We leave for Winter Retreat this weekend. To say I’m excited is an under statement. For both students and for leaders, there is always a camp high when we come back from a camp. It is during those times in which we feel so much closer to who God.

If you really think about it, there are 5 major things we do at a camp or retreat everyday that we tend to not do when we get back. 5 things in which we are supposed to do on a daily basis which we tend to only do at camp or retreat. When we do these 5 things daily we can bring a bit of camp back home with us. If we can teach our students and leaders these things (and quite honestly myself) that feeling we get can become a constant one because all of these focus on Jesus, who is the giver of everything. Camp is an experience like nothing else. We can’t replicate it at home, we can try but it will not be the same. But there are things at camp we do while we are up there that we need to do when we return.

  • Pray- We pray everyday at a camp or retreat. That communication between us and God is key to our closeness with God. If we are having a struggle on determining where God is wanting you to go, what better way than to have a conversation with the One who made you.
  • Quiet Time- At a camp or retreat you have a quiet time with God every single day. You study the Bible for at least 30 minutes everyday you are there. This is something I myself struggle with on a daily basis and I know it is a reason in which the “camp high” fades when I come back.
  • Community- You are in a great community of people everyday. You are around people who you are comfortable talking to and opening up to and being able to talk openly about struggles that you are having and being able to pray with them right then and there.
  • Worship- There is worship session every single day (usually in the form of music). But its time where you and God connect and you can just worship Him for who He is.
  • Laugh- We let loose at a camp or retreat because we are not worrying about anything besides just being there with God. Jesus says why worry about tomorrow, today has enough worry for its self. When we are at camp or retreat we can just have fun and laugh with everyone around us and not worry about anything.

All of these things happen at retreats and that’s why we get that extra close feeling to God. These are the things that we are called to do on a daily basis, so that closeness to God doesn’t need to go away…ever! We have to stop doing these things just at camps and retreats and make it an everyday practice.

That’s my goal for when we come back… make sure students understand this.