8 Reasons To Put On Your Own Summer Retreat

When I was a youth pastor we put on a yearly summer retreat that was extremely popular with the students and was a very key event in the development of our youth group.

Here are 8 reasons why you should put on your own summer retreat:

1. You can control the schedule. How early the days start, how late they go. How much time is set aside for fun, for worship, etc. You can decide what you and your group does and what they don't do.

2. You can control the theme and the sermon topics. You can use this time for an extended focus on a topic you feel your group needs to have addressed. This allows your students to hear sermons that are designed (by you), for them individually and as a group.

3. You can control when it is. You can make the retreat be when it is the best time of the year based on your schedule, what you have planned for your group and what the student's families have scheduled.

4. You can control where it is. You can have it as close or far away from where you are as possible. You can even choose an area you've always wanted to go!

5. You can decide how long it is. You can decide if you want it to be 2 1/2 days like a typical retreat or a longer 3 1/2 day retreat. This way you can decide what you and your group can handle.

6. You can control what food is served. You don't have to put up with bad camp/retreat food. You can choose food that is good, designed around your andyour groups tastes and that is economical.

7. You can use it to help your group grow closer to each other without the distraction of other students/groups. You can use this time to help your group bond together. You can use it to help you and your leaders grow closer to your students.

8. It's fun and satisfying to see the end results of putting on something like this yourself. It's hard to explain the feeling of satisfaction you'll feel after a retreat that you put on. You'll be tired. But not an exhausted tired. It's a sit down and smile and sigh - when you think of all the cool stuff that happened- kind of satisfied. It's the "you worked hard, but it was so worth it" kind of tired. :)

By the way...

Next week, I'll post up a free audio recording of a teleconference my friend Ben and I, who I co-youth pastored with for years and who put together our summer retreats with me, did last year called...

"7 Important Elements For A Solo-Retreat"
(That's a retreat you put on for your own group.)

You'll be able to sign-up by email to get access to stream it online or download the recording.

Also, in Mid-April, Ben and I are thinking of doing a 2-day, 2 hour a day, paid teleconference called, "Instant Summer Retreat" teleconference.

This teleconference will give you everything you need to put on an effective summer retreat that your students will love and you’ll love because of the impact it has on them and your group.

What we’re going to give you on this teleconference and WITH this teleconference is everything you need to make putting on your own effective summer retreat as “instant” as possible.

The best part is that your input and feedback here will help us to make sure that this teleconference has everything you need and want it to.

Stay tuned for more info...

If you want to tweet this on Twitter, click here.
If you want to post this on your Facebook status, click here.