2026 Elmira Youth Retreat
STCOC is excited to be hosting the 2026 Elmira Youth Retreat!
Below you will find information about the speaker. To register for the retreat, click HERE.
​The theme of the rally is: Facing Your Giants.
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The retreat will be designed for ages 12 and up.​ ​
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Invite your friends and we hope to see you there!
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Cost to attend for students will be $25. Cost to attend for chaperones with be $10.
Early registration discount! Register by Feb 8th for $5 off!
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The earlier you can register, the better.
To register, please click HERE.
Speaker: Daniel Rivera is a member of the Southern Tier Church of Christ, in Elmira, NY. Daniel is employed as a EUC Engineer for Corning, Inc. Daniel and his wife Elizabeth have been married since December 2016, and four children.​
About Daniel, in his own words:
I’m a man who loves God, cherishes my wife and kids, and believes life is better with a steady
supply of dad-joke humor. Don’t worry — my kids are survivors of the punchlines.
When it comes to simple joys, I keep it classic: Kit-Kat for crunch, Lindt for smooth perfection.
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My favorite verse, Colossians 3:13–14, reminds me to forgive as Christ has forgiven us, to love deeply, and to let Christ be the one who bonds us together.
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I’m a lifelong Mario Kart fan — Yoshi main, Rainbow Road survivor — and a fan of memorable
movie moments, especially Rocky Balboa’s “sunshine and rainbows” speech:
“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a
very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees
and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!”
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And yes — I always have a dad joke ready. How did Moses make his coffee? He brews it.
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I love encouraging others, laughing at my own dad jokes, and learning something new whenever I can. If you bring chocolate, scripture, Mario Kart, or a solid movie quote into the mix — we’ll get along just fine. And if you can beat me on Rainbow Road without falling off… we might just become best friends.
Looking forward to seeing you soon — and I truly hope you can make it to the Youth Retreat. It’s going to be a meaningful time, and I’d love for you to be part of it.
And as we step into this season together, I pray we all find the courage to face our giants — not in our own strength, but in the strength of the One who goes before us.
