I first visited Kuriakos in the early 1990s. The Alberta Synod hosted a workshop there for Sunday School superintendents and teachers. I was serving as a Sunday School superintendent for Valhalla Lutheran Church in Valhalla Centre, Alberta at the time. My wife, my son, and I made the trek from Northern Alberta to this wonderful outdoor oasis by Sylvan Lake. We have loved the camp since then. More recently, I spent a lot of time at the camp with the teenagers I worked with from Immanuel in Rocky Mountain House and Bethel in Sherwood Park. I've literally brought hundreds of teens from my church to experience God's goodness in nature at Kuriakos. We've stayed in Dana Lodge, in the Kuriakos Centre, and more recently in the ARC in the fall, the winter, and the spring. We've hosted our own retreats and programs at Kuriakos and we've also enjoyed Confirmation Retreats hosted by the camp.

In addition to enjoying the physical space at camp, I've also enjoyed the pastoral ministries of both Pastor Dave and Pastor Art. Other camp staff have also been a real support and inspiration for me and for our teenagers over the years. Most recently, I've been serving on the Board of Directors for the camp. It's been inspiring to meet the other members of the board and to get a different sense of the deep love and support that Camp Kuriakos receives from its staff, volunteers, and many supporters in the larger community and in the larger church community. The camp is facing several challenges right now and I pray that God will protect, preserve, and grow the ministry of Kuriakos. Truly a wonderful place to be "set apart to be together"!

- Michael Gillingham, Kuriakos Board Member and Director of Youth Ministry at Bethel Lutheran Church, Sherwood Park