July 3- August 5, 2012   

What is Ecclesia?

Ecclesia is a summer formation program led by the religious brothers and sisters of the Community of Saint John at the University of Mary in Bismark, North Dakota. In response to Pope John Paul II’s call to a New Evangelization, Ecclesia offers you the opportunity to earn undergraduate, graduate, or continuing education credits, all while experiencing a summer of prayer, evangelization, and fellowship with future leaders of the Catholic Church from across the country.

Enjoying the beautiful campus, with a tremendous view overlooking the Missouri River of the University of Mary in Bismark, North Dakota, participants from all over the United States will enjoy a month of prayer, community, and intellectual formation with three Brothers and one Apostolic Sister. Join us as we kick off the Ecclesia program with four days of back packing in the Badlands and then dive into the New Evangelization together. We want to help form evangelizers and leaders, those wanting to be Saints wherever they find themselves in the Church (families, youth ministers, directors of religious education, CCD teachers, singles, those discerning, students, working people, etc.). 
 
For more details about the schedule of events click on the brochure below. Six credit hours (three in Theology and three in Philosophy) will be offered, transferable to any University in the country for undergrad or grad school credits.  Or, the same classes may be taken for a certificate of continuing education.

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How much does Ecclesia cost?

 +   Undergraduate and Graduate: $3,400 (3 credit hours for Theology and 3 credit hours for Philosophy)

 +   Continuting Education: $1,200

+ Scholarships available contact Maureen Poirier (Ecclesia Scholarship Application 2012)

How do I register?

To Register go to www.ecclesiainstitute.com

Meet the Staff

Please click on the link below to learn more about the Ecclesia Staff for 2012.

Staff Biographies for Ecclesia 2012

For More Information

Ecclesia Brochure 2012 ( Please Make Copies and Share with Friends)

Ecclesia Poster 2012 (Please Make Copies and Share with Friends)

www.umary.edu/forms/ecclesia

 University of Mary Website

Community of Saint John Website

Click below to visit our other pages:

Weekend Retreats          Summer Institutes          Eagle Eye Partners                                       Eagle Eye Institute          Saint John Summer Conference

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May 31 – June 3, 2012

            www.saintjohnsummerconference.com

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness grasped it not”
John 1:5

You’re seeking to deepen and enliven your faith and you find yourself looking right and left for others who similarly desire Truth. Is there Light in the darkness? Where does faith become life? Where can we look but no farther than to the:

What is the Saint John Summer Conference?

The Saint John Summer Conference is an opportunity for young adults to celebrate and to grow in their faith over four days of deep prayer, beautiful liturgy, inspiring talks and joyful community.  Those attending will be able to truly encounter the living Body of Christ in his Church during the Conference through experiences such as:
·         Daily Holy Mass
·         Eucharistic Adoration each day
·         Liturgy of the Hours, chanted monastic style
·         Stimulating Philosophy and Theology classes
·         Topical talks from inspirational speakers
·         A magnificent and solemn Stations of the Cross procession through downtown Peoria
·         Joyful community with young adults and members of the Community of Saint John from America and around the world
·         An outdoor Eucharistic procession by torchlight
·         Awesome music, praise and worship
·         And much more!!
From the Prologue of St John’s Gospel, this verse, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness grasped it not”, is the chosen theme for the 2011 Saint John Summer Conference.   By bringing the theme of light to the fore, the Community of St John wants to help the participants draw ever closer to Christ the light.  Throughout the conference participants will also have many opportunities to question and to learn more about what it means to be the light of Christ in the world, in their families, schools, friendships, work places, and social groups.

Come, discover the light, love and life!

Where can I get more information?

Go to www.saintjohnsummerconference.com

How can I register?

+Registration Form -  St. John Summer Conference 2012 Registration Form

+Please RSVP  Online at http://saintjohnsummerconference.com/?page_id=56.

+Participants may pay online at http://saintjohnsummerconference.com/?page_id=56

+pay when they get to the Conference

+or mail a check (made out to Brothers of St. John) to:

Saint John Summer Conference
11223 W. Legion Hall Rd
Princeville, IL 61559

+If you have any more questions, concerns, or comments, please contact Mo Poirier at stjohnsummerconference@gmail.com or call 586-863-2237

For more information and registration please see official website

www.saintjohnsummerconference.com

Click below to visit our other pages:

Ecclesia          Weekend Retreats          Summer Institutes                                      

Eagle Eye Partners          Eagle Eye Institute         

Dates and Retreat Schedules

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Sapienta Saturday (Sap Sat) Ages 16-18

“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” Romans 12:2

 Many teens ask, “How do I keep the spirit of Eagle Eye alive after I’ve done retreat?”  Or, “I have not been able to come to a Summer Institute yet, but I want to experience what I can of Eagle Eye.” 

 Sapientia Saturdays are for you!!

Experience a typical day of Eagle Eye Summer Institute with 20-30 other teens who also seek to go deeper in their faith.  Form friendships that last and help you keep and support your faith.  Participants in these monthly days of retreat are able to go further and deeper into the question studied in the Summer Institute.

 Come to just one Saturday, or come to them all. Let us all seek to fly higher and dive deeper! TO THE HIEGHTS!

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Weekend of Wisdom (W.O.W) Ages 16-18

 “Come, follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men,” (Mt. 4).

 Join other Catholic young people for an incredible weekend of Faith, formation, and fellowship.  With these weekends for teens, the Community of St. John in Princeville gives the best of theCatholic Faith, in the most intense way, to the thirstiest of young people.  Each retreat begins and end with a preached spiritual conference corresponding to the liturgical season, and stretches across a day full of liturgical prayer, Mass, Adoration, Philosophy and Theology Classes, recreation time, campfires, and so much more. Come, and meet other young Catholics, just like you, who seek to know the Truth! Space is limited so REGISTER SOON!!

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Young Adult Retreat (Y.A.R.) Ages 18-30

 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

 Young Adults in the world find it difficult to live out their faith, and grow in it in a world that has become so secularized. Our Young Adult Retreats are geared for exactly that! To give young adults in the world, the opportunity to touch base with reality and fortify themselves in Christ, so as to be able to face the world and bring to it the message of the Gospel.

Accommodation are made for young adults who wish to live their time of retreat in a more silent, solitary way.  Two tracks are made so that one may either participate in the full offerings of the retreat, or live at their own rhythm.   Those who are looking for a way to meet others and share their joy may do so, while those looking for intense silence can find that as well.

These retreats are the perfect way to take a step back from the world and return to the source, while providing critical formation on the deep questions that touch us all.  Come and see!

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Cost/Payment

WOW Retreats: $25.00

Sapientia Saturdays: $10.00

**Please bring cash or a check ( payable to the Congregation of St. John) as well as your forms to the retreat**

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Forms and Registration

Please fill out the following forms that apply to you and bring them to the retreat.

Minor Participant Registration Forms

Adult Registration Forms

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What to bring

+   hat/sunscreen/sunglasses

+   water bottle

+   sleeping bag

+   towel & wash cloth

+   comfortable clothes for hiking/daily recreation activities

+   “nice” clothes for Sunday Mass (for Daily Mass, we would prefer the participants wear capris/long pants (jeans)/skirts—and overall modesty in everything. We realize this is a sensitive point but feel that it is important in order to celebrate our Liturgy with the decorum and dignity it deserves. Thank you for understanding!)

+   jacket/sweater/sweatshirt for campfires

+   swimming suit & towel (Please remember modesty)

+   bug repellent

+   personal care items

+   personal medications

+   Holy Bible

+   Rosary

+   instruments (if you play guitar, flute, harmonica, etc.)

+   bag of candy/snacks for the snack room

+   personal reading (optional)

+   notebook/writing utensils

+   NO iPODS OR PORTABLE ELECTRONIC USE DURING THE RETREAT! (please note this does include cellular phones. The phones do not work at the camp site and have become a distraction in the past. If you need to bring a cell phone, please use it at bed time only to call home!!)

Suggested Items to Bring

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Contact

Please email Shawn Resendiz shawn.d.resendiz@gmail.com for more information. You may RSVP by emailing eaglecentral@yahoo.com.

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Click below to visit our other pages:

Ecclesia          Summer Institutes          Eagle Eye Partners                                                   Eagle Eye Institute          Saint John Summer Conference

Eagle Eye Institute

Forming the “Martyrs of the Third Millennium”

• Prayer
• Philosophy & Theology Classes
• Formation
• Rooms & Practicalities
• Finances
• Contact Info

• Brochure
• Prospectus

In 1989, 500,000 young people from around the world gathered in Spain for World Youth Day. The world was stunned. Why had these young people come to see this Pope? What could have attracted them? A journalist asked the Holy Father how he had gotten the idea for World Youth Day. What had he come to see? His response was astonishing: “I have come to greet the martyrs of the third millennium.”

The Eagle Eye School of Evangelization draws its inspiration from this vision of young people. In a special way, it desires to make the summons to a New Evangelization issued by Pope Paul VI in his 1975 encyclical letter On Evangelization in the Modern World a reality for men and women of today. Through an incessant effort of conversion to Christ, the participants will gain the zeal and intelligence necessary to pass on the Church’s ancient Faith to modern man by modern means.

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To this end, the School of Evangelization will strive to form young disciples of Christ, ready to spread the Gospel:

• By plunging them in a direct and intimate knowledge of the Person of Christ through daily silent prayer, Lectio Divina, Theological and Philosophical study, formation in the treasures of our Christian spiritual heritage, and a life lived in small community with their peers.
• By directly engaging them in the concrete work of the New Evangelization. Each participant will be entrusted with a specific opportunity for evangelization (leading Holy Hours, Children’s Adoration, organizing a teen pilgrimage to World Youth Day, Christian book publishing, etc.)
• By allowing them to bear witness to others through learning how to organize and lead retreats for Confirmation-age and teenage groups throughout the Diocese of Peoria.
• By providing a real formation in knowledge of the arts and culture – so necessary in order to reach modern man – through classes, cultural events, and weekly exposure to various arts and artists.
• By offering the opportunity to learn necessary skills for Youth Ministry (small group work, how to bear responsibility for others, helping teens in difficulty, etc.), public speaking, and logistics management.

The Eagle Eye School of Evangelization will form the young people according to the Word of God as held by the Faith of the Roman Catholic Church and expressed by the Church Fathers and St. Thomas Aquinas, and lived according to the particular charism of the Congregation of St. John. This particular charism was given to the Church through the life and writings of its founder, Father Marie Dominique Philippe, O.P.

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How Will This Happen?

Students enrolled in the School of Evangelization choose to live together within the context of the life of the Brothers and Sisters of St. John. Two Brothers in particular will work directly with the students, effectively providing them with the formation they seek. Space is available to up to four men and four women, who will receive the very best formation which the Brothers and Sisters can offer at the service of the New Evangelization.

Living together, working together, praying together, these young people will form a community of friends of Jesus, earnestly seeking to make him known and loved, like the first Christians. They will live a common life focused on hearing Christ’s cry of thirst so as to make known his merciful love in the modern world.

Liturgical Prayer

The students will be fully integrated into the life of the liturgical prayer of the Community, and agree to attend, to the extent possible for the good of each: daily Mass, Adoration, and the Liturgical Offices prayed by the Community.

Typically, our young men and women will attend the daily Liturgical Offices of the Brothers and Sisters (respectively). On Major Feast Days it may be possible to have a common celebration of the Office.

Also, there will be many opportunities for the students to organize various moments of prayer together to strengthen the bonds of Charity among them.

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Personal Prayer

Twice a week (in the evenings, after dinner), a Brother will offer reflections on the spiritual life (prayer, the virtues, the Sacraments, etc.) in order to provide a spiritual formation truly grounded in revealed truth and presented according to a theological vision which assumes the riches of the Church’s spiritual patrimony and the charism proper to the Community.

Each student will have the opportunity to ask a particular Brother or Sister to accompany him in the personal questions he may encounter in his prayer life, if he so desires.

Philosophy and Theology Classes

All students will attend as many of the daily classes offered to the Brothers as possible according to the capacities of each. An effort will be made to have at least two classes for them per day alongside the novices of the Community. When this is not offered for the novices, it is possible that the Brothers will offer classes especially for them, such as: classes on the Catechism, Church History, the writings of the Saints, French, etc. In addition, regular sessions and conferences on specific Theological or Philosophical problems will be offered, according to the academic program offered for the Brothers and Sisters in formation with the Community of St. John.

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Lectio Divina (Reading the Word of God)

All of the intellectual formation the students will receive is to help them better understand and live the Truth contained in the Bible. To help them, the Brothers and Sisters will teach them both to read the Bible alone and to study it together in small groups. Weekly small group Bible sharing will also be lead by the Brothers and Sisters.

Formation for Evangelization – 3 – 4 days per week

To the degree necessary – although always leaving place for at least one day of manual chores – each participant may spend his afternoon preparing for the various apostolates that will be confided to him. This is intended to help him receive a truly contemplative formation in his apostolic endeavors – giving him the experience of learning how to ground the real stresses and challenges the work of evangelization in a true life of Charity. As much as possible, this preparation will be done with other members of the School, in order to allow for the fullest possible measure of Charity and cooperation.

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The Apostolate at Princeville

Many opportunities for evangelization already exist in Princeville. Participants will join with the apostolates already done at the Priory: helping make high-quality recordings of talks, sessions, retreats; helping lead groups of Children’s Adoration; planning Adoration prayer services for retreats and sessions given at the Priory; helping with the various tasks (cooking, making the beds, cleaning) involved in welcoming large groups; preparing slideshows, DVD’s, and PowerPoint presentations for uses with various groups, etc.

Formation for Youth Ministry

Participants will receive formation in the various skills needed in youth ministry: how to lead small group work; computer skills (making flyers, updating websites, etc.); how to effectively exercise authority; icebreakers and games, etc. This will enable them to participate as chaperones and leaders in future youth ministry positions. This formation will be given from time to time by specific afternoon workshops consecrated to specific skills. In conjunction with the Brothers, laymen with competence in the areas in question may give these workshops– e.g. basic accounting; basic computer skills; child pedagogy, etc. In addition, the students will also be able to learn through hands-on experience by giving retreats to confirmation groups throughout the year.

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The Saint John Summer YouthFest and World Youth Day Preparation

Students will engage in the various dimensions of planning and bringing about the Summer YouthFest for between 200 and 300 youth – registration, creating flyers, effective advertising, coordinating the various practical elements implied in setting up and breaking down, etc. Also, students will actively help World Youth Day preparations – registration, communications, mailings, organizing monthly retreats, maintaining contacts, etc.

The School Has Needs, Too!

The School is starting as an act of Faith in God and His Providence. We stand in certain and rapidly-desperate need of: computers, computer software, office equipment, and many other things you may well imagine. All donations are gratefully accepted!

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Rooms and practicalities

Male students will be able to stay in individual rooms in the Priory; whereas female students will be able to share their rooms in four-person apartment space (with kitchenette, shower, and living space). This apartment is already furnished with couches dressers, desks, bunk beds, a refrigerator, microwave and table settings for eight. A washer and dryer will be available for the students whenever needed. Although participants will mostly use the cars of the Community, they may bring and use their own cars, provided they are willing to share them with others who may need to use them.

Meals

In general, the young men will eat meals prepared by the Brothers with the Brothers, and the young women will eat meals prepared by the Sisters together in the Guesthouse. The young men will have a table reading every day at lunch with the Brothers, and the young women will either listen to a spiritual cassette in the apartment or talk freely, as they decide to do on a monthly basis. Three evenings per week, however, the young men and young women can enjoy a fraternal dinner together in the apartment during which they may speak freely, and, one additional night per week they will enjoy a fraternal meal as part of a longer, more festive evening.

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Charity

The principal education of the school is an education in fraternal Charity — accepting and gradually choosing one another on behalf of Christ.

One day per month, the whole school will enjoy an outing together with one or two Brothers.

One weekend per month will be considered “personal time” for the participants – they may leave for the weekend, or have a day with more time for rest, study, sports, etc.

Every week, there will be a meeting to plan out the next week’s activities.

Also, there will be regular meetings to share openly with one another about the life in community and how to improve it.

Relation to the Community

The Eagle Eye School of Evangelization rests upon the authority and guidance of the Brothers of Saint John, but it cannot be effective without the willing cooperation of those involved. Care will be taken to only accept as participants in the school, those young people who really desire to be full members of it, are actually capable of living out what is asked of them, and commit to it fully. Even though the School of Evangelization is an excellent experience of the life lived by the Brothers and Sisters, it is not intended as a preparation for religious life. All participants are free to choose their path as they discern God’s call in their lives.

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Finances

All students must have health insurance, dental insurance, and car insurance (if they drive). They will be expected to pay for this on their own, in full. In addition, each student will be asked to contribute $250 per month to the Brothers or Sisters for the general costs of the daily living in the program – outings, food, photocopies, electricity, and the costs associated with the classes, the recordings, etc.

Students may need to be creative to find ways to fundraise – ex. finding monthly sponsors, asking their parish to sponsor them as missionaries, etc.

Dating Policy

In order to keep their hearts free to experience the love of Christ in all its power, the participants will voluntarily commit themselves to a non-dating policy for the course of the session.

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For More information

or if you have Questions, please contact us: Father Nathan Cromly, CSJ St. Joseph’s Priory 11223 West Legion Hall Road Princeville, Illinois 61559 (309) 385-1193 eaglecentral@yahoo.com

Eagle Eye is entirely consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Totus Tuus, Maria!

Click below to visit our other pages:

Ecclesia          Weekend Retreats          Summer Institutes          Eagle Eye Partners          Saint John Summer Conference

Who are Eagle Eye Partners?

Along our way, Eagle Eye has had the privilege of meeting other wonderful programs that strive to bring the best of our Faith to the Catholic youth of today. We are honored to showcase some of their offerings and hope you will consider them.  While not being able to give an official endorsement of these programs in any way (due to time constraints with respect to the work this would imply), Eagle Eye is happy to share them with you. 

Eagle Eye France

For more information, please click on the following link: Eagle Eye France

Click below to visit our other pages:

Ecclesia          Weekend Retreats          Summer Institutes                                                   Eagle Eye Institute          Saint John Summer Conference

 Eagle Eye Summer Institutes

Come Soar With Us!  

Wanna see what Eagle Eye is all about?

Click here to watch the Eagle Eye video!

The only question is, “How deep do you want to go?”

When are Eagle Eye Summer Insitutes?

For more information about the individual Eagle Eye retreats click on the Eagle Eye you are interested in.

 Teen Institutes for ages 16-18:  Toledo Area Eagle Eye June 23 – July 1, 2012, and Princeville, Illinois  July 7 – July 15, 2012

Young Adult Institutes for ages 18-30: Eagle Eye Virginia May 25-June 1, Greater Ohio/Greensburg, Pennsylvania June 8 – June 15, 2012, Aspen, Colorado June 15 – June 23, 2012, and Hawaii August 6 – August 16, 2012.

Where do I get more information?

Please click on the links below for more information.

 Toledo Area Eagle Eye June 23 – July 1, 2012

Greater Ohio/Greensburg, Pennsylvania June 8 – June 15, 2012

What are Eagle Eye Summer Insitutes?

 Designed for young people who are thirsting to discover a new depth and intensity to their Faith, Eagle Eye Summer Institutes provide 8 days of prayer, asking deep questions, and just plain fun for young people with the Brothers and Sisters of St. John. The Brothers and Sisters of St. John provide a rich spiritual environment that both encourages young people to seek the truth about their lives in the light of God, and leads them to the response to their questions in the Person of Christ. A Summer Institute is all the fun of a summer camp, all of the prayer of a retreat, and all of the rigor of a Philosophy and Theology seminar wrapped together and made accessible to our youth! Come and see!

How Did They Start?

In 2003, three teen-agers from a home-schooling family near Chicago asked a Brother of St. John for a way to go deeper in their Faith. The Brother sensed what was really needed was true formation – taking them to see the reason why we live as we do as Catholics. He challenged them to dare to live an experience beyond the normal retreat experience already provided for Catholic teens – to dare to be bold in their response to Jesus.

A total of 24 teens responded to his challenge that first year, and were so enthused with what was offered that they refused to let the program stop! In fact, one of them, in her twenties, decided to take the program to her fellow young adults in Fargo, North Dakota. So, in 2004, Eagle Eye expanded to two formats: one for teens and one for young adults.

A homeschooling mother from the Diocese of Toledo attended part of the program that year, and decided to take the initiative to bring Eagle Eye to her Diocese for teens in 2005. Christendom College heard the news, and inaugurated the first of their annual programs for teens in 2006. Last year, the program expanded yet again, adding a young adult Eagle Eye in Princeville as well as a silent retreat, and month-long summer session for young adults as well. This year will see Eagle Eye spread its wings once again to include a young-adult Eagle Eye in Alaska!

In addition, members of the Community of St. John have started the program in Germany, France, and Ethiopia as well. The spirit of the Eagle is soaring indeed!

How Many Will There Be This Summer?

This summer we plan on offering three Eagle Eyes for young adults (Aspen CO, Anchorage AK, and Greensburg PA/Greater OH. ), and two Institutes for teens ( Princeville IL, and Toledo OH).

What should I bring?

Please bring the following items with you. We ask that you bring ALL of the items. From our experience, you will need these items

sleeping bag (& sleeping mat, if desired)

pillow                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

tents (optional, but necessary if you have one!)

backpack (for hiking)

raincoat/poncho (for hiking)

good wool socks (to avoid blisters)

good walking/hiking shoes

hat/sunscreen/sunglasses

water bottle

towel & wash cloth

comfortable clothes for hiking/daily recreation activities

“nice” clothes for Sunday Mass (for Daily Mass, we would prefer the participants wear capris/long pants(jeans)/skirts—and overall modesty in everything. We realize this is a sensitive point but feel that it is important in order to celebrate our Liturgy with the decorum and dignity it deserves. Thank you for understanding!)  

 jacket/sweater/sweatshirt for campfires

swimming suit & towel (Please remember modesty, this is code for bring a t-shirt for boys an girls. Thanks!)

bug repellent—a MUST!!

personal care items

personal medications

Holy Bible

Rosary

instruments (if you play guitar, flute, harmonica, etc.)

bag of candy/snacks for the snack room!

personal reading (optional)

 notebook/writing utensils

NO WALKMANS OR PORTABLE ELECTRONICS! (please note this does include cellular phones.  The phones do not work at the camp site and have become a distraction in the past. If your teen needs to bring a cell phone, please remind them to only use it at bed time to call home!!           

Pack a small “overnight bag” for those only items necessary to bring on the camping/hiking part of the trip. Your other belongings will be left at the retreat center.                                                                                                                                 

Participants should be in decent physical condition for hiking on day-long trips.

**If you would like to print out the above list, download the following link: ITEMS TO BRING for Summer Institutes**

Come, soar with us … and 250 others as thirsty for truth as you!

Click below to visit our other pages:

Ecclesia          Weekend Retreats          Eagle Eye Partners          Eagle Eye Institute          Saint John Summer Conference

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