What happens at the winter youth retreat?

This weekend is the annual Winter Youth Retreat for Grace Church. Most all of our teenagers and youth staff will be attending this special event with the theme, “Unsettled: A Thirst for Fire.” Here is the schedule they will follow:

FRIDAY
7:30 - Arrive
8:15 - Games
9:30 - Session 1

SATURDAY
8:30 - Breakfast
9:30 - Hour with God
10:30 - Sharing and Worship
11:30 - Session 2
12:15 - Lunch
1:15 - Free Time
5:30 - Dinner
6:45 - Talent Show
8:30 - Session 3
9:45 - Snack
10:15 - Concert of Prayer
11:00 - Dorm

SUNDAY
8:30 - Breakfast
9:45 - Communion and Sharing
11:00 - Leave
1:00 - Arrive Back at Church

As you can see, along with tons of fun, there are also tons of opportunities for spiritual challenge, enrichment and growth. The speaker this year is Shawn McBride who pastors the New Life Community Church in Bowie, MD and is the Director of Youth Ministries at Washington Bible College. He also one of the favorite communicators at BNYC.

When I was a youth pastor (1987-1994 at Community Grace Brethren Church in West Milton, OH) we saw our youth retreats as the most effective activity that we conducted each year. It allowed us as a youth staff to get our teens away for a full weekend . . . not just away from home but away from the television, the stereo, the video games, the computer, and all of the other gadgets of today that consume so much of our youth’s time. For one weekend we could focus our attention on building relationships with our teens and helping them to build their relationship with the Lord. Please be praying fervently this weekend for our youth and youth staff at our Winter Retreat.