateful for being able to nurture this year’s campers and cultivate a welcoming space where all can experience the healing powers of creation and be called to live a life of service, peace, and deep connection with one another.
Would you consider making a donation to pave the way for the 2026 camping season?
Blessings to you, Your Camp Emmaus Board
3011 W Camp Rd, Oregon, IL 61061
www.campemmaus.org
dev.chair.campemmaus@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/CampEmmaus
Fall 2025 Workshops
Sacred creativity. Wild wisdom. Soulful renewal.Register:
Phone: 815-734-4268 (Camp Phone)
Email: manager.campemmaus@gmail.com
Text: 815-297-4435 (Manager’s Phone) OR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CampEmmausLocated between Oregon and Mt. Morris
3011 W. Camp Rd.
Oregon, IL 61061
there are times when we must get away –
like a deer started by sudden movementwe feel the need to bolt
as the world grows too loud too fast
our nervous system waves the white flag to retreat
to find stillnessand if we don’t listen if we don’t honor our need for solitude
we burst at the seams.—Scott Stillman
As autumn is upon us, it is meant to be a time for slowing down. The rush of spring and summer now give way to the crisp air that invites us to gather around a campfire and reflect on the blessings and challenges of the past few months and what remains for 2025.
As I begin to slow down and shift gears towards a season of reflection, these words by Scott Stillman are resonating in my heart. And I am reminded that his words echo the sentiment and reason that we have a sacred place like Emmaus.
For the times when the world gets too loud or too fast, come to camp for quiet and stillness. When our nervous system begins waving a white flag, it’s time to surrender to the pace and chaos of brittle, anxious, nonlinear, and incomprehensible aspects our lives and rediscover how camp provides a robust, tranquil, reliable, and clear sense of connection to Christ and Creation (by disconnecting from the world).
Autumn is a season for retreat, a time for stillness, a time for solitude. Because if we do not honor our need for solitude, we will surely burst at the seams. And if your heart and soul are like a deer started by a sudden movement and you feel the need to bolt, then do so knowing you can find solace on these sacred grounds called Emmaus.Respectfully in Christ,
Randall Westfall
Manager, Camp Emmaus
The next Church of the Brethren National Youth Conference (NYC) will take place July 18-23, 2026, at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colo., with the theme “Light Within Us.” Because it will be a new location for many of the advisors who will bring youth, it seemed helpful to offer a chance to experience the location prior to bringing youth. Thus, an NYC 2026 Advisor Preview will take place Oct. 11-13. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the campus, check out the food and lodging, and see what recreation options are like.
Additionally, participants will have a learning opportunity with Charles (Chuck) Hunt, who will lead sessions based on the book Faith Beyond Youth Group. The sessions will build on work by the Fuller Youth Institute, where Hunt is senior director of training, all while inspiring participants and providing new tools to help in various ministry contexts. Continuing education credit will be available.
Early bird registration is $300 and is available until July 31. Regular registration is $375. Registration includes two nights’ double-occupancy lodging, four meals, and all sessions. All registrants will be responsible for their transportation to and from the YMCA of the Rockies. (Denver International Airport is the most convenient, and there is shuttle service to the YMCA.)
For more information, go to www.brethren.org/yya/advisor-preview-weekend-for-nyc-2026 or contact Becky Ullom Naugle, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, at bullomnaugle@brethren.org or 847-429-4385.
Registration will open in January. Learn more about NYC 2026 at the National Youth Conference page.
About Emmaus
Camp Emmaus is so named because it was on the road to Emmaus that the disciples encountered the living Christ. Because of this experience, the disciples continued on in their lives with a new vision, a new message, and a new hope for those back home. In this outdoor setting, Board programming seeks to strengthen our faith in Christ, develop stewardship of God's creation, strengthen future Christians by nurturing mature decision making, look beyond ourselves independently in intercultural experiences, and develop strong Christian leaders. We seek to provide good quality year round facilities for use by a variety of groups, both religious and secular as a service to the local community and region. May God guide our direction!
Enjoy the beauty and serenity of creation at Camp Emmaus. Located on 97 acres of rolling wooded countryside, Camp Emmaus is surrounded by nature's splendor. The seasons dictate the color and characteristics of the camp, as well as the activities such as swimming in the outdoor pool, hiking, cross country skiing, fishing, bird watching, picnics and campfires.
Opportunities are provided for family tent/trailer camping with a nearby picnic shelter and the retreat lodge are available year round. Note that there are no RV hookups and no facilities to dispose of trailer waste at this site.
The camp is utilized during the summer for Church of the Brethren sponsored youth camps. These camps include Elementary through Senior High, as well as separate family camps. The Brethren camps are during July and August and the camp is otherwise available to be rented by other groups.
In addition to Church of the Brethren camps, Camp Emmaus accepts various groups, both religious and secular. Contact the camp manager at 815-734-4268 for more information.
Facilities
There are four girls' cabins and five boys' cabins. In addition to the cabins, there are the main lodge, craft cabin, retreat lodge and log cabin. Overall capacity of the camp is 185 campers.
The kitchen, dining hall, and camp store are located in the main lodge.
The retreat lodge, with its kitchen facilities, and the log cabin are available for use year round.
Recreational facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, basketball court, volleyball court, tetherball, ping-pong, and four-square.
Sara Garner, chair
Gary Baisden
Patrick Benassi
Michelle Bowman
Amanda Burch
Shannon McNeil Smith
Monica Rice Frye
Mike Sondgeroth
Jonathan Stauffer
Callie Surber
Daniel Radcliff, interim financial secretary
Randall Westfall, camp manager
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Camp Emmaus
send mail to:
P.O. Box 128
Mt. Morris, IL 61054
ship UPS to:
3011 W. Camp Rd.
Oregon, Illinois 61061
To make a reservation or ask the Camp Managers a question please call 1-815-734-4268;
for summer camp related questions please contact manager.campemmaus@gmail.com
