Lakeside Retreat Center

Located west of Minneapolis-St. Paul in Annandale, MN, The St. John’s Chi Rho Center offers a beautiful, rustic, lakeside retreat to nurture the spirit. It can host Church Council retreats, Youth and Confirmation retreats, family reunions, interfaith religious retreats, sports camps, artist retreats, and more.

St. John’s encourages your group to host your next meeting, reunion, or retreat at the St. John’s Chi Rho Center.

Located only 65 miles from downtown Minneapolis on a beautiful peninsula in Lake Sylvia, the Chi Rho Center, a ministry of St. John’s, offers ample opportunities to nurture body, mind, and spirit.

Let’s Talk

Learn more about the Chi Rho Center below, and if you’re ready to reach out, please contact David Helm, Camp Manager at 320-274-8307 or dhelm@stjohnsmpls.org.

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Rentable Lakeside Retreat Center Features

The Retreat Center Lodge contains a lounge, dining room, conference room, and game room, all with large stone fire places and views of the lake.
Heated sleeping facilities include two dorms that can accommodate 56 people. Each has two bunk beds with extra-long mattresses and each building has restrooms and showers.
Beginning in June, Chi Rho Center opens up the summer cabins, increasing the camp’s capacity to 125.
We have the facilities and the staff to cater your program.
Chi Rho Center is situated on a scenic peninsula on the shores of Lake Sylvia. A 73-acre camp and retreat center located five miles outside of Annandale, Minnesota that offers lake access and walking, hiking, and running trails.
Summer recreational facilities include two beaches, three basketball courts, canoes, a paddleboat, and a pontoon boat. The wooded nature trail offers a more reflective experience where you’ll see many birds and wildflowers and may catch a glimpse of a gray fox or mink.
Other popular activities include telling stories around a campfire, fishing for bass and northern, and stargazing from one of the docks.
Winter activities include broomball, ice fishing, and cozy meetings next to the Retreat Center Lodge stone fireplaces overlooking the lake. The camp is within 4 miles of groomed cross-country skiing and snow-mobiling trails.
Pets are allowed at the camp and children will love the huge outdoor play center and clean sandy beaches.
The Chi Rho Center got its name in the 1960s. Chi “X” and the rho “P” are the first two letters in the Greek word for Christ – and Christ is the Center of everything.

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Check out the accommodations

Get a sense of the indoor spaces including bunk rooms, fireside lounge, and more. There are more photos on our reservation system.

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Types of Events

Spiritual Retreats

Interfaith, arts, or yoga retreats will find a comfortable setting here.
Family Reunions

Families are always welcome to reconnect with or honor their loved ones.
Sports Camps

Chi Rho is a perfect spot for your sports camp program -- adult or kid.
Weddings

Chi Rho can be a beautiful backdrop for a rustic outdoor wedding.
And More!

Chi Rho is a place of rest and rejuvenation that can host a variety of events. Contact us about yours!