Day One
10h00-12h00 - Preparation for the retreat. Have a quiet time: write down some of the problems you ae facing, decisions you need to make; list some of the areas of your life where you are struggling; list your sins, set a goal that you want to achieve on this retreat.
12h00-13h00 - Lunch - served by one of the group.
13h00-15h00 - Walk. Walk in any direction for 45 minutes and then return. During your walk listen to the sounds around you, cars that nearly wipe you out, birds singing; feel the heat; sense the rhythm of your body - where does it ache? what is it saying to you? As you do all this, ask God to make you sensitive to his creation, not only around and about you, but in you.
15h00-16h00 - Swim and Tea - served by one of the group.
16h00-17h30 - Confession. Spend time evaluating your life: take the last of sins you have already drawn up and think of the implications of these; ask God or forgiveness, naming each sin, and confessing y guilt. Seek God’s complete cleansing and the freedom that the Spirit of God brings.
17h30-19h00 - Supper - served by one of the group. During this time you need to prepare for spending an hour with God in prayer. Write down what you are going to do in four fifteen minute blocks of time. Choose four general subjects around which you will focus your prayer and slot some specific items into those blocks.
19h00-20h00 - Prayer.
20h00-22h00 - Worship - around a campfire.
Day Two
06h00-09h00 - Meditation. Using the principles of centering down and focussing on the matter at hand. Remember to breathe to relax and enable you to focus, and close your meditation with a time of thanksgiving. Meditate on Romans 8:15,16.
09h00-10h00 - Breakfast - served by one of the group.
10h00-12h00 - Solitude. Find a place where you will not be distracted and spend two hours listening to God. Do nothing else, simply listen.
12h00-12h30 - Tea - in total silence and served by one of the group.
12h30-14h00 - Goal-setting. Take this time to set some goals for your life in the months that lie ahead. What specific things does God want you to become and accomplish during this time? Think of the roles in your life: husband, father, student, etc.
14h00-15h00 - Lunch - served by one of the group. There will be a time of sharing during this time.
The value of the spiritual retreat cannot be over stated. Being able to make contact with God in a disciplined way during the two days was simply unbelievable. There is no doubt in my mind that such an exercise should be a regular feature in the life of youth pastors.
On the second day of the retreat, the director’s staff from his local church came out to the campsite and experienced a day retreat together. The secretary and youth workers were sent off for a quiet time, a time of meditation, and spend twenty minutes each reflecting on their lives and ministry with the pastor. This made me realise how valuable a retreat will be for a church staff. How many youth pastors are given this opportunity to retreat as a regular part of their church ministry?
The youth pastor should also consider taking the leaders of the various age-groups away once or twice a year for a retreat like this. Not a planning retreat, but a spiritual retreat. It could lead into a third day of planning, but the focus should be on individually and corporately encountering God. The whole youth council would greatly benefit from regular retreats.
Each age-specific age group ministry could consider taking time out once or twice a year to go away as a leadership team and do a spiritual retreat. This will ensure that they are well prepared for ministry among that age group and help them to stay refreshed and focussed on God.
During 1999 I organised monthly day spiritual retreats for youth pastors. Here are the outlines that we used for two of the retreats.
Retreat Example #1
Theme: Meditation
9:00-9:30 Preparing to Meditate
Prayer
Reflection: Psalm 42:1,2,9
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you,
O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.
Journal Thoughts:
In what way does this passage connect with my heart?
How does it express my desire to connect with God today?
Spend the remained of the time in silent prayer an reflection.
9:30-10:30 Meditation on Scripture
1. Read the passage through slowly a couple of time:
I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. (Psalm 145:1-9)
2. Write down any thoughts that come to mind:
3. Select and write out a key phrase or verse for meditation:
4. Rewrite it in your own words:
5. Repeat it until you sense it has become a part of you.
6. Write down some thoughts about how it applies to your life:
10:30-11:00 Tea
11:00-11:30 Meditation on Creation
Spend 5 minutes looking at each of the following aspects of creation in the garden and write down what God is saying to you or what you learn about God:
The Stream
The Waterfall
The Sky
The Mountain
A Tree
11:30-12:00 Meditation on Self
Go and find one or two things that reflect the state of your soul. Spend some time reflecting and then come back and share with the group the things and their meaning to you.
12:00-12:20 Meditation Walk
Take a short walk and aim to meditate on one characteristic of God the whole time you are walking.
12:20-12:30 Share Experiences
Extra Reflection: Psalm 77:12-13
I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?
Make a list of God's works and deeds that come to mind and then spend time meditating on them.
Retreat Example #2
Theme: Connecting with God
9:00-9:30 Preparing to Connect with God
Silence
Read and Reflect on Scripture: Mark 6:30-32
The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, "Come off by yourselves; let's take a break and get some rest." For there was constant coming and going. They didn't even have time to eat.
Journal Your Thoughts:
1. In what ways has my life been like that of the people in the passage?
2. What am I hoping to achieve or experience in this retreat?
3. What invitation is God extending to me through the passage?
God gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:29-31.
9:30-10:30 Connecting through Scripture
For the next hour we are going to engage in an ancient practise called lectio divina. It is a way of slowly reading, internalising and praying the Scriptures. Reflect on the passages using these four movements:
1. Slowly and repeatedly read the text Enter into the experience.
2. Meditating on words as the text intersects with your hopes and dreams.
3. Turn your reflection into prayer as you speak it out to God.
4. Reflect on what God is saying to your heart through the text.
Scene 1: Matthew 26:69-75
Meanwhile, as Peter was sitting in the courtyard, a girl came over and said to him, "You were with Jesus, for both of you are from Galilee." But Peter denied it loudly. "I don't even know what you are talking about," he angrily declared. Later, out by the gate, another girl noticed him and said to those standing around, "This man was with Jesus--from Nazareth." Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. "I don't even know the man," he said. But after a while the men who had been standing there came over to him and said, "We know you are one of his disciples, for we can tell by your Galilean accent." Peter began to curse and swear. "I don't even know the man," he said. And immediately the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said, "Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." And he went away, crying bitterly.
Scene 2: John 21:9-17
When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught. Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
10:30-11:00 Tea
11:00-11:30 Connecting through Creation
The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvellous craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or a word; their voice is silent in the skies. (Psalm 19:1-3).
11:30-12:00 Connecting with my Passion
Spend the next thirty minutes re-connecting with your passion for ministry.
Use the following questions to discern your God-given passion:
1. What really stirs you? Imagine we meet together for the first time. We talk about a few things in casual conversation and then you get really excited as you start to talk about a topic that really grips you. What is the topic?
2. What do you day dream about the most?
3. What have been the greatest achievements in your life? List 5.
4. What kind of things do you do that make you lose track of time? When you are operating on things that you are passionate about, you become unaware of time.
5. In what area are you making, or do you want to make, a difference? People who fulfil their passion make a purposeful difference around then. They have an inner confidence that they are where God wants them to be - in a place where God is using them to make a difference.
6. What energises you? Your passion is something that energises you!
7. Does your passion pass the following two tests:
A. Does it glorify God?
B. Does it edify others?
Once you have completed this exercise you should look for key words and phrases that appear through the seven indicators. Take a few minutes to try and capture your passion in a passion statement below.
My Passion is…
Spend time in prayer - asking God to help you identify and release your passion more fully in the coming weeks, months and years.
12:00-12:15 Prayer Walk
Take a short walk and aim to connect with God each step of the way. It may be a chance to reflect on the day and thank God for having met with you or it may be a final chance to put something right with him.
12:15-12:30 Share Experiences
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