Camps and Retreats:
Many of us have been to a camp or retreat in the past while we were still in high school and if we have then most likely we have piles of memories made and friendships as well that we will not soon forget. What are the most memorable camps to us? If we think hard and look deep I think we will find that the most memorable to us are the ones that were well planned out. They were organized, the leadership were all working together and the message, leaders, counselors, everyone was focused on God and that is when we grow. Those are the camps we remember. People's lives are changed at retreats and camps. So why don't we do them more?
Why do we wait until summer for the one week of camp? Why do we only have one retreat a year if any at all? And when we enter ministry will we attend any retreats that we aren't stressing about making sure it all goes well? I think retreats are the biggest key in stopping burnout in clergy today. Not a standard retreat with people, but what would happen if once a month the pastor took 24 hours to lock themself away from all contact with people and retreated to the quiet and listen to what God has to say to them. How much more refreshed would we be? How much can we learn from those? What if we did that right before camp meeting and went into camp totally rested and calmed? How much greater will that retreat/camp be then?
I believe the changes would be so drastic people wouldn't know what is going on, but everyone would be growing exponentially, the pastors, leaders, and students. What do you all think?
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I really like the idea of having camps and retreats more often. I think it would provide more cohesiveness and a communal feeling to the congregation. I agree that having a mini retreat before a camp would be a good idea. I think it would be a great thing for the leaders to get prepared for the week ahead of them and maybe for them also to get to know each other before spending the week together.
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ReplyDeleteI think it would definitely be sweet to have more retreats, camps, ect. The problem comes, however, when you have too many activities at the expense of family time. If we are completely cramming our schedules with trips and retreats, we are taking away more time from already busy families. So I am not entirely sure where I stand on the issue, but I come at it with a little reservation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that retreats and camps are very effective tools in helping us to grow spiritually. There are times when we need to just get away and spend time with others to grow with them, just as there are times when we should get away from everyone and spend time with God.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Tyler in that the cost of family time is crucial. Our family is our first and greatest ministry. If we take ourselves and our students away from their respective families, then we aren't helping the family unit grow. Another reason that I am hesitant is because of the cost of a camp or retreat if it were to happen more frequently. A lot of students can't go to camps and retreats the way they are now because of money. If there are more of them, some kids would be excluded unless the church eats a huge cost with them.
But I do agree with how good camps and retreats are for us spiritually. Some of the most significant times in my life have come from summer camps and winter retreats.
I think that camps and retreats are like anything else good in life; you need to find balance with it. Too much of a good thing can be bad, but too little is not beneficial either. I think that having a retreat in the fall and spring and camp in the summer would be a nice balance, now I know it all depends on the resources that the church has that determines what they can do. But I have seen amazing wonderful things happen at camp and I believe that it is something that should be part of every church's ministry.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that camps and retreats do not need to be limited to children and youth. Adults need them just as much, but it is harder to get them to step away from their busy schedules. So I think effort needs to be put into adult camps and retreats as well.
as good as camps and retreats and such can be/are... as its been said in here already... too much of anything can not only be annoying but it can lose its value and the whole "special" aspect of it can truly lose its thunder in the midst of camp after camp after retreat after mission trip. if your constantly on the go all the time going from this place to that place... where is your rest? where is your home my goodness?
ReplyDeletei love these special things as much as anybody...but they are also there serving as a break from reality... not just for something to do whenever and often.so spacing such events out is needed. from the age of the little ones all the way to adults...trips, retreats and so forth are very much so needed..in moderation as anything is really.
not to mention..these things cost MONEY! and money these days... is something else considering gas is suppose to rise to 5 bucks a gallon this summer... some folk can barley afford getting to church in their own home town yet alone 100+ bucks for some weekend event.but never the less...
overall these things do bring us closer together in unity and i would only hope that they would bring us closer to HIM above all.
Rachel Elder
ReplyDeleteRight now I am going through a wednesday night training meeting for a mission trip that i will be taking over spring break. This weekly meeting is to help prepare us for any challenges that may occur while we are on this trip. This example is exactly what colby was talking about in his post. If you are planning a camp and you don't mentally prepare yourself for everything that could happen, your walk with God may be hanging by a thread when that weeks comes to an end. And for students to get the most out of the camps, the pressure is on the counselors and the staff members to make these camps have a good impact on their campers. And the topic about having more camps is a really good idea. I agree with sara on too much is too bad, but i do think there should be a camp offered every season.
Sara hit the nail on the head with the idea of too much or too little is bad. Even though camps are extremely crucial to building communion and allowing for the spirit to be free flowing in a way that sometimes seems restricted in our daily life, we can't give up everything we are currently doing to do more camps. I believe we could do some overnighters or two day camps at your church or maybe at a campground to get away from the crazyiness of life, resembling that of a spiritual retreat, and then throw in 2 week longs camp. This gives more dynamics and allows the pastors and kids to still keep their normal schedule and still grow.
ReplyDeleteTyler Cheek
ReplyDeleteI really liked where Colby was going with the idea of each pastor, or minister, taking a 24 hour retreat once a month. When I took Christian Life and Ministry with Dr. Houck last year, a retreat of solitude was one of the course requirements. We discussed the importance of peace and the quietness that comes with the Lord's presence. I believe that ministers would take time away from their lives to really dig into hearing God's, it would drastically change their congregations or youth groups or even children groups.
Robby Wrench
ReplyDeleteCamps are great, but they take alot of planning and I know when I had attended a camp I returned on a spiritual "high," but I think that high school is a great time to learn to live your faith in the world around you and it is best done in the context of a group's community. Camps are built in a controlled environment, which is good, but life is not a controlled environment and everyone must learn to respond to the ebb and flow of the Holy Spirit's work in the world. We may not have the opportunity to respond creatively in a camp/retreat environment where everything is constructed to create a certain response. Of course, this is probably a negative response because I had never been a part of church activities until late into High School. So I don't really have much first hand experience.
Justin
ReplyDeleteOne thing is for sure and that is the positive effects that camps and retreats have on groups. They great thing that they provide is a place that removes the group from the the ever day run of things. This is needed for groups to give them a chance to live a few days without the distractions that are constantly around them. This also allows a chance for God to speak to someone since it is a time of spiritual meditation and growth. Not only can an individual grow more spiritually strong but another thing that camps and retreats do is build the community of believers that go on them together. One downside like Robby said is the spiritual high aspect. When the camp or the retreat is over the distractions come back. The deciding factor is if the group is going to give back into those distractions or capitalize on what happened while they were away.
I have had many experiences at camps and retreats that I'm remembering right now as I type this sentence... I do not remember a retreat or camp that I didnt enjoy just because it was something different and fun. On the plus side there was always time to spend talking to God whether it be as a large group or just personally during free time. Camps and retreats helped me build a lot of friendships and create a bond between those in my district. I think these types of events are important and need to be a part of our mission groups on a yearly basis, even more than twice a year. :)
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