What's so Special about Camp?

Kuriakos is a year-round camping and outdoor education centre, specializing in summer camps and school programs for all ages. Owned and operated by Sylvan Lake Lutheran Bible Camp Association, Kuriakos is rich in history and full of vision for the future. An industry-accredited camp, the quality of your experience is our top priority.

Choosing a camp is an important decision - we consider it an honour that you've taken the time to check us out.
Kuriakos is an industry-accredited, year-round outdoor ministry site. Our programs are open to everyone, and groups of all kinds use Kuriakos facilities for their important gatherings. Have a look around, and you'll see that Kuriakos is right for you.                    

Questions? We've tried to provide lots of information here, but we know we can't answer everything on a website.

Contact camp staff anytime - we'd love to get to know you.

The wisdom of camp, shared throughout decades of learning about God and each other, shows us how effective and impactful faith formation can happen through outdoor ministry experiences when 5 fundamental elements come together uniquely at camp.


Outdoor ministry and the unique settings, experiences, and relationships that form through camp are a critical part of the ecology of Christian faith formation. Evidence is building that camp experiences continue affecting young people long after the last tearful goodbye.


The impacts are clear and recognizable in camps that attend to the 5 fundamental characteristics of Christian camping:

Faith Centred

Faith teachings and practices are not peripheral or intermittent aspects of the camp experience, but rather are experienced as intertwined in all other characteristics.


"Hello! My son had a really good time at Kuriakos this year

and grew in his faith while he was there.

Thank you! Does Kuriakos have a church in Calgary you are affiliated with?

Thanks for your help!"

- Camper parent

Safe Space

The strong sense of safety at camp includes physical, but also an emphasis on emotional safety. Participants describe camp as a place where they could be themselves without fear of judgement.


"Our daughter has been richly blessed by Camp Kuriakos - as a camper for 9 years, followed by 2 years as a SIT, Gapper, and Kitchen Staff. We are so thankful for the Christian education and fellowship she received at camp and the strong moral compass that guides her today."

- Camper family

Participatory

The camp environment emphasizes experience and agency. Participants learn and grow through active, kinesthetic activities that employ their body, mind, and soul.

Unplugged from Home

Camp exists in a location set apart that provides physical and emotional distance from environments that participants consider normal, allowing them to see the world and their place in it differently.


"(Our kids) had an excellent week at camp.

From the bottom of my heart, thanks to you and the rest of your staff for the prayerful leadership, dedication, and compassion you showed them.

Your ministry is so important!"

- Camper parent

Relational

The camp experience is framed in a relational environment that includes living together, meeting new people, practising reconciliation, and encountering the other in face-to-face interaction.


"Heaven is going to be full of happiness, friends,

and family, without sorrow or suffering."

- Mini Camp Camper