Sunday, March 29, 2015
teaching through experiences
So in class on Monday we talked about the importance of spiritual experiences through retreats. There are so many aspects involved in making a "successful" retreat. Many of us have been to camps or retreats in the past and they have greatly influenced how we have been spiritually formed. I want to know what is a spiritual experience that you have had at a "successful" camp or retreat that has lead to growth in your spiritual walk in some capacity? How did the planning process contribute to the impact the retreat had on your life that made it successful? And, how could you plan to facilitate that kind of impact and growth in your students in the future?
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One moment that sticks out to me specifically would be from a weekend retreat my youth group had called, Excursion. It consisted of camping out in the open woods, cooking our meals over fires, powerful Christian community, and a ton of fun games. I recall being asked to specifically create and lead a Bible study for on our nature hike at a monumental site, Crevasse. There were a ton of rocks for the group to spread out on, and I was able to sense the Holy Spirit like never before in that spacious location. Sure, I have journeyed alongside these students for quite some time, but I had never felt worthy enough of leading them; especially my own peers. However, because my youth pastor planned it in such a way that I had time to prepare in prayer and reading what I was going to share, I could submit to what the Holy Spirit actually wanted to say through me. This means a lot to someone who is an organizer. Furthermore, within my ministry I would want to cultivate a place where students are able to step up into leadership, given what strengths they do have, and be given that opportunity to have "their" voice be heard. I am a strong believer in that God has something to say through everyone, and even when I did not see myself as someone who could present God's Word to a group of people, my youth pastor did.
ReplyDeleteAt senior high camp every year during the summer we have what is called one to one time. It is a time where we just go and sit in nature and read and journal and pray. It was something that I hated at first, but after a few years of doing it, I very much changed what i thought. Because it was a planned time for me to be alone with the father and i did not have a choice in the matter, it forced me to come up with ways i enjoyed entering into his presence. It changed the way that i viewed silence and solitude, and started me into journaling which is something i do regularly now.
ReplyDeleteI have attended Fall Spiritual retreats with my class starting in seventh grade and ending my senior year of high school. These retreats did team building exercises and focused on spiritual growth as well. I mentioned briefly about how I was affirmed in my call during my senior year retreat, but each year, I always looked forward to going on these retreats because I knew that it was a chance for me to refresh my faith and relationship with Christ. The planning process was always the same every year, except one year we switched camps. But each year, the process never got old. You could tell that they liked what they were doing each year and only made minor changes to the plan when necessary. I would love to have that kind of retreat put together for my youth group in the future because it was always a really formative experience for me every year.
ReplyDeleteThe Wilderness Retreat this year was the most successful retreat I have been on and has indeed lead me to grow spiritually. I had spiritual experiences through the disciplines, small group, and community throughout the retreat. I believe this trip was well planned out and the things we did and didn’t do where intentionally done or not done. I want this trip’s impact to be something I strive for in my youth group when we go on retreats. I hope to do that through being intentional about the games, environment, disciplines, etc. I think this weekend was a great model of a spiritual retreat because it did not only engage me spiritually, but relationally, physically, and so many other ways as well.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that comes to mind was the first time I felt the Holy Spirit in camp in 6th grade! It was a worship session and I know that I started to feel something inside of me! It was such a incredible experience and I know that God was opening up my heart to his grace and love! I felt so moved that I cried and I hadn't cried in front of a big group of people ever in my life until that point(besides when I was a tiny wickle baby). God had caused me to feel a tiny piece of his love and I wanted to be one with him from that moment on. The atmosphere that the worship service I was in was very encouraging to the people there to be able to express themselves freely. It was dim and it was in a small atmosphere that did a good job of bringing the other kids together. I will always remember this experience!
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ReplyDeleteOne retreat that God used to grow me spiritually was the first ever Anchorage Retreat. I was coming off a discouraging and heart-burdening week where coming to a retreat with numerous others was not a desirable option. Yet God met me there at the retreat. He ministered to me as I was alone, and He ministered to me as I sat listening to others' stories. He showed me the value of hearing people and of recognizing that you can't understand someone until you know their story. The important feature of this overnight retreat was that time and space was made available so that one could be alone, or one could be with people. Rooms were sectioned off for different spiritual disciplines while the little dining room and youth room were set aside for fellowship with others. This feature of encouraging both solitude and fellowship is a feature I find important to carry with me into the other retreats I may be a part of. It accommodates different personalities and preferences and allows for participating in multiple spiritual disciplines.
ReplyDeleteThe first retreat I did was in middle school. It was an all-nighter at a church I was new to. It was also a thirty hour famine. We played games (like dodgeball) and there were speaker's there to discuss the state of Africa. I ended up learning a lot about active Christian work in the world that weekend. There is a quote on my wall back home that came from this weekend. I can't remember the exact words but in its essence it says that God gave us gifts. Some of us were gifted as dreamers. So go out and dream big, but make it a reality. It really impacted me spiritually because it showed me all of the awesome things that Christians can do with God's assistance and guidance. There were no spiritual disciplines involved. Just a bunch of kids learning about some serious stuff in a part of the world they had never been to. But it ignited a fire in me to make a difference in the world, and that was a fundamental moment for me. I think to create that kind of impact for my students in the future, I would try to get them into some hands on stuff as well. Let them talk to real people from real places with struggles and facilitate events that allow them to see the difference one can make.
ReplyDeleteWorship through music is always my biggest connector at retreats. It was at a camp that I learned the art of worship and what it looked like to submit oneself through music. Whenever a camp or retreat is able to pull off worship and it doesn't feel like a "show," I am impressed. After being to some camps and retreats that did this well (and some that didn't), I want to help create a balanced worship for camps or retreats in the future.
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