I recently returned from one of our church’s yearly youth trips. This particular camp was called “Elevate.” Elevate is a retreat in Gatlinburg, TN, that offers a ski package and a non-ski package (this little piece of information will be relevant shortly). Our students love this retreat, but usually for different reasons than the adults and leaders.

Why Retreat?

While often not acknowledged, a time of retreat is a biblical concept. Moses would retreat to his tent to meet with YHWH. David often withdrew from his duties to be in the presence of the Lord. Jesus retreated to the mountain to be alone after the death of John the Baptist. Retreats are necessary and should be intentional. But, the intent of a retreat matters. In other words, it should have a clear and identifiable purpose.

The Intent of a Retreat

The intent of a retreat can be varied. For some, it is a time to address unconfessed sins. For others, a retreat is to remove oneself from the chaos of everyday life and slow down. For Elevate, the retreat is for our adults and students to have a steroid shot of relational interaction, which would have taken months or longer to achieve during “normal” youth programming. Experience has taught me that when volunteers and parents attend a youth retreat, a level of friendship is formed that is almost impossible to achieve in everyday life.

This reality leads us to why I mentioned Elevate’s two options: ski and non-ski packages. Suppose I am seeking to build relational capital between my students and volunteers/adults. In that case, I need to attend a camp where I can bring as many students and volunteers/chaperones as possible. In other words, if I choose to participate in a retreat in which skiing is the only option, I will lose a third of my students, and they will miss out on the relationships. But, if I attend a retreat with no event “allure” to it, I will fail to attract my fringe students and their friends with whom I hope to build relationships. So, knowing why you are retreating and who you are trying to reach should be the primary factor in choosing where you retreat.

Our students love Elevate because they can ski, worship, and be relatively free to do what they want within the guidelines provided. Our volunteers love Elevate because they can ski, walk the city, and learn more about the youth ministry at Lakeside. Finally, I love Elevate because it offers 85 hours of a relational steroid injected straight into my students, volunteers, and leaders. We have our winter retreat at Elevate because we need to focus on knowing each other well and creating a culture where everyone has a friend when they arrive at church.

Conclusion

Leaders, if your church is not “retreating” with relationships being one of the goals in mind, I would ask that you evaluate why you retreat. Please, don’t be afraid to bring new volunteers and parents; it’s beautiful to see the entire body invested in the students.

Volunteers, please know the value you bring and your impact on the teens in your church. Your youth ministry cannot thrive without godly, present volunteers invested in the student community. Thank you!

Parents, if you have never volunteered to chaperone a retreat, I would encourage you to do so. You will not regret it.

Retreat well and retreat with purpose!