We are looking forward to gathering in central Michigan for Sukkot on October 1-9, 2023, for eight days of fellowship, encouragement, and adventure with dozens of other families in the heart of Michigan.
DEADLINE TO REGISTER: Friday, September 8, 2023
Theme: Arise, Go to Zion
We will be learning from Psalms 120-134, which are known as the “Songs of Ascents” and are traditionally sung by those who travel to Jerusalem for YHVH’s Feast Days.
There will be fun activities for all ages, from children to older adults. We will have daily worship times, midrash (discussion) times for adults, games and group activities for everyone, singing around the campfire, and lots of fellowship, plus a time for a mikvah (baptism), fun classes, and special activities for the first and last day, as well as Sabbath. We will also enjoy adventures around the campground, such as the climbing tower, zipline, boating, archery, crafts, an outdoor movie, and games.
Yes, it’s Michigan! 🙂 Fall is beautiful here, with daytime temperatures averaging in the 50s and 60s and lows in the 30s and 40s at night. Even though it can get chilly at times, there will be heated cabins for all.
Activities:
- Campfires and Kosher S’mores
- Gym and Game Room
- Archery
- Boating
- Climbing Tower
- Zipline
- Playground
- Fishing
- Basketball
- Sand volleyball
- Ga-Ga Ball
- Hiking and Biking Trails
- Choir
Cost and Registration
Each week, as you set aside your tithe for the feasts, keep in mind the following expenses for Sukkot:
- Registration Fee to cover your lodging and food
- Food costs for each day’s breakfast and snacks, plus sharing meals on Sabbath and High Days
- Optional activities (zipline and climbing tower)
- Travel costs such as gas for your car
Cost of Registration
Registration for the week of Sukkot is $220/person. Children aged 4 and under are free. Children ages 5-8 are only $95. Lodging is included. Deposit is 50% of the registration fee to make the reservation. The total is due by Friday, September 22. The deposit is nonrefundable if you cancel and will be donated to help offset the costs of Sukkot and provide for the needs of the poor.
DEADLINE TO REGISTER: Friday, September 8, 2023
Please click here to register and pay.
Guests will need to provide their own bedding, linens, and toiletries for all cabins.
Food
- Bring food for breakfast and snacks for your family each day.
- Bring water bottles (and possibly bottled water, if you prefer that), plus any other drinks (coffee, hot cocoa, etc.) that your family enjoys in the morning, evening, or between meals. Drinks will only be provided at group meals.
- Bring food to share on the First Day, Sabbath, and the Last Great Day. Since these are all Sabbaths, we don’t want to ask the campground staff to work for us.
- First Day’s Chili Supper. Bring foods like a pot of chili, salads, breads, desserts, etc. Drinks will be provided. Sign Up Here
- Ice Cream Social. We will provide everything, but we could use serving helpers. Sign Up Here.
- Sabbath’s Carry-In Dinner. Bring something for your crock-pot or instaPot, plus chips, salads, breads, desserts, etc. Drinks will be provided. Sign Up Here.
- Sabbath Night. We will have a hot dog and marshmallow roast after sundown. Sign Up Here.
- Last Day’s Thanksgiving Meal. Turkey and drinks will be provided. Bring all the side dishes and desserts. Sign Up Here.
- Last Day’s Simple Supper. Bring bread and sandwich fixings for your own family, or eat leftovers.
- Bring a cooler for food, plus maybe a crock-pot, insta-pot, electric skillet, and/or camp stove (optional). Ice for coolers can be purchased from the campground or nearby stores.
- Be sure that all food is biblically clean.
Extra Activities
There are a few extra activities which are NOT included in the cost of registration.
- Climbing Tower: $6/person (age 9 and up)
- Zipline: $12/person (80-250 pounds only)
If your family would like to participate in these activities, please include the fees when you register.
Travel
Covenant Hills Camp & Retreat
10359 E Farrand Road
Otisville, MI 48463
Phone: (810) 631-4531
Link to Google Map
Covenant Hills Camp & Retreat is approximately a 1 hour, 30 minute drive from Detroit Metro Airport, and it’s approximately 35 minutes from Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan.
All activities on site are within walking distance. The camp is spread out and some of the distances between buildings can be over 1/4 mile depending on which cabin you are lodging in, so bikes can be a convenient way to get around the camp. Any mobility-challenged guests have the option to drive between lodging and activities. You can see a campground map here.
FAQ
What is included in registration?
Lunch and Dinner each day (except Sabbath and High Days), conference name tag and booklet, daily family devotionals, and group activities are included. Purchases from the campground (snack/coffee bar, ice, firewood) and activities (climbing tower and zipline) are extra.
When should we arrive, and when will we leave?
Plan to arrive at 1:00 pm on the first day (October 1). Our group activities are starting promptly at 1:30 pm.
On the last day (October 9), you may check out at any time before 1:00 pm.
What is the theme for the week?
Our theme for the week is “Arise, Go to Zion,” and our theme verses are Psalms 120-134.
You will receive a name tag and conference booklet that will contain a schedule, a map, and daily family devotions.
What will the activities be like?
Each morning, families will start out having breakfast and devotions together. We will have a one-hour midrash (Bible discussion) time for teens and adults, while the children (aged 12 and under) are invited to participate in activities and games.
Afternoons will be full of fun group activities, such as homesteading classes, Sukkah-making activities, hymn singing, and more. There will also be plenty of free time for relaxing and fellowship.
Each evening, we will have a time of worship, Scripture reading, prayer, and testimonies. We are also planning fun activities for all ages, including dances, campfires, game times, an ice-cream social, a movie night, and more.
We are welcome to join the Sukkot Choir. If you can sing or play an instrument, we invite you to bring your instrument and participate in our evening worship teams. On Friday evening, we will have a “Night of Special Offerings,” so please think what talent or family skit you can bring to YHVH that night.
What is the weather like?
Weather can be chilly in Michigan in the fall, and many teaching sessions will be meeting in a screened-in pavilion. Please bring warm clothes! Sweatshirts and extra blankets are a good idea. You might enjoy bringing your own camp chairs as well.
However, on sunny days, you might get warm doing some of the afternoon activities, so dressing in layers is smart. We often get rainy days during Sukkot, so bring umbrellas, jackets, and shoes that can handle rain or mud.
I’d like to fish; what do I need to know?
Fishing is free! (Catch and release only.) Bring your own fishing gear. No fishing license is required for fishing in the lake. Fishing in surrounding lakes/streams will require a Michigan fishing license.
We love to ride our bikes; what do I need to know?
You would be welcome to bring bikes along with you! There are wonderful trails all throughout the campground, and during free times, many children and adults love to ride their bikes around.
I’m Single/Older/Have No Children, Etc.
The retreat is for all ages and people! We are working hard to plan activities that all ages and walks of life will enjoy. We can’t wait to get to know you!
I need a special diet. Will this work out with group meals each day?
Yes, we will do everything we can to accommodate you. Please let us know your dietary needs on the registration form, and if you have any questions, please email Kraig Elliott at elliott.kraig@gmail.com.
All food brought to Sukkot needs to be biblically clean. Some foods are unacceptable — and if you bring them, we’ll be kind but ask you not to bring them to any of our group events. Our guidelines are found in Leviticus 11, but in general, here are some pointers to keep in mind:
- We do not eat any pork or shellfish.
- Pork and shellfish are hidden as additives in many foods. For example, gelatin is made from pork, so we don’t eat marshmallows or Jello, unless we can find them from a source that we know is not from a biblically unclean animal.
- Some other foods that sometimes contain unclean food are beef sausage casings, bread, salad dressings, pie crust, pastries and doughnuts, and commercially-prepared drinks.
- When in doubt, bring only foods that have one of these symbols on the package:
- You can learn more about clean and unclean food, according to the Scriptures, by reading this article.
- You can find a helpful food shopping guide here.
What are the rules of the campground?
Covenant Hills Camp is owned and operated by the East Michigan Free Methodist Church, but the RV park is open to any and all visitors. There may be other visitors camping while Solel Sabbath Fellowship is enjoying Sukkot. Other guests will likely not share our Torah beliefs, and some families camping in the RV park may be decorating for Halloween. However, the cabins are not located near the RV park.
We want to be a GOOD testimony to both the campground staff and other guests by being kind and considerate, cleaning up after ourselves, supervising our children and pets, and abiding by all campground rules.
The campground DOES NOT allow drugs, marijuana, or alcohol on the property, and a modest dress code is required.
You may read all the campground rules here. You must read the campground rules and acknowledge your agreement with them before registering.
Solel Sabbath Fellowship additionally requires that all children be supervised by parents or young-adult siblings at all times.
Please read our doctrinal statement for our beliefs and agree to be kind and gracious to all.
May we bring our dog?
No pets are allowed in any of the buildings, the cabins, or at the beach.
What is lodging like?
The cabins vary in size and configuration. In most cases you can expect to be in a room with bunk beds, twin beds, double beds, or a combination of these. Many cabins will have a private bathroom, while some are very close walk nearby.
You will need to bring your own bedding, linens and toiletries, as well as a cooler to keep your breakfasts, sabbath meals, and snack foods cold.
There is wireless internet throughout the campground, at the Hub and at the Cove.
I can only come for Sabbath or the First and Last Days. Is this okay?
If you plan on joining us for only the daytime, there is a commuter rate. Please contact Kraig Elliott at elliott.kraig@gmail.com to set this up.
What should we pack?
Coats, warm jackets, sweatshirts, and extra blankets
Warm socks
Umbrella
Bedding and linens
Toiletries
Bag for dirty clothes
Flashlight with batteries
Camera
Insect repellent
Musical instruments
Bible and pen
Shofar
Water bottle
Morning coffee or evening hot chocolate
Cooler for food
Food for breakfast, snacks, and shared meals
Crockpot and/or camp stove
Camp chairs
Bikes
Fishing pole
Extra spending money for snacks, ice, firewood
Special talent or family skit
How can I invite my friends?
Glad you asked! That would be great! Send them here to this page, at https://solelsabbathfellowship.com/events.
Other questions?
Email Kraig Elliott at elliott.kraig@gmail.com.
We look forward to celebrating together with you!
DEADLINE TO REGISTER: Friday, September 8, 2023
Please click here to register and pay.
