Crave 07 Fall Retreat was spectacular. I don't think I've ever experienced worship like I did on Saturday night. It truly marked me as I saw middle school students on their faces without prompting from the stage. Our middle school gang, over 40 strong at the retreat, is pictured above.
The drama Dave wrote was beyond excellent, hilariously funny and heart penetrating at the same time. In addition to the worship and drama, the highlight for me was the discussion groups. Jordan and Missy did an amazing job at preparing the guides. Even the most inexperienced discussion group leader couldn't help but to succeed. I'm constantly learning here and can't help but to compare how we do things in Atlanta with how we did things at Granger. I dream of what it would look like if we blended the best of both worlds together.
A couple of things off the top of my head...
1. At Granger, I liked how well we kept track of kids. Everyone had their 5 or 6 who went everywhere together. There was a system here, but not as fool proof as up north.
2. In Atlanta, the discussion guides (front cover below) were off the chart, packed with great questions and visual aids/illustrations, which enabled every break out time to be maximized to the fullest. They had in mind where they wanted the discussion groups to go and helped leaders get their students there. Like I mentioned, even the least experience leaders couldn't help but succeed. In addition, there was a rallying of each 02 Group (Eagle's Nest) at the end that was helpful, powerful and effective. I never fully helped to realize the potential for Eagle's Nest (02 Group) pride up north. Down here we've got symbols, shout outs, events, etc. It's a big, big deal and creates momentum like I've never seen.
3. At Granger, while it was camp and not a retreat, I liked the rallying of the leaders for training, encouragement and discussion the night before. It helped to ensure we were all on the same page and questions were answered. They rally the leaders here as well, but I got thrown into the mix late so I didn't get to take part. Originally, I was going to just take care of the second year Cadre who were observing the retreat, but because of the number of middle school students attending, jumped into the discussion group leadership mix.
4. In Atlanta, the display of the Arts is untouchable. It was as good, if not better, than any ATF like gathering I've ever seen. 98% of the teaching was communicated through the drama and video clips. Students were totally engaged. Seriously, very few people even left to go to the bathroom.
5. At Granger, I like the idea of having a director(s) roaming around with the sole responsibility of making sure everything and everyone's needs are being met. They have it in Atlanta as well, it's just different. All the key point people have groups as well, which has huge pros but a few cons to it as well.
6. In Atlanta, the retreat is a big deal. It's the thing "everyone" goes to and brings a friend to, which is probably why this youth ministry of 250 had over 300 at the retreat. They've discovered momentum. In addition, they did a couple of things I'd never thought of before. For instance, they had a VIP night as part of a Wednesday night before the retreat for those who had signed up and paid early. It wasn't just some soda, pizza and Oreos...they went all out with baked goods, different flavors of floats, etc. Their promotion pieces were off the chart as well.
Those were just some thoughts. Over the next few days, I'll give you a peek into some other happenings that I haven't had time to blog about. As far as Thanksgiving goes, it was all a blur. My family and friends were gracious enough to let me sleep through most of it. Exhaustion was an understatement. You know you looked bad when your sister tells you as Thanksgiving break progresses that you are looking better every day. The first full day home, I dozed off at least nine times. While the last six weeks were taxing, I can honestly say I absolutely loved every minute of it (except for the unexpected 5:30 a.m. Cadre airport run last Monday after going to bed a half hour earlier, that was a little rough). Fortunately I got a lot of rest over the break and the days ahead are much lighter for awhile. I'll be taking some time to breath deep.
6 comments:
Sounds like an awesome weekend!
It was so great to see you the other day! It was a wonderful surprise.
Looks like things are going great for you. The kids enjoyed seeing you this weekend. A few of them made a point to tell me how much it meant to see you at church.
Just thought i'd share that with ya. They still feel the love! Godspeed.
A VIP event for kids who have families that could afford to pay up early?
You may want to think twice about a system that could tend to separate kids into the "haves" and have nots".
I would hope that churches would be one place where all kids were treated equally.
As a parent with a lower income, I can't tell you how much it hurts to have my kids miss out on an opportunity to be involved in something just because I couldn't get the money together by a certain date.
Just a little perspective from the other side of the tracks. ;o)
Wow! Sounds like an incredible retreat. Good thing these kids have an incredible leader in YOU! Glad your Thanksgiving was great, and if there is anyone that deserves to doze off 9 times in one day, it is you!
God bless you, sister!
Great insight Rhonda; however, totally disagree. The kids and their families know every fall and spring there is a retreat. So, they have opportunities to plan accordingly if they so choose. In addition, fundraisers happen early enough that if they want to work toward it they can. If they choose not to, it's their discretion. Plus, a lot of people who would consider themselves "have-nots" (not talking about you), if you look at their spending habits are really "have's" who choose "not" to place some things as a priority. For example, they don't have basic cable and cell phone service, but have them (and ones for their kids) with all the bells and whistles. Am I saying they are wrong to have or it don't deserve it, no ... I'm just saying life is a series of choices. It's one of those areas you can go round and round about in a discussion and never get anywhere.
Sounds like you had a great retreat. :)
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