Christmas Institute is an annual church retreat with origins in the Philippines. Here in the Pacific Northwest, CI will be held at The Firs in Bellingham, Wash. Here are a few scenes from past CIs in the Northwest.
REACT: Christmas Institute celebrates unconditional love
By Anthony Sy
Christmas Institute
December 26-30, 2015
The Firs
4605 Cable St, Bellingham, WA 98229
www.ci-pnw.com
E-mail: director@ci-pnw.com
Facebook: bit.ly/ci-pnw
What is Christmas Institute?
Christmas Institute (CI) originated in the Philippines through the Methodist Church and began in 1921. In 1981, CI was brought to the states and now there are five locations across the country where CI is held every year. Christmas Institute aims to help youth in grades 7-12 grow in Christ by engaging in group and individual spiritual practices like praise & worship, Bible study, and Olympic Fest (team-based games).
My Experiences
I started out by tagging along with my mom, Cecille Corsilles-Sy, who was a leader at CI for quite a while. After growing up watching how much fun the campers had while they were there, I was extremely excited to be a part of it when I started 7th grade.
Over the years, I was able to grow as a Christian. I did this by learning about faith in different ways with different people. If there is one thing I learned when I was a camper, it was to expect to leave CI with a better understanding of how I can grow closer to God.
After my first year as a leader-in-training (LIT) and even after my six years as a camper, I can confidently say that I know I will grow each year. I truly feel that this camp is one of the greatest experiences for the youth and young adults that participate. Being a leader is completely different and it is amazing to be a part of planning and helping lead youth and young adults experience God. I am extremely excited for this year because we will reflect on how to react as Christians in different contexts.
This year, the theme is REACT. Campers are encouraged to think about how to react to the fact that God loves us unconditionally as we are.
