Youth Ministry
 

Has anyone ever planned or helped put together Youth Retreats for small groups or even for large groups? I

f so could you please share with me the things you did, activities, how long it lasted, what kind of place you stayed at?

We are considering trying to put together something like this for our youth group but not sure what to do or if we should try to involve other groups or just keep it to our youth group only.

Thanks! :)

Every year we put on a Youth X-plosion, a HUGE youth weekend for hundreds of youth from the Northeast...so, because our kids GIVE so much on this week-end, we take them away the month before to a camp where they let all of their hair down, sledding, ice skating, hockey, eating, games, and such. We also have 3 prayer services where they really get ahold of anointing for the coming Youth X-Plosion.

For more info, contact us at www.capitalcommunity.ca and we can share more of what we do. Our weekend co-ordinator is Eric Porter.

We have done youth trips on both a large and small scale. The big one that we have done 3 years in a row now is Key West. There is a family/church there that we have really befriended and we go down there to help out at their church (which is very small and comprised mostly of young people whose parents don't attend church or aren't even around) or anything else the family needs. After the hurricanes went through Florida in 2005, we went down to help clean up and rebuild the family's dock. The kids look forward to that each year. On a smaller scale, we have done camping trips (to a campgrounds with cabins each for guys & girls). When we've done those, we've usually met in a central location for meals, games and short services/devotionals. Those have been fun.

We have also had separate weekend trips for guys and girls such as guys will go away for the weekend to play paintball, go camping, etc. while the girls will stay for a weekend in a hotel and do shopping, go to museums, or a play/show that might be in the area. While on these trips, although they aren't centered around church, we do take some time (both guys and girls) where the youth leader (or his wife, if it's the girls group) shares some thoughts, visions of where we want the youth to go spiritually, anything that is on their heart. Then we open it up to anyone else who may have something on their heart, which usually ends up in tears and a prayer meeting. . .at least on the girls side. I can't speak for the guys! lol.

Not sure if any of this is even remotely what you were looking for, but just some things we've done in the past. . . .

Thanks guys!


Anyone else????