For His Mercy Endures Forever…

Heavy snow. Icy conditions. Limited visibility. Perfect weather conditions for Fanari Winter Camp, but not on the night that over 40 campers were making their way to the St. Iakovos Retreat Center. As check-in began, our entire staff wondered not when, but if the campers would make it at all considering those conditions. But then they did.

Certainly tired and worn out, parent brought their children for our Senior GOYA Winter Camp. Their trips lasted 2-4 hours longer than expected, but they didn’t care. They wanted their children to be here, to grow together, and to experience His mercy.

What stood out about our first of two Winter Camp sessions wasn’t the ways we learned more about Christ’s mercy. It wasn’t the amazing learning sessions, the trip to Wilmot, the exciting Winter Olympics and the Candle Cup. What stood out is that we truly experienced His mercy. This because abundantly clear as our campers so beautifully chanted Psalm 136 in Divine Liturgy on Sunday.

As we look back on Session 1 of Fanari Winter Camp, and look forward to Fanari Winter Camp Session 2, and Fanari Summer Camp I am reminded on the why of Fanari. Fanari is a place where we experience true relationships and connection. It is a place where we have unadulterated fun and joy. It is a place where we learn, through experience, what Christ’s mercy is all about.

As we look back on Session 1 of Fanari Winter Camp, please note a few house keeping items as we look forward:

• Camper & Staff Applications for Fanari Summer Camp open Wednesday, February 12 at 11am
•  Campers can attend Fanari Summer Camp one year longer, now through the summer after 11th grade
• Summer Camp 2020 now has 5 Sessions, with the new session (Session 3) during the 4th of July Week, making Session 4 the former Session 3, and Session 5 the former Session 4
• Registration for Session 2 of Fanari Winter Camp (Middle School only) is still open, with about 10 slots left

All registrations for Fanari are through CampDoc. More information is at our website.

See you soon!

+frk

Fr. Kosmas Kallis (Fr. K) is the Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries at the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago. He, with a dynamic team of young adult leaders, leads our Fanari Camping Ministries. For questions about Fanari Camp, click here. For questions for Fr. K, click here.

 

Bearing the Light.

Reunion Dance Review, 11th Grade Grads allowed back @ camp in 2020, 12th Graders to Lighthouse!

On October 13^th, Saint Demetrios in Elmhurst hosted the Fanari Reunion Dance.  Every fall, the dance is a great way to get everyone from camp, from all our different parishes, together again. It’s a joy to see the campers run to friends they haven’t seen in months to give huge hugs and start laughing again about the great memories they shared this past summer. We started with a Paraklesis Service in the church and as we dismissed the kids to the dance, we held our oldest cabin, the Delphians, back for a few minutes.

At camp, getting held behind the rest of the camp after an activity ends isn’t usually a good thing, but that night we had some very special news to deliver. First, father Kosmas announced that Fanari Camp would now include the week of the 4^th of July holiday bringing the total number of weeks to 5. The campers were excited to hear that. Then, Father Kosmas announced that campers going into their 12^th grade year of high school would now be allowed back to camp. Keep in mind, when eleventh graders “graduate” from camp, they cry. They cry tears of joy and sadness that they have been blessed with years of friends and faith at camp and now that journey has ended. You can’t imagine the joy on the faces of these 11^th graders when they were told they can do it all again in the summer of 2020.

And finally, Father Kosmas asked me to tell the campers about something new, something very special. We introduced our new Lighthouse summer camp program for graduating high school seniors. Although most of these campers were younger and would have to wait a year or two for Lighthouse, they still beamed knowing that the “gap years” when there was no summer camp program for them, were over.

I talked a little bit about how Lighthouse might resemble some aspects of Fanari but really, it was a whole new program built from the ground up to get them ready for what they will face in college. Father Kosmas reminded the campers that statistically, 60% of our youth fall away from Christianity in this critical part of their life. Lighthouse will fight the 60% and arm campers with the spiritual, psychological and practical tools they need to thrive as Orthodox Christian college students.

Seeing their faces and seeing the joy that everyone experienced at the dance reminded me of something very important. Although I get excited about things like a cool new Lighthouse logo, communications plans and t-shirt designs, the reason we (Father Kosmas and the whole team of people who work hard to make these programs happen) do this is simple. We want to help bring our campers to Christ so they can experience the joy that He brings and the joy of the brotherhood and sisterhood of their fellow Orthodox Christians.

Lighthouse 2020 will be here before we know it. Let’s go!

-Chris Chakonas

 

Chris is a long time Fanari Camp Staff Member, and has co-authored the Lighthouse Proposal.

 

 

 

 

 

To sign-up for email updates about Lighthouse and for more information, click on the link below:

https://www.chicago.goarch.org/lighthouse-camp

You can also follow Lighthouse on Instagram @Lighthousechicago

Fall-ing for Fanari

Fanari Camp ’19 came, and then it went. A summer of faith, fellowship, fun, service, centered around Christ has faded into Fall, and it seems like all of the love and light of Fanari Camp is still nearly 10 months away.

Except it isn’t.

If Fanari Camp was still 10 months away, how does the story of Fanari Camp continue at Greek Fests after camp? How do the vibes of camp show up when we gather back together at our GOYA Events? How is it that we feel the same light of Fanari Camp when we receive Christ at the chalice, and think back to the last day of camp?

Camp Continues thru Fall.

The fact of the matter is that Fanari Camp isn’t just an experience that we feel for one week in the summer. Fanari Camp is the culmination of our relationships that we build at camp, before camp, and after camp. It is the tactical retreat to focus on our truest connection: Christ in us and our neighbors.

It’s for this reason that we look forward go getting our Fanari Family back together for the Fanari Reunion Dance, October 13 from 5:30-10pm at St. Demetrios of Elmhurst. We will be getting back together to continue our Fanari story – a story of fellowship and love, all centered around Christ. Please join us! Click HERE for tickets and more information.

All of our 2019 Fanari Campers & Counselors are invited to attend this annual dance!

That’s not all.

Additionally, we are excited to continue to expand Fanari Camp as we move forward. This is why we have added the High School Metropolis Altar Boy Retreat (more info HERE) set for October 18-20, as well as an expanded Winter Camp to allow for separate Senior GOYA and Junior GOYA weekends.

We will continue to expand camp not to grow something new, but to help us realize what is already growing within us.

See you out there!

+frk

Director’s Reflection | Fanari Camp 2019

I am not necessarily a numbers guy….but I do have an interest in numbers…

$374,813 spent.

40,320 minutes (shout out for this stat goes to our Staff Director, Maria Pentaris).

672 hours.

652 campers.

78 counselors.

28 days.

27 clergy.

4 trips to visit an incorrupt saint.

1 clear takeaway: in a world that seems dark on the future of our youth in the church, there is a light clearly shining for four weeks each summer (and twice this coming winter) in Kansasville, Wisconsin. That light is Fanari Summer Camp at the St. Iakovos Retreat Center.

As one with an interest in Youth & Young Adult Ministry, and now in the role of Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries for our Metropolis, many people ask me many questions, but everyone asks me this one question: ‘Father, how do we keep our youth in the church?’

This question comes from a place of love and fear. It implies at least a loose understanding of the fact that 60% of our young people are leaving the church (this is true for all of American Christianity; click here for more info). But the honest answer is that there is no one answer. We don’t have a crystal ball that tells us why, but seeing what happened this summer at Fanari Summer Camp certainly helped provide clarity to this question.

You see, this summer, 652 campers (yes that’s a record for us….I guess I am a numbers guy) came to Fanari Summer Camp. They didn’t come simply because we ‘kept’ them from last year. They didn’t come because we have the most beautiful facilities possible or the absolute greatest programs possible (although both truly are fantastic). They didn’t come because they love mosquito bites. Campers can be themselves at Fanari. Campers build life-long friendships at Fanari. Campers find Christ at Fanari. That’s why they came. And why they continue to come.

As I look back on my first year leading our Fanari Summer Camp Leadership Team, my response to the question ‘Father, how do we keep our youth in the church?’ has changed. The answer: ‘We don’t. Christ does. Thankfully.’

As we get ready to gear up for another Ministry Year, I encourage us all (Youth Workers, grandparents, godparents, parents, volunteers, etc.) to focus less on keeping our kids in the Church and fearing those whom we no longer see. Let’s focus on loving the one in front of us. We have nothing to fear if we truly believe that the Holy Spirit has been illuminating the entire world since Pentecost and will continue to do so. If we bear the light which radiates so brightly at Fanari Camp in this seemingly dark world, that light – the Light of Christ – will illumine all of His children.

Let’s #FightThe60%. #LiveOrthodoxy. #FanariCamp. #BeTheLight. #FearlessMinistry.

Fr. Kosmas Kallis is the Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago.

 

Fanari 2019 – Singing Through the Rain

Wednesday and Thursday of Week 4 have seen a few bumps in the road because of one teeny tiny issue: the rain. So…much…rain. It started as the eldest campers, the Delphians, were participating in the the sacrament of confession during the Orthodox Life (OL) session. As the session was ending and it was time for vespers, the darkest, most ominous clouds imaginable descended on the camp, moving fast and loud. The staff quickly sprung into action, gathering campers into the main lodge, moving furniture in the Main Lodge to create space, and passing out prayer books. Before we knew it, the rain was coming down in sheets…but we were all safe and dry in the Great Room, chanting “Lord, I Have Cried To You, Hear Me,” the first major hymn of the Vespers service.

The rain went on to delay the Olympics until Thursday night, move up the Christmas dance to Wednesday night, and completely alter picnic day’s schedule. But the thing is, as a Fanari family, we didn’t really mind. We still had jingle-bell-rocking good time at the Christmas dance, sang camp songs late into the night, enjoyed delicious souvlakia, and bonded as cabins through the sportsmanship of the Fanari Olympic Games. The rain was a minor hiccup in the face of a camp filled with love and excitement for fellowship in Christ’s name. We were here for the Best Summer Ever, and nothing could stop us from that.

When I think back to this summer of Fanari camp, I’ll remember that Vespers service we were all gathered in the Great Room. Despite the fright of the rain, clouds, and lightning in view through the side windows, we were safe indoors under the watch of the icon of Christ, who was both before us and within us.

 

–John Louis Anton, Assistant Staff Director

Fanari 2019 – Field Trip

After a morning filled with chanting and team building at the “spider web”, Fanari Camp headed over to St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Monastery in Libertyville. One word cannot encompass the varying emotions that were held by every staff member, counselor, and camper as we drove to venerate St. Mardarije. Some of us were excited for this spiritual experience, while others were anxious to venerate an incorrupt body. Upon entering the church, we were enveloped by walls filled with iconography and a sense of calm and peacefulness. We not only learned about the life of St. Mardarije, but we also discussed how one becomes a saint, and the miracles that happen that truly show us that God is with us.

As we approached the reliquary, we could see St. Mardarije in his vestments, his hands folded across his chest. While we could not see his face, his black beard still peeked out from underneath a cloth. It is mind boggling to see a body that has defied the laws of human nature and through the grace of God, is still intact.

Many words could be used to describe this evening. As a member of the leadership team, I found this to be a very impactful experience for our youth. God-willing, they will remember this evening as a night when they saw their faith come to life.

– Katerina Rallis, Program Coordinator

Fanari 2019 – Greek Night

The first evening activity for this week is the amazing Greek Night!!! During the Greek dance last night, all of the kids had a great time dressing up in blue and white to show off their love for their Greek heritage. All of the kids danced to many Greek songs, ate loukoumades for a nice snack, and played a lot of fun games when they got tired from dancing. Each cabin learned a different dance during the day that they then preformed in front of the entire camp. All of the campers did amazing with their dances and it was so much fun. We even had a small amount of Pan-Orthodoxy when we played Arabic music for any of the Middle Eastern kids and staff, and learned how to do Middle Eastern dances like the dabbke.

After a fun night of dancing and singing along to all of the songs during the Greek Night dance, all of the kids went to their first Closing Day ceremony of the week. There they learned some cool songs about the church, found out which cabins had the most spirit for the day, and listened to a very nice “spiritual vitamin” from our Staff Director, Maria Pentaris, to finish the night off.

Today, all of us at Fanari are going to see an incorrupt saint at the Saint Sava Monastery. We are going to see Saint Mardarije of Libertyville. Some have seen relics before, but for most it will be their first time seeing relics of a saint, let alone an incorrupt saint’s relics. Many of my campers asked me about what it is like to see the body of a saint. I told them that it is an amazing spiritual experience and that seeing relics for the first time is something that you will never forget. I am so excited to share this experience with my campers and I cannot wait for this to be the best week ever.

– Charles Cassis

 

Fanari 2019 – Day 1 Has Begun

Hello! My name is Alexandra N. and it is my first time as a Fanari counselor! I loved being a camper and now, I am so glad that I can help my campers create great experiences of their own. It is the first day of camp and everyone is super pumped up for Greek night tonight.

The day has been going fantastic so far and all the kids are having an amazing time. I am in charge of the Athenian cabin, and our first activity today was Orthodox life, where we discussed how we show that we love God and how God shows that he loves us. The next rotation was flex, where each cabin learned a different Greek dance that they are going to perform tonight in front of the whole camp. I can confidently say that the Athenians excelled at the Kalamatanio during practice. Our third activity was bible study. By looking at verses’ in Isaiah, John, and Genesis, we discovered examples and again explored the theme of “God is love.” The last and fourth activity, omada (or “team”), has yet to be done but we are planning on making a cabin flag and creating some original chants. This session is led by us, the counselors, and it is a great addition to the schedule as the counselors get an opportunity to introduce and guide the campers toward being a true family in Christ. Hopefully throughout the week, the kids start getting more comfortable with each other and the awesome staff members who lead each session.

Last night was our first devotional with the campers, and they really got a chance to bond with their fellow peers and counselors. Starting off with icebreakers, we are planning on diving deeper as we explore our faith and our lives. The theme of Christian Agape truly sums up what this camp is all about.

2019 Fanari | Session 3 Day 5 | American Dance

Happy Friday! Today is our last full day and we can not believe how fast this session has flown by.

Yesterday we had an unconventional schedule because it was our picnic day. We started our day off a little different than usual. Instead of Orthros, we had each cabin wake up and pray all together as a cabin to show that we do not need a chapel to pray. We then moved into sessions. The first session, cabins were split up and they participated in a group activity called “Tap Someone”. This activity is where a small group of the cabin stands in a circle where the rest are sitting with their eyes closed. Counselors read statements and the group in the center of the circle goes around and taps someone who they think fit the discretion of that statement. The second session was team building activities out in our athletic field. Campers brought their spirit during these activities and cheered together when they completed them.

After sessions, we moved into our picnic time. After filling up on souvlaki and karpouzi (watermelon), campers were ready for free time. Free time was filled with lots of sports, slide rides and enjoying being outside. We finished free time with the annual camper vs counselor/clergy softball game. In a very exciting game the counselor/clergy team pulled ahead and scored the winning run in the last inning.

Christmas came early after free time when campers got dressed for our American Dance.   Santa’s, elves and reindeer (oh my!) not only danced their way through the night but also got to enjoy hot chocolate and cookie decorating. Mr. D also told stories at our new bonfire during the dance.

Closing time was filled with lots of singing as always and a great spiritual vitamin given by Louie Pappas. The Spartan and the Athenian cabins won our spirit sticks last night, the truly showed what spirit is all about.

Tonight is skit night and we are so excited to see our campers come together one last time for a night filled with lots of laughter and of course love. Although we are sad this is our last full day, we are making it the Best Day Ever!

-MariaElena Kouriabalis

 

Fanari Session 3 – Confession and Olympics

We are more then halfway through our week, and what a week it has been. Day 4 of camp offered campers lots of love, spirit and togetherness.

Our day started off as usual with Orthros in the morning, and then moving into our sessions. Sessions included campers helping finish the new fire pit, creating bamboo towers, talking about how we can show love to ourselves and others during Bible study and of course participating in the sacrament of confession. This gave them the opportunity to strengthen their bond with not only Christ but themselves.

God blessed us with a gorgeous day and free time was filled with sand volleyball, boat rides, tie-dying, soccer and lots of turns down the water slides. After cooling off during dinner and chapel, cabins readied themselves for the long awaited Fanari Olympic Games.

Cabins dressed to the nine for the games bringing along many different accessories and so much spirit. After opening ceremonies each cabin preformed cabin chants to show off who had the most spirit. Tensions ran high as the games got going. However, all night every camper, counselor and staff member showed that they had the Holy Spirit within them by continually chanting, being good sports and having fun. Our Games came to an end the way they always do with the Ballon Game. After our final game campers and staff headed to the chapel for closing day.

At closing time we found out that the Spartan Cabin won the Fanari Games and are now champions carrying the ever important Fanari Games trophy. But the wins didn’t stop there. Two cabins were awarded with spirit sticks last night, those cabins were the Delphians and the Olympians!  We then had a special guest come and visit us at camp. Father George Lamberis showed up with guitar in hand to lead the camp in some of our favorite closing day songs. After songs, Katerina Rallis (one of our Program Coordinators) gave our spiritual vitamin. She talked about the importance of being apart of a living breathing faith.

Day 4 provided our campers with love, spirit and the feeling of togetherness. It felt like it was something out of a movie once we hit the chapel for closing day you could feel it in the air. This week is truly teaching our campers what Christian Agape is all about.

We are so excited for the days to come!

Here’s to making it the Best Day Ever!!

-MariaElena Kouriabalis and Vasilia Athens