Category Archives: PYOCA

Pyoca Fall Youth Conference

From Pyoca Camp and Retreat Center:

Join us at Pyoca October 4th – 6th for our 5th Annual Fall Youth Conference. We are delighted to welcome Rev. Shelly Wood and Matthew Black as this year’s keynote speaker and worship leader for the Fall Youth Conference.

This year’s theme is A Light in the Darkness. We know that youth are not immune to darkness and times of struggle. They deserve to have a space that is open for them to talk about their fears, anxieties, and what challenges them.

When we are able to talk about the darkness around us we bring light to difficult situations. We find hope that God is right alongside us in our darkest places moving us into the light.

This year’s theme will focus on the story of Zacchaeus and what it means to see, be seen, and share the light of Christ with others.

The conference is open to any youth group and their youth leaders. Youth in grades 6-12 are welcome. Small groups will be split by age group, 6th-8th grade and 9th-12th. Individual youth without a group attending are encouraged to group up with another church to register.

Be sure to check out our flyer!

All general conference information (fees, registration, etc.) can be found in the FYC Church Group Information sheet.

How to Register:

FYC registration is by church, rather than by individual. Each church must designate a Youth Registrar, most often a Youth Director or volunteer youth leader.

If you have individual youth looking to join us, but do not have a full group, let us know and we can assist in pairing you with a partner church!

Step One: Please indicate to the Pyoca office your intent to join us by submitting the Group Pre-Registration Form and Youth Leader Registration Form via email to Molly DeWitt (molly@nullpyoca.org) no later than Friday, Sept. 20th, 2019. That way, we have a general estimate on how many youth and adults will be joining us.

Step Two: Have each youth participant fill out the FYC Youth Registration Form and return them to the Registrar. Youth forms can be sent via mail or email to Molly DeWitt. If needed, youth forms can be brought to the conference on Friday, Oct. 4th.

  • After the registration deadline, one?for?one substitutions of the same gender may be made. Additional registrations will be accepted if space is available.
  • For substitutions or additions, contact Molly DeWitt at molly@nullpyoca.org or (812) 358-3413.

Additional information and all conference forms can be found here.

Pyoca Pathway: Join us for Week 3 Camps!

Join us for Week 3 Camp Programs!

We still have spots left in each of our Week 3 Camp Programs and we want to ensure even more campers have the opportunity to experience the magic of camp this summer.

Join us for Explore Camp (entering 2nd – 4th grade), Discover Camp (entering 4th – 6th grade, and Challenge Camp (entering 7th – 9th grade).

Our annual Boat-a-thon helped us raise nearly $10,000.00 toward camper scholarships this year, so we still have scholarship assistance left for campers who wish to join us this coming week. Scholarship forms can be found here.

Have you already been with us for camp this summer? Join us for a second week! We’d love to have your camper join us for another week of fun.

Week 3 (June 30th-July 5th) is always an amazing week because of our annual 4th of July Celebration.

We will gather campers together for our field day games on July 4th, have an all-camp cookout at the Pavilion, and finish off the night with our fireworks show put on by Senior Director Mike Davis. It’s a week you won’t want to miss!

It’s never too late to join us for a summer you won’t forget. Register your campers today!

Pyoca Women’s Retreat: May 3-5, 2019

Rest, relax, renew.

Join us this May as we grow into spring with our women’s retreat
Flow & Grow: Creative Respite held at Pyoca May 3rd – 5th, 2019.

There is no expectation of perfection; we merely seek Sabbath and connection.

Our philosophy is that art & yoga allow us to connect to God and one another through the movement of the Holy Spirit. Over the course of the weekend each woman will discover her innate sense of creativity and discern the movement of the Spirit in her life.

For more Information | To Register

Pyoca 2019 Summer Programs

Updated on 4/4/2019

Less Than 60 Days Until Camp!

Just two months until summer camp starts! Have you registered your youth for camp yet? It’s not too late! Our programs are filling up faster this year, so be sure to reserve your spot at camp.

Important: Your child will not have their preferred week of camp reserved until their camp registration is fully submitted. Register now.

Are you waiting on church scholarships or other funding before submitting your registration? Have questions regarding your registration?

Please let us know! We are here to help and ensure that your child has their spot. You can either call us at (812) 358-3413 or email program@nullpyoca.org.
Pyoca scholarship request forms can be found here.

Take a look at the PYOCA website to find out about all the programs happening for kids and adults!
Use the link on the image below to view the entire brochure on Flipsnack.com.

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Support Pyoca Scholarships this Giving Tuesday

It's #Giving Tuesday. How will you give?At Pyoca we believe every child should have the opportunity to experience the wonder and magic of camp.

It may come as a surprise to some that 1 in 6 campers from the 2018 Pyoca camp season received scholarship assistance.

Year after year we offer scholarships no questions asked to any camper in need of financial assistance. Scholarships range from partial to full camp tuition.

This #GivingTuesday, we are asking for your help to raise $6,000 that will go directly toward summer camp scholarships for youth.

But we won’t stop there. Each year we hope to be able to reach even more youth and make our programs more accessible. How can you help?

Consider giving a recurring donation.
Spread the word about summer camp.
Volunteer this summer at camp.

You can make a difference in the life of a future Pyoca camper.

Donate this #GivingTuesday to help us continue planting seeds of faith.

Choose “Scholarship Fund” on our eGive site.

Donate Now

Stay connected.
If you would like to learn more about summer camp and year round
Pyoca programs, visit www.pyoca.org and subscribe to our
monthly newsletter Pyoca Pathway.

Float the Boat-a-thon

Float the boat-a-thon

Today (6/5/2018) is the day, Pyoca is hosting a micro-campaign to fund new kayaks and paddle boats for our waterfront just in time for summer campers to arrive. Our goal is to raise $5000 while our summer staffers canoe down the White River. Be sure to follow their Boat-a-thon progress on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

We have already $400 before breakfast. Our Counselors will begin their journey around 10am prayers for a safe trip.

You can contribute to the Boat-a-thon in two ways:

  1. Give online here and be sure to select the Boat-a-thon campaign, or
  2. Email your pledge to program@nullpyoca.org and mail a check to:
Pyoca
886 E County Rd. 100 S
Brownstown, IN 47220

Thank you for partnering in ministry with Pyoca and helping to make summer 2018 one of the best on record for our campers.

Mike Davis
Senior Director

Spring News from Pyoca

Grief, Camp, & Remembrance

Written by Acting Executive Director, Mike Davis.

Last weekend, in the midst of a very busy retreat weekend at camp, volunteers young and old from near and far descended on the Pyoca grounds. They carried with them garden implements of every type, plants purchased and plucked from their own yards, and heavy hearts.

Days of service and volunteer projects are a common occurrence at Pyoca, but Saturday was different. As always, we worked to give back to the place where our lives have been changed, but we also worked to honor the saints who have gone before us. They helped to create this place, encouraged us to go Pyoca as retreat guests and campers, and mentored us every step of the way…  Read the rest.

Beyond Belief: The Universe of God

A word from our new Program Director, Molly DeWitt, on this summer’s curriculum and program highlights.

This summer campers will be exploring the enormity of their faith, which inevitably comes with many questions. The daily themes explore: our intimate connection to God, the ability to believe in God’s mysterious and expansive nature, how we define truth, the need for hope, the abundance God has already given us, the call to speak out through our faith, and the ability of every camper to go out and change the world.

Week One Challenge & Transform campers will get to know this summer’s theme via our chapel keynote speaker, Tom Markey, a graduate of Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis and current youth director at John Knox Presbyterian Church. Tom will explore this summer’s themes each night in chapel and help campers uncover how they are connected in community.

Week Two campers will participate in all of the traditional aspects of camp, including a Talent Show, the Great Pyoca Relay, and much more!

Week Three campers will get to experience our annual Fourth of July celebration, including a spectacular fireworks show put on by our Acting Executive Director, Mike Davis. Be sure to get those camp registrations in soon to secure your spot! Register Now!

Pyoca Youth Conference

October 5th – 7th, 2018 This fall’s theme is: “Why Church?” Youth will explore why the church is relevant in their lives today and will hear the testimonies of young adults who continue to serve actively in the church in a variety of ways. This is a critical question many churches face as they seek to engage youth and young adults in their church communities. We hope to show all youth that the definition of church is much broader than they may imagine and the community that church offers is a vital part of a life of faith.Pyoca’s annual fall youth conference is open to all 7th-12th graders. More information to come at pyocaconferences.org.