United Church of Christ (national site)
Imagine a place where everybody counts. Where all kids look out for little ones, and little ones make faces at wee ones. And everybody laughs out loud.
A place where the sunrise tastes like strawberry ice cream; the sunsets glow like the face of a contented grandparent; where the breeze travels over the glistening lake….. And whispers your name.
Such a place exists and it’s named Pilgrim Point Camp. Where is it? Just far enough away…yet within reach….Alexandria, Minnesota. More than a destination, it’s a mind set; a spiritual oasis attended annually by many youth and adults. All shapes, sizes, ages and numbers are welcome.
Pilgrim Point Camp is a place where bonds are strengthened; where strangers discover their similarities; where goodness is given and where crickets and frogs sing a cappella ‘til dawn. It’s a place where campfires crackle, stories are retold and fowl language is for the birds.
It is also a state of “being.” Where now-ness replaces practicality; where a dinner bell replaces watches and clocks; where imagination is stronger than fact; and where God is as close as your breath.
This beautiful lakeside destination offers the traveler a place to cleanse their soul. An open air sanctuary invites quiet, while offering a chance to reflect, recharge, rekindle, reawaken. It’s as if the trees seem to say, “Whatever was troubling you will just have to wait.”
It’s a place where piggyback rides are the preferred mode of transportation and shooting stars and lightening bugs point to the heavens. A place that makes your heart sing and toes tingle. A place where God is found in moments of kindness and love…. And conversations can be had without speaking a word.
As you wander toward the place for which the camp is named a hand painted sign greets you, “all who enter here do so in silence for this is sacred space.” And indeed it is.
John R. Beard
