Events

Events & Programs - Mount Carmel Ministries

Events & Programs

Everything happening at Mount Carmel — all in one place. Find your next retreat, camp week, or worship service below.

Note: Some 2026 and 2027 dates and details are still being confirmed. Check back for updates, or call (320) 846-2744 to ask about any event.

Summer Worship Services

Every Sunday, Memorial Day through Labor Day — 9:30 AM. Guest preachers and musicians each week. Casual dress. Everyone is welcome!

Summer Worship
Jun
20 – 26
2026
Family Camp

Family Camp 1: Ground Up Grace & Fine Arts Week

A week of faith, fun, and creativity for the whole family. Mornings feature age-specific learning, afternoons are filled with swimming, boating, arts & crafts, and hiking. Evenings bring campfire, worship, and the canteen.

Guest Teacher & Artist: Paul Oman & Johan Hinderlie. Preacher: Matthew McCormick. Musicians: Milt & Andrew Scott.

Jun – Jul
27 – 3
2026
Family Camp

Family Camp 2

Another full week of family camp with Bible teaching, outdoor activities, and community on the shores of Lake Carlos.

Guest Speaker: Adam Francisco. Chaplains in Residence: Johan & Sonja Hinderlie. Musicians: Milt & Andrew Scott.

Jul
4 – 10
2026
Family Camp

Family Camp 3: Theology Week

A week that goes deeper into Scripture and theological reflection, while still enjoying all the classic family camp activities and fellowship.

Guest Speaker: Luke Kjolhaug. Preachers: Mike & Martha Hanson. Chaplain in Residence: Paul Koch.

Jul
10 – 12
2026
Family Camp

Family Camp 4: Mini Week

A shorter weekend camp option — perfect for families who can't make a full week. Same great Mount Carmel experience in a condensed format.

Guest Speaker: Hector Franco.

Jul
13 – 17
2026
Family Camp

Family Camp 5: Parenting as Calling — Faith, Forgiveness, and Formation

The vocation of parenthood is foundational for all our other vocations. Dr. Leon Miles covers what the Bible says to parents — including loving, disciplining, forgiving, and bearing the cross of parenting.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Leon Miles, VP of Advancement and Dean of ILT's Christ College.

Jul
18 – 24
2026
Family Camp

Family Camp 6: A Biography of the Bible: A Lively Look at the Living Book

Where did our Bible come from, and how did it reach us across the centuries? Paul Cross tells the story of Scripture as a living book, tracing how it was written, gathered, preserved, and handed down through the generations. One section of the week marks the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale's New Testament, the first in modern English.

Teacher: Paul Cross. Preacher: Corey Bjertness. Music: Mike & Kristin Pierson.

Jul
25 – 31
2026
Family Camp

Family Camp 7: Exasperating Your Kids for the Glory of God

Life Together as God's Family. Diving into Paul's letter to the Ephesians to explore what it means to live as part of God's family — with humor, humility, and a few good stories along the way.

Teacher: Steve Olcott. Preacher: Dave Wollan.

Aug
10 – 14
2026
Adult Retreat

Lakeside Bible Retreat: Summer 2026

A Christ-centered week of Bible study, music, fellowship, and rest on the shores of Lake Carlos — open to adults of all ages, denominations, and backgrounds, from twenties through nineties. Our 2026 speaker will be announced soon, and we promise they'll be inspirational and excellent. Registration is open now.

Speaker: To be announced. Musician: Patsy Baglien.

Sep
18 – 20
2026
Retreat

Marriage Retreat

Reinvest in your marriage in a Christ-centered setting. Step away from the busyness of life and reconnect with your spouse on the peaceful shores of Lake Carlos.

Sep
20 – 23
2026
Adult Retreat

Lakeside Bible Retreat: Fall Hymn Festival

Return for another beloved week of hymns with Gracia Grindal — scholar, poet, and hymn writer. You'll learn, you'll laugh, and you'll find yourself woven into a warm community of song. A cherished tradition, open to adults of all ages, denominations, and backgrounds.

Speaker: Gracia Grindal. Musician: Tim Peterson.

Sep
25 – 27
2026
Retreat

Women's Retreat

Rest, spiritual renewal, and recreation. Step away for a weekend of studying God's Word, fellowship, and refreshment on the shores of Lake Carlos.

Speaker: To be announced.

Nov
20 – 22
2026
Young Adults $50 All-Inclusive

Youngish Adult Retreat: A Quarter Maybe Third Life Retreat

Definitely not a crisis. For young adults who have probably graduated something, might be married, and probably still have student loans. Whether you're navigating a new job, marriage, city, or just a new season of life, this weekend is for you. Your $50 covers two nights, five lodge meals, and all programming.

Guest Teacher: Gretchen Ronnevik — author of Ragged and The Story of Katie Luther, co-host of the Freely Given podcast.

W

Winter & Early Spring 2027

Fall & Winter Retreats →
Jan
15 – 17
2027
Young Adults

Young Adult Retreat

A retreat designed for young adults to connect with each other and deepen their faith.

Speakers: Chris and Emily Adamow.

Jan
21 – 23
2027
Special Event

Ice Fishing Retreat

Bundle up and head out on frozen Lake Carlos for a weekend of ice fishing, fellowship, and fun. A unique Mount Carmel winter experience.

Feb
12 – 15
2027
Family

Family Camp Recharge

Miss summer? Family Camp Recharge brings back the Mount Carmel family camp experience over President's Day weekend. A great way to enjoy camp in a winter setting.

Looking Ahead to Summer 2027

Registration is Open for Family Camp 2027

Rest, renewal, and recreation for the whole family on the shores of Lake Carlos. Eight weeks of gospel preaching, rich teaching, and music woven together with swimming, campfires, and long summer days. June 19 – August 13, 2027.

See All Sessions & Register
Jun
19 – 25
2027
Family Camp

Family Camp 1: Ground Up Grace

Ground Up Grace returns for 2027. A 6-night family camp on the shores of Lake Carlos featuring preaching, teaching, age-level programming, and all the summer activities that make camp unforgettable.

Musicians: Milt & Andrew Scott. Teacher & Preacher: To be announced.

Jun – Jul
26 – 2
2027
Family Camp

Family Camp 2

A 6-night family camp. Theme details coming soon.

Musicians: Milt & Andrew Scott. Teacher: Doug Morton. Preacher: To be announced.

Jul
3 – 9
2027
Family Camp

Family Camp 3: Theology Week

Two Kingdoms and Two Churches: Luther on God's Earthly Rule. Contemporary Americans suffer much social and political polarization in today's world. We are ever tempted to believe that some formula of getting economics and education "right" could bring about utopia, heaven on earth. Christians too buy into these ideals to the point of either politicizing the gospel or making politics to be saving. Such a stance fails to honor the scriptural view, voiced by Luther, that God rules his world with "two hands," that is, God rules the church through the gospel and the world through the law. Unlike the "false church," where politicians want to use religion for their own gain or religious leaders want to use politics for theirs, the true church honors this distinction and urges people to be engaged citizens in the world by being true to their various callings.

Teacher: Mark Mattes.

Jul
9 – 11
2027
Family Camp

Family Camp 4: Weekend Camp

A 2-night weekend option — perfect for families who can't commit to a full week. Same Mount Carmel warmth in a shorter format. Teacher and theme details coming soon.

Jul
12 – 16
2027
Family Camp

Family Camp 5: Grace, Freedom & Discernment

How do we parent with grace and freedom rather than fear? And how do we engage with education and the news with discernment instead of anxiety? Teacher Kelsey Kramer McGinnis leads this 4-night camp.

Teacher: Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, Ph.D. — writer, musicologist, and contributor to Christianity Today.

Jul
17 – 23
2027
Family Camp

Family Camp 6: Church History & the Questions of Our Time

Dan van Voorhis brings a historian's eye and a pastor's heart to the questions families are genuinely asking. He reads the present moment through the long story of the church — showing that today's hardest questions are rarely as new as they feel. Dan adapts his teaching in real time to what's alive in the room.

Teacher: Dan van Voorhis, Ph.D. — Scholar-in-Residence at 1517, host of The Christian History Almanac.

Jul
24 – 30
2027
Family Camp

Family Camp 7: Intimacy & Order — An Invitation to Religious Spirituality

Perhaps you've heard someone describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious." The invitation of Scripture is for an intimate spirituality with God — but that relationship is not meant to be divorced from Christ's church. Join teacher Gabe Kasper as we explore what this looks like together.

Teacher: Gabe Kasper. Evening Preacher: Rev. Paul Muther.

Aug
9 – 13
2027
Adult Retreat

Lakeside Bible Retreat: Summer 2027

Our beloved adult Bible camp returns for four nights of enriching teaching, worship, music, and fellowship on the shores of Lake Carlos — open to adults of all ages, denominations, and backgrounds. Speaker and topic details coming soon.

Aug
TBD
2027
Heritage Tour Dates Coming

Norwegian Christian Heritage Tour

A two-week journey through Norway's majestic fjords, historic cities, and the places where Christian faith took root in Scandinavia. Now planned for August 2027, with exact dates to be announced.

Daily Bible Study & Prayer

Join us mornings at 9:00 AM in the lodge for Bible study and prayer. Open to all campus residents and visitors.

Learn More

Personal Retreats & Cabin Rentals

Need a quiet place to rest and reflect? Mount Carmel offers year-round cabin rentals for personal retreats, small group getaways, and family visits.

Explore Spaces

Mount Carmel College Community

A Christ-centered college community and Bible school on the shores of Lake Carlos. Live, learn, and grow in community.

Learn About Campus

Mount Carmel Preschool

A Christ-centered preschool where children grow in faith and life through play, relationships, and daily experiences in God's beautiful creation.

Preschool Info

Mount Carmel Online

Can't visit in person? Access Mount Carmel's teaching and resources from anywhere through our online ministry.

Go Online

Questions? We'd Love to Hear From You

Our team is happy to help you find the right event or answer any questions.

(320) 846-2744

registrar@mountcarmelministries.com

800 Mount Carmel Drive NE, Alexandria, MN 56308

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