| TheSource4YM.com | |
 | Jonathan’s Resource Ezine |
Weekly Resources, Ideas and Articles from The Source for Youth Ministry
Tuesday, October 2, 2001
| In This Issue |
- ONE WINTER RETREAT AGENDA . . . TO GO PLEASE!
- A NATIONAL SPEAKER WITH NO TRAVEL COST? A one time deal until the end of the year!
| If you aren’t a subscriber of this EZINE and would like to subscribe – it’s free – just pop on www.TheSource4YM.com and sign up in the upper right hand corner. |
| ONE WINTER RETREAT AGENDA . . . TO GO PLEASE! |
A winter retreat (or SNOW TRIP, as we call it here in Northern California) is a great way to escape for a weekend with your group of students.? Winter retreats differ incredibly.? They can consist of hundreds of students at a classy campground with a band and a professional speaker.? Or sometimes they can be 20 students, 4 staff, some great home-made Chili and a few snow ball fights.
I recently was emailed the following:
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Help!!
I have a jr. high youth retreat in October. Our pastor usually does this type of thing, but he is not able to go along this time. I have no idea what to do. Do you have any suggestions on books to get for ideas or do you have some already planned out?
Please let me know!!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
I hear your cry.
Here’s a ready-made WINTER RETREAT . . . to go!
WINTER RETREAT
This snow retreat has a three fold purpose:
1.? Have a great time so students want to be involved in the group more.
2.? Staff build relationships with students, earning their trust and exemplifying Christ-like faith by their actions.
3.? Present what a relationship with Christ is all about.
As many of you can tell- this retreat is geared toward the OUTREACH kid.? You could easily address this retreat to the DISCIPLESHIP or GROWTH crowd by adjusting the retreat’s third purpose.? The first two should remain.
DETAILS
This retreat is just a weekend retreat, Friday afternoon through Sunday, utilizing skiing, snowboarding and playing in the snow as a major activity.? You will have to adjust times and activities accordingly based on your resources, weather, facility, transportation and schedule.
This retreat doesn’t require a speaker.? Speakers are great to bring in if you can work them into your budget. This retreat, however, uses group discussion or small group discussion, using your staff as the discussion coordinators and communicators of your message.
Hopefully this sample agenda will get your creative juices flowing as well as provide you with an idea of one way to program such a retreat.
AGENDA
FRIDAY
4:00 PM
4:15 PM
*? It’s always good to go over the SEND HOME RULES before you go- so they know you’re serious about discipline.? You don’t have to be a Nazi, just lay out the expectations, then go immediately back to having fun with them relationally.
SEND HOME RULES
1.? No alcohol, drugs or weapons of any kind.
2.? No crossing of the guy girl boundaries set up at the facility.
3.? No? stealing
4.? No disrespecting/disobeying of any staff.? They are responsible for you this weekend.
RULE TIPS:? When I go over the rules, I don’t go over them like a ticked off 18th century school teacher.? I lay them out with the attitude like, “I know we aren’t going to have a problem with any of these but . . .”?
I constantly emphasize that it’s “going to be a great weekend and I know we won’t have any problems.? We just need to let you know that we won’t put up with any of these . . .”
5:00 PM
7:00 PM
* Announce and hold the first meeting right away.? That way kids don’t get involved in elaborate snow fort building, showers, games, etc. when you want to start your program.
Pre-program announcements:
1.? Go over Sleeping Arrangements and boundaries eg. Guys Upstairs & Girls Downstairs.? Don’t cross street, don’t go past creek, etc.
2.? Remind them about the send home rules quickly (last time you need to mention them- don’t need to explain again- just list out 1,2,3, and 4 as a reminder- then say “enough said, now to have some fun!”)
3.? Go over agenda and expectations for the weekend- let them know what to expect.? For example
“This weekend we’re going to have a lot of fun.? We are going to have a lot of free time just playing in the snow and hanging out with each other in the cabin, and we’re going to have some great planned activities as well.”
“Meals will always be right in here at . . . “
“We have three (say the name of your program) ‘Campus Life’ meetings this weekend One tonight, one Saturday PM, and one Sunday AM.? All of us will be at those, unless excused by the nurse because you are bleeding profusely from the head.”
FRIDAY NIGHT PROGRAM
Choose a few games from Jonathan’s game list:
https://thesource4ym.com/games
TEMPORARY VS. ETERNAL discussion:
https://thesource4ym.com/outreach/temp.asp
Free Time- I always allow kids to go beyond the boundaries IF they are with a staff person. That way they are always asking a staff person to go with them to here or there.
10:00 PM
12:00 PM
SATURDAY
8:30-9:00 AM
9:30 AM
Half the group plays in snow- half of the group ski’s
3:00 PM
5:30 PM
SATURDAY NIGHT PROGRAM
Choose a few games from Jonathan’s game list:
https://thesource4ym.com/games/
LIFE’S FOUNDATION discussion:
https://thesource4ym.com/outreach/life.asp
Free Time– can be outside the cabin if with staff
10:00 PM
SUNDAY
9:00 to 9:30 PM
SUNDAY AM PROGRAM
Choose a few games from Jonathan’s game list:
https://thesource4ym.com/games
FORGIVENESS discussion:
https://thesource4ym.com/outreach/past.asp
Give an invitation for students to begin a relationship with God:
Jesus didn’t condemn her. He basically said, “I don’t care where you’ve been, but I care where you are going.”? Jesus is saying the same thing to us.? “I don’t care where you’ve been- but I care where you’re going.”? How we walked in the door tonight doesn’t matter- how we leave tonight does.“
10:30 PM
LEAVE FOR HOME!!!
Stop for lunch
| A NATIONAL SPEAKER WITH NO TRAVEL COST? A one time deal until the end of the year! |
Ever looking for a good speaker but you just can’t afford the $500 to $1,000 that it can cost to fly them out?? Well I’ve got a deal for anyone East of Chicago.? I need to fly another 4,000 miles this year to keep my extra benefits from United Airlines.? So I need to fly out East one more time before December.? If you are in Minnesota, Michigan, St. Louis, New York, Tennessee, the Carolina’s, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania . . . ANYWHERE that goes a few hundred miles past Chicago, you can book me and I’LL PAY FOR MY OWN TRAVEL!
I’m only available a couple weekends, so email me at the address below if you’re interested . . . I only need one more flight!
notravelcost@thesource4ym.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JONATHAN SPEAKING . . .
check out Jonathan’s speaker page and who’s recommending him:
https://thesource4ym.com/speaker/jonathan.asp
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JONATHAN SPEAKING . . .
check out Jonathan’s speaker page and who’s recommending him:
https://thesource4ym.com/speaker/jonathan.asp
Jonathan McKee
Jonathan McKee is the author of over twenty books including the brand new The Guy's Guide to FOUR BATTLES Every Young Man Must Face; The Teen’s Guide to Social Media & Mobile Devices; If I Had a Parenting Do Over; and the Amazon Best Seller - The Guy's Guide to God, Girls and the Phone in Your Pocket. He speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, all while providing free resources for youth workers on TheSource4YM.com. Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their three kids live in California.